William Nygaard
Encyclopedia
William Nygaard is a retired
Norwegian
publisher who graduated with a degree in economics
in 1967. He is also chairman of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
, Norway's second largest publishing house, which is owned by the Nygaard family. When he took this job he followed the footsteps of his father Mads Wiel Nygaard and grandfather William Martin Nygaard
who was leading the company in earlier years, and the tradition continues since he left the job to his son, Mads Nygaard.
William Nygaard was chairman of the Norwegian Publishers Association from 1987 to 1990.
. This was two months after Ayatollah Khomeini issued the following fatwa
against Salman Rushdie and his publishers:
Owing to the fatwa, direct threats against William Nygaard and translator Kari Risvik, and the resulting controversy
, Nygaard was given police protection for a period.
On the morning of 11 October 1993, Nygaard was shot three times outside his home in Dagaliveien in
Oslo
. Although the crime has never been solved, most people — including Nygaard — link the incident to the fatwa. After several months of hospitalization, most of the time at Sunnaas Hospital
, Nygaard slowly recovered.
. In 1994 he was awarded the Fritt Ord Award
. He is a member of the Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature
.
He has been a member of the board of Norway's National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
. In 2010 he was elected chairman of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
He has two children.
Pensioner
In common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more...
Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
publisher who graduated with a degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1967. He is also chairman of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
Business career
From 1974 to 2010 he was the chief publisher (CEO) of AschehougAschehoug
H. Aschehoug & Co , commonly known as Aschehoug, is one of the largest independent publishing companies in Norway. -History:...
, Norway's second largest publishing house, which is owned by the Nygaard family. When he took this job he followed the footsteps of his father Mads Wiel Nygaard and grandfather William Martin Nygaard
William Martin Nygaard
William Martin Nygaard was a Norwegian publisher and politician.Nygaard was born in Kristiansand as the son of educator and linguist Marius Nygaard and his wife Elisabeth "Elise" Martin and brother of Kristen Brunfeldt Nygaard and Finn Nygaard...
who was leading the company in earlier years, and the tradition continues since he left the job to his son, Mads Nygaard.
William Nygaard was chairman of the Norwegian Publishers Association from 1987 to 1990.
Failed assassination
On 12 April 1989 Aschehoug and William Nygaard was responsible for publishing the Norwegian edition of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic VersesThe Satanic Verses (novel)
The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie's fourth novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Prophet Muhammad. As with his previous books, Rushdie used magical realism and relied on contemporary events and people to create his characters...
. This was two months after Ayatollah Khomeini issued the following fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
against Salman Rushdie and his publishers:
- I inform all zealous Muslims of the world that the author of the book entitled The Satanic Verses — which has been compiled, printed and published in opposition to Islam, the Prophet, and the Qur'an — and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they may be found, so that no one else will dare to insult the Muslim sanctities. God Willing, whoever is killed on this path is a martyr.
Owing to the fatwa, direct threats against William Nygaard and translator Kari Risvik, and the resulting controversy
The Satanic Verses controversy
The Satanic Verses controversy was the heated and sometimes violent Muslim reaction to the publication of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses. Many Muslims accused Rushdie of blasphemy or unbelief and in 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie...
, Nygaard was given police protection for a period.
On the morning of 11 October 1993, Nygaard was shot three times outside his home in Dagaliveien in
Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. Although the crime has never been solved, most people — including Nygaard — link the incident to the fatwa. After several months of hospitalization, most of the time at Sunnaas Hospital
Sunnaas Hospital
Sunnaas Hospital is a hospital in Nesodden and a health trust under Helse Sør-Øst. Sunnaas is the country's largest specialised hospital in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Patient services cover a wide range of illnesses and options. Some of these include cancer services, brain injuries after...
, Nygaard slowly recovered.
Other positions
Both before and after the attack, William Nygaard has been an outspoken defender of free speech, and is a board member of the Norwegian division of International PENInternational PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
. In 1994 he was awarded the Fritt Ord Award
Fritt Ord Award
The organization Fritt Ord awards two prizes to support freedom of speech; the Fritt Ord Award and the Fritt Ord Honorary Award .-Fritt Ord Award:These are the laureates of the Fritt Ord Award:*1976 : Johan Vogt*1977 : Henrik Groth...
. He is a member of the Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature
Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature
The Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature is a Norwegian learned body on matters pertaining to the Dano-Norwegian language. Its primary role is regulating the written standard known as Riksmål ....
.
He has been a member of the board of Norway's National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
National Gallery, Oslo
The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo is the national museum of art of Norway.It was established on 1 July 2003 through a merger of the Norwegian Museum of Architecture, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Gallery of Norway,...
. In 2010 he was elected chairman of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
He has two children.