Kjersti Halvorsen
– Norway
Born in 1993, she studied psychology at the University of Oslo. She made her debut in 2019 with the novel Ida tar ansvar (Ida Takes Responsibility), which earned her a nomination for the best Norwegian literary debut novel award and served as the basis for an eight-part TV series of the same name. It was followed by the book Det er jeg som kan hjelpe deg (I am the One Who Can Help You), which explores with themes of power, addiction, revenge and reconciliation. The novel's protagonist is psychologist Edvin who has known his new patient since childhood, but is reluctant to inform his superiors. Interestingly, he was a victim of bullying in school, and it was his new patient who bullied him. Now, the power dynamics between the two former classmates have been reversed.