Interview with Victoria Bø about Woman Scream 2019 Norway

Wednesday March 6 you can experience the international Woman Scream Festival - in Lillehammer, Norway

(Source HERE)

Victoria Bø is not only a board member of Norwegian Authors Union (Den norske Forfatterforening), a member of the International Committee, and also a novelist. She is personally involved in the movement Woman Scream Festival, and will soon settle on regional train R10 or R11 to Lillehammer. To go to Lillehammer tomorrow, Wednesday 6 March, is generally recommended to anyone interested in literature or gender equality. Why? We took a chat with Victoria Bø about what is happening tomorrow, Wednesday 6 March at Lillehammer.

 

Now the Woman Scream festival is being arranged for the second time in Norway. What exactly is this for?

This is a grass roots festival that began in the Dominican Republic in 2011 The author association is involved and arranges the festival together with the Norwegian Literature Festival and the Literature House in Lillehammer. There will be literary readings, literary conversation and debate on freedom of speech. 

One asks: How is it to be a woman in Norway and Denmark today, which channels exist to say, require change?

 

Aha, so even though the festival originates in the Dominican Republic, then Norwegian and Danish conditions will be under the magnifying glass. What kind of relationship do you have in Norway and Denmark that could be a topic?

I am excited about what the participants at the festival will say about being a woman in our Nordic societies today and about the right and the opportunity to express themselves on behalf of others and with different font expressions. Every year, Woman Scream has a theme that is common to all the festivals around the world. This year it is "I scream for me". But Woman Scream does not shout on behalf of itself. The festival screams on behalf of women all over the world, including those who have no public voice. What Norwegian and Danish authors think is most important in such a context is exciting to listen to.

Woman Scream 2019 Oslo, Norway

You must hold an introduction before the Woman Scream Festival. What are you going to talk about?

Woman Scream is an important festival that focuses on freedom of expression, especially for women. And freedom of speech is promoted and celebrated through artistic expressions, especially literature. I want to support this. This festival gives Norwegian authors and the Norwegian literature public an opportunity to support writers elsewhere in the world. We can show solidarity with women who experience violence and limitations in freedom of expression. For now, the festival has been arranged in more than 70 countries. Not bad for a small grassroots festival. I'm going to talk about that during the opening.

 

What does the word grass root festival really mean?

Well, it is an expression that shows that the festival has emerged from "grass roots", that is, it was started by a female poet and a woman-shaker activist and has been pursued by volunteer writers and art lovers all over the world.

 

The goal is to continue this festival. What does it take to make it happen?

Public support that could provide the opportunity to extend the festival to several cities and would often be in collaboration with several literature houses would be great!

It is about solidarity because it is possible to arrange this festival in Norway, and more difficult to arrange in other countries.

 

What do those who have started this movement say about the importance of what is happening in Norway?

Jael Uribe, Dominican poetess and advocate of freedom of speech, won the Author's Freedom of speech prize in 2017. It was she who started the festival in 2011. It is my impression that the prize from Norway meant a lot to her and her work and that she is delighted that the festival is now also celebrated in Norway.

Jael Uribe recieves Freedom of Expression Awards 2016, Oslo Norway

What about you personally?

I was inspired to support this festival when I met Jael Uribe during her Norwegian visit two years ago. She told strong stories about violence and difficulties for female writers in many countries. Especially the story of the Mexican poet Susana Chavez who was found killed by one hand cut off, possibly because she was an author, made an impression. Freedom of speech is an area The author association works with in different ways and Woman Scream is a measure I am concerned about supporting. Hope there are many who take the trip to the Literature House in Lillehammer on Wednesday!

05 March - 2019
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