International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award

In the bitter cold of Danish Jutland, where the sea freezes over and the Nazis have yet to invade, a young girl dreams of going on a great journey to Siberia, while her brother Jesper yearns for the former climes of Morocco. Given a staunchly Christian mother who composes and sings hymns all day, a father who is too philanthrophic a joiner to be successful, and a grandfather who takes his life in a cowshed, the relationship between brother and sister flourishes. Jesper has an originality that stands out in the small community, and his sister follows in his wake as they wend their way around the town in moonlit and daytime endeavours. The unshakeable bond between them as they fiercely watch out for each other is poignant, creating a warmth that glows through the chill of the cold and the dark clouds that amass and threaten to overtake their dreams.As the narrator looks back she reflects on the harsh realities of their existence and the consequences of their choices. It is out of small and negligible things that a life may be composed, and the beauty of Petterson`s narrative lies in the resonances of one which is outwardly barren but so sharply etched, so charged with meaning.
Per Petterson was born in 1952. He worked for many years as a bookseller and published his first work of fiction, a collection of short stories, in 1987. This was followed two years later by his first novel, which firmly established his reputation as one of Norway`s most significant new writers. With his second novel, To Siberia, he has started to acquire an international reputation.

To Siberia by Per Petterson, translated from the Norwegian by Anne Born Nominated by:

To Siberia by
Per Petterson,
translated from the Norwegian by Anne Born

Nominated by: