Nan Bentzen Skille
Encyclopedia
Nan Bentzen Skille founder of The Sigrid Undset Society (1997) and author of the first biography in English of the Nobel Prize
Laureate (1928) Sigrid Undset (1882–1949). Skille has a Masters in English Literature. She has been active as a promoter of the Norwegian author and Nobel Prize Laureate Sigrid Undset
for many years, both through The Sigrid Undset Society, which she led for five years from its founding in 1997, as editor for the periodical Gymnadnia (1997–2003) and as member of the council for the Norwegian Festival of Literature
(since 1995).
As a member of the Norwegian Festival of Literature council she became involved in the controversy over Holocaust denier David Irving, who was invited to speak at the 2009 festival. Nan Bentzen Skille publicly opposed the invitation after it was sent, but recommended that the Irving presentation be used to discuss critical issues it represented. She pointed out that Sigrid Undset had been critical of historians who locked into a view without thoughtfully considering opposing views and addressing them. Shortly after the controversy began, the invitation was withdrawn.
Skille presented Undset in the educational film series titled "Nordic Giants", and was project manager for the recording of Undset’s play for miniature theater Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne (East of the Sun and West of the Moon) in 2001. She also coproduced the film Ei blott til lyst (Not Just for Fun) in 2006; the latter is an account of the miniature theatre which a group of Lillehammer artists created in the 1920s.
In 2000 Skille led the initiative to place a plaque on the building in Via Frattina 138 in Rome
where Undset lived during two periods of her life. For five years Skille was engaged by Maihaugen Museum
to assist with the restoration work at Undset's home, Bjerkebæk, adressa.no Undset’s home in Lillehammer
and to document the history of the site. For this she was awarded the Anders Sandvig
Museum Stipend in 2000.
Skille served for several years a columnist in the Norwegian broadcasting at Oppland, specializing in literature.
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
Laureate (1928) Sigrid Undset (1882–1949). Skille has a Masters in English Literature. She has been active as a promoter of the Norwegian author and Nobel Prize Laureate Sigrid Undset
Sigrid Undset
Sigrid Undset was a Norwegian novelist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928.-Biography:Undset was born in Kalundborg, Denmark, but her family moved to Norway when she was two years old. In 1924, she converted to Catholicism and became a lay Dominican...
for many years, both through The Sigrid Undset Society, which she led for five years from its founding in 1997, as editor for the periodical Gymnadnia (1997–2003) and as member of the council for the Norwegian Festival of Literature
Norwegian Festival of Literature
The Norwegian Festival of Literature is the biggest literary festival in the Nordic countries taking place in May at Lillehammer every year since 1995...
(since 1995).
As a member of the Norwegian Festival of Literature council she became involved in the controversy over Holocaust denier David Irving, who was invited to speak at the 2009 festival. Nan Bentzen Skille publicly opposed the invitation after it was sent, but recommended that the Irving presentation be used to discuss critical issues it represented. She pointed out that Sigrid Undset had been critical of historians who locked into a view without thoughtfully considering opposing views and addressing them. Shortly after the controversy began, the invitation was withdrawn.
Skille presented Undset in the educational film series titled "Nordic Giants", and was project manager for the recording of Undset’s play for miniature theater Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne (East of the Sun and West of the Moon) in 2001. She also coproduced the film Ei blott til lyst (Not Just for Fun) in 2006; the latter is an account of the miniature theatre which a group of Lillehammer artists created in the 1920s.
In 2000 Skille led the initiative to place a plaque on the building in Via Frattina 138 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where Undset lived during two periods of her life. For five years Skille was engaged by Maihaugen Museum
Maihaugen
Maihaugen is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lillehammer, Norway. Maihaugen, with close to 200 buildings, is one of Northern Europe's largest open air museums and is one of the largest cultural facilities in Norway.-History:The founder, Anders Sandvig, collected from old houses and...
to assist with the restoration work at Undset's home, Bjerkebæk, adressa.no Undset’s home in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
and to document the history of the site. For this she was awarded the Anders Sandvig
Anders Sandvig
Anders Sandvig was a Norwegian dentist most noted for having founded Maihaugen, an innovative regional ethnological and architectural museum in Lillehammer, documenting the vernacular architecture of Gudbrandsdalen.-Biography:...
Museum Stipend in 2000.
Skille served for several years a columnist in the Norwegian broadcasting at Oppland, specializing in literature.