“New man” is, among other things, about serving time in prison. But it was not a given that the authorship of Per Marius Weidner-Olsen would continue. In 2020, he published his debut novel, which his publisher at the time stopped after the first edition briefly because he did not disclose a previous criminal conviction. – I am very happy that the authorship continued, he says to news. The case briefly summarized Weidner-Olsen’s debut novel was published by the publisher Oktober in 2020, and depicts the upbringing of a boy who, among other things, is exposed to sexual abuse. After publication, it emerged that the author had previously been convicted of “obtaining sexual intercourse through abuse of a position or relationship of trust”, as the judgment states. Oktober chose to break with the author and stop all further editions of the book, among other reasons, because they saw his failure to disclose the verdict as a serious breach of trust. Those offended in the judgment from 2003 reacted that the novel could be interpreted in a different light once the judgment was known. “New man”, new novel The author does not hide that there have been some special years since the judgment from 2003 became known to the public two years ago. – It goes without saying that the publication of the criminal sentence, breach of contract with the publisher and that the book is read in a way that one does not agree with, is challenging. He said that he started writing “New Man” in late summer 2021. The book tells a story about a man who is serving time in prison, and the time after still serving time. Weidner-Olsen reflects on themes that he experiences as a common thread throughout his life, namely atonement, guilt and shame. The author himself is in prison, but tell me that most of the book is fictional. He writes from his own experiences, but does not see the book as autobiographical. PENALTIES: In the book, the author reflects a lot on whether one ever gets parole after a crime. Photo: Philip Hofgaard / news Gyldendal is the publisher that now publishes “Ny mann”, something publishing manager for fiction Kari Marstein is very happy about. – I publish this book because it is very good and because the author here draws on some experiences that are very rare among Norwegian authors. I hope it will be read as a book regardless of the controversies that arose around the previous publication. Read more about the background to the case here: I think the author’s community should support it better. Another person who is happy that Weidner-Olsen gets the chance to publish book number two is the author Demian Vitanza. He criticizes the writing community for not having supported Weidner-Olsen to a greater extent back in 2020. – There were a few voices who gave some support, but very little. And that is understandable, because it can be interpreted as saying that you don’t think what he has done is so bad, or that you don’t care about the offended party in his case, but that is of course not the case. What I am defending is his right to write about this topic. I think I have to be brave and principled there. And I think more authors should be clear about that, says author Demian Vitanza. IMPORTANT: Demian Vitanza believes that Weidner-Olsen’s new book is important: – His experience means that we can shed light on topics from other angles. That’s what literature is about. Photo: Tine Poppe / Aschehoug publishing house He is harshest in his criticism of the Norwegian Authors’ Association. – What is even more serious is that the authors’ association does not intervene and dare to be principled. After all, they are our lawyers, and must fight when there are conflicts of principle between publishers and authors, he says and continued: – This is about a disagreement about how one should understand part of the standard contract: should he have been informed about what he had done for many years ago, since there was a thematic connection with what the book was about? I think he should have let go. And the authors’ association should take up that fight and protect the author, which is the association’s task. Leader Heidi Marie Kriznik of the Norwegian Writers’ Association says she can understand that Weidner-Olsen felt alone. – Of course, we must stand on the authors’ side in relation to publishers. But the authors’ association is an organization with a varied and diverse membership, and we do not have insight into all sides of this matter, I also said that in 2020. Then it is not natural that the authors’ association means something beyond the principled. And it goes without saying that freedom of expression and artistic freedom are important principles. – Did they say this clearly and publicly enough in 2020? – It must almost be up to others to assess, but we had a board resolution on how we wanted to express ourselves as an association at that time in 2020. We were quite clear that no one meant that Weidner-Olsen should not be allowed to publish books. In that sense, it is great that he has found a publisher that will publish his books. Weidner-Olsen himself says that he experienced that it was quite silent from fellow writers and the field. Publishing manager Marstein agrees. – I probably had hoped, and am perhaps a little surprised that there was not a clearer discussion of the fundamental aspects of this case, says Marstein. IMPRESSED: Kari Marstein in Gyldendal says she thinks “Ny mann” is an unusually rich literary book. Photo: Gyldendal – Must have the offending in the back of the mind When Weidner-Olsen’s debut novel was stopped in October 2020, the background was that the offending from the criminal sentence from 2003 reacted to the novel. Those involved experienced that the novel could be interpreted in a different light when one knows the verdict. Author and social scientist Heidi Helene Sveen believes it is important that critics and those who will discuss the book in public keep this background in mind. AUTHOR: Sveen has, among other things, published the book “This is how you have to endure – sex, violations and public debate”. Photo: Private – Theme in the book (from 2020 journ.anm) overlaps with something that has happened in real life. Especially in a criminal case where there is a victim in the case who is alive and who follows what happens in public, I think it is important that the book is read critically with that as a backdrop, and that the whistleblowers take it up in their report on a good way that maintains that it has actually been a difficult situation for a person who is alive. The author says that he has asked himself if there was anything he should have done differently regarding the publication of his debut novel in 2020. – But I honestly feel that I am in step with my choices then, and the choice not to disclose the verdict. I accept that others see it differently. But all in all, I stand firm in my opinion.
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Was “dumped” by publishers – author colleague thinks more people should support him – news Culture and entertainment
