Name: Book Launch – Garborg's "Haugtussa – The Clairvoyant Mountain Maid," transl. by Dr. Wm. Halverson
Start: 2025-10-04T14:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-10-04T16:00:00-05:00
Location: Norway House, 913 E Franklin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55404

$Book Launch \u2013 Garborg's "Haugtussa \u2013 The Clairvoyant Mountain Maid," transl. by Dr. Wm. Halverson$

Dr. William Halverson, a world authority on the music of Edvard Grieg and foremost English language translator of Norwegian music literature and song texts of the works of Grieg presents a book launch of his translation of Arne Garborg's "Haugtussa," one of the most significant pieces of literature written in the Nynorsk Norwegian language, translated in full in English for the first time since its 1895 publication.
This event is free and open to the public in Norway House.
Garborg was one of the foremost proponents of Nynorsk, a language developed by Ivar Aasen as a fusion of various Norwegian dialects. This was a nationalistic reaction against years of Danish rule over Norway, including the heavily Danish-influenced Bokmål language that had been imposed on Norway at the expense of distinctive Norwegian regional dialects.
"Haugtussa" was Garborg's most influential Nynorsk masterpiece. It gained international acclaim after Grieg set 8 of Garborg's 70 poems to music in his Op 67 Haugtussa Song Cycle, widely considered to be among Grieg's finest songs.
Halverson's translation delves into the depths of the story, beyond the love story that Grieg set in his song cycle. It reveals the rich inner life of the otherworldly heroine, Velsemøy, the mountain maid (Haugtussa).
Dramatic readings of Halverson's English translation will be presented by Norwegian actress Wench Strømdal.
Reception and book-signing will follow.
This event also leads up to another upcoming, related EGSMN event – the Nov. 2 premiere of "The Temptations of Veslemøy," with Kjell Habbestad's musical settings for voices, piano, oboe, and bass of Halverson's translations of Garborg's masterpiece.