Arne Ruset: Slow and Steady
– Norway
Norwegian psychiatrist, writer and poet. Born in 1951, he studied psychology and sociology at the University of Bergen and medicine at the University of Tromsø. He lives in Molde and writes poetry, children's books, short stories and novels. He made his literary debut in 1973 with the poetry collection Spelemannslaget Love (The Fiddler's Club Love), and since then he has received numerous awards, including the Norwegian Critics' Prize for Children's Literature. In his work, he focuses on the relations between work life, social interactions, personal development, and normality. A recurring theme in his works is the solitary human existence and the escape from reality through imagination and dreams, which serve as a compensation for the solitude.