FJÆRLAND
NORWAY
Fjærland is home to a dozen new and secondhand bookshops in various hotels and rural buildings, including old sheds, ferry buildings and even a former pigpen.
Fjærland (population: 300, but with up to 300,000 tourists a year), known as Den Norske Bokbyen (The Norwegian Book Town), is the most dramatically picturesque book town in the world. Located by the Sognefjord next to mainland Europe’s largest glacier, Jostedalsbreen, it has long been popular with tourists, but until the end of the last century it could be reached only by boat. A series of road tunnels through the mountains, opened in the 1980s and 1990s, made the village more accessible.
Fjærland is home to a dozen new and secondhand bookshops in various hotels and rural buildings, including old sheds, ferry buildings, and even a former pigpen. A guiding principle of the book town is that old structures should be reused sensitively. Books are also available in art galleries, shops, hotels and naturally the book café Kaffistova. In addition, there are various honesty Sjølvplukk (bookshops) by the sides of the road. In total, there are around three miles of shelving.
Established in 1995, most of the books sold in the book town are in Norwegian, but there are plenty in English too with several shops specialising in certain areas. Arnold, in a former boathouse and stables, concentrates on historical and contemporary titles, while Gamle-Posten (the Old Post Office) offers fiction, comics, and books in English. Odin, at the ferry waiting area, focuses on literary fiction and poetry. Tusund Og Ei Natt (Thousand and One Nights), claims to have the largest stock of religious literature in the country as well as a good English language section, and Bok og bilde (Books & Pictures) also sells records. Overall, the largest secondhand bookshop is Straumsvågs Antikvariat. The town also distributes publications from Sjørettsfondet, the Norwegian Maritime Law Foundation.
The main bookselling season runs from May to late September and the bookshops are usually open daily from 10am to 6pm, although one or two places do carry on into winter (which gets pretty nippy, temperatures plummeting to -20°C). The historic Hotel Mundal, a strong supporter of the book town, is a good place to stay and is a key location in the novel The Castle in the Pyrenees by Jostein Gaarder, author of Sophie’s World. Fjaerland also features prominently in his bestselling children’s book, co-authored with Klaus Hagerup, Bibbi Bokken’s Magiske Bibliotek (Bibbi Bokken’s Magic Library – available in numerous translations but not yet in English).
Fjærland sits on the shores of the picturesque Sognefjord.
The town also holds book-related events during the main opening period, in particular its weekend ‘Boknatti’, the annual Solstice Bookfair. The intriguing concept behind its success is that you hire a stand (which comes with a free table and chair) and sell your own secondhand books long into the night. The book fair features readings, talks, author interviews and concerts, and finishes at around 2am on Sunday morning.
In addition to welcoming customers, the town is also keen to encourage volunteers to work in its bookshops over the summer, and runs a popular membership scheme. By signing up to be a ‘Friend of The Norweigan Booktown’ (send an email to post@bokbyen.no) you receive a 10 per cent discount off all secondhand books, as well as discounts on accommodation and activities in the area.
Perhaps the best view from a bookshop in the world.
A book-filled bedroom in the Fjærland Hotel.
An honesty bookshop on the side of the road, on the shores of Sognefjord.
Shopping for books during book night.