Are Kalvø is a well-known Norwegian writer, satirist and comedian. Recently he visited The Netherlands and I interviewed him. Lucky me! Watch the video!
In Norway, writer and satirist Are Kalvø has been a well-known appearance in television programs and on stage for years. In the past years his book “Hyttebok frå Helvete” caused a sensation, because in the book he puts the entire outdoor world under the magnifying glass.
The book
In the book, Kalvø wonders how it is possible that he has slowly but surely lost all his friends to The Great Outdoors. The book was and is in Norway a huge success; more than 130.000 copies are sold. Next to the book ha made a satirical one man show that Kalvø has performed more than 100 times.
Translations in English and Dutch
It didn’t stop with Norway. In 2018 the book was translated into English and “Hiking to Hell” became a success there too. “Hyttebok frå Helvete” has recently been translated into Dutch. I spoke to Are Kalvø about “The Outdoor Waanzin” – as the title of the book is in Dutch – when he came to the Netherlands for a performance at the SNP and Op Pad Wandelevent.
Grateful
I am very grateful to SNP that they asked me to do the interview for the SNP outdoor and travel website oppad.nl and that they allowed me to use the English video for my channels. If you are Dutch please visit oppad.nl for the written interview in Dutch.
The interview
The interview that I had with Are Kalvø took place in my Toyota Landcruiser. It’s not the most silent car in the world and next to that there was a storm blowing and that doesn’t help. Therefore the sound is not great during the first part of the video. I do apologize to you and Are. After 30 minutes be for stuck in slow traffic and that helped!
My opinion
I like reading books but I like video more nowadays. Is says a lot that I finished the 330 page book in about seven hours. I read it all! It easy written and Are Kalvø has a great sense of humor. For outdoor people the book is challenging since it triggers some sentiments; we are probably a bit strange to a lot of people who live in cities. The book is not only about people but also about Norway, Norwegians, Norwegian life, Nature, Silence, Noise, Oslo, Outdoor Food and Outdoor Gear. The talk I had in the car clarifies some topics. Ever heard of the Outdoor Stasi? Read the book and watch the video!
Information
The Outdoor Waanzin is published by Uitgeverij Balans, is 336 pages and costs € 21,99 as paperback and € 10,99 as e-book. ISBN 9789463820462
For the English translation click here
