Ultima Thule, 2-9 September 2007 - the writers

Participants

Thomas Boberg (born in Denmark in 1960) made his literary debut in 1984. He is one of Denmark’s most prominent poets, and has published various poetry collections and travel accounts. In Americas, he describes an odyssey across the American continent, from the US in the north to Peru in the south. The book was nominated for the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize in 1999.

Patricia Davelouis (born in Peru) is a filmmaker and video artist. She has directed short films and documentaries, including Paraíso, rejsedagbog (Paraíso, a travel diary) about Peru, and developed Multimediepoesi (Multimedia Poetry), a montage of poetry and short films.

Kjartan Fløgstad (born in Norway in 1944) is one of Norway’s most important contemporary writers. His first collection of poems was published in 1968, and he was awarded the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize in 1977. He has written travel accounts about Latin America, and translated the works of Latin American poets. His latest book, Pyramiden (The Pyramid), was inspired by the Svalbard archipelago.

Marc de Gouvenain (born in Paris) is responsible for Scandinavian literature and a series of travel accounts at the Actes Sud publishing house. He has written travel accounts from Ethiopia and Siberia, among others. He has also worked as a guide on “adventure tours” to Africa, China, Mongolia, Siberia and Tibet.

Lieve Joris (born in Belgium in 1953) studied journalism in Utrecht, and today lives in the Netherlands. She has written accounts of her extensive travels in dangerous countries, and has a particular interest in the Middle East and Africa. Ms Joris creates intimate portraits of life in the countries she visits, based on her personal experiences.

Tété-Michel Kpomassie (born in Togo in 1941) currently lives in France. He left primary school after six years, and received the rest of his education during his extensive travels in Europe and Africa. In 1981, he was awarded the Prix Littéraire Francophone for An African in Greenland.

Alberto Manguel (born in Argentina in 1948) is the author of non-fiction works like A History of Reading (1996), and The Library at Night (2006), as well as various novels. He has also written pieces of film criticism and edited literary anthologies on a variety of themes and within different genres. He now lives in France.

Cees Nooteboom (born in the Netherlands in 1933) is one of the Netherlands’ best-known writers. His work encompasses novels, short stories, poetry and travel accounts, and includes the highly-acclaimed Roads to Santiago. He is the recipient of numerous prizes, and his books have been translated into more than 15 languages.

Redmond O'Hanlon (born in Britain in 1947) was the natural history editor of the Times Literary Supplement for fifteen years, and has become known for his journeys into some of the most inhospitable and remote jungles of the world. Trawler: A Journey through the North Atlantic was published in Norwegian in 2005.

Simone Sassen (born in the Netherlands) specialises in cultural and travel photography. She has participated in various photographic exhibitions, and has published several books with her husband, Cees Nooteboom.