Announcing the NFFO Residents for Artica Svalbard 2026
Left: Audun Aagre. Right: Marit Beate Kasin, photo by Marte Vik Arnesen
We are pleased to announce that the Norwegian Association of Nonfiction Writers and Translators (NFFO) has nominated Audun Aagre and Marit Beate Kasin for residencies at Artica Svalbard in 2026. Their nonfiction projects will explore pressing questions around nature, sovereignty, and our evolving relationship with the Arctic—each bringing a distinct voice and perspective to these themes.
Audun Aagre: Tracing a Historic Arctic Expedition
Audun Aagre is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and author with extensive experience across Norwegian media, including Aftenposten, VG, NRK, and SVT. He has published several books combining text and photography and has worked across the fields of politics, culture, and technology. Currently a senior advisor at the Norwegian Media Authority, Aagre also brings a long-standing interest in Arctic history.
During his residency at Artica Svalbard, Aagre will research and begin writing a nonfiction book on the 1906 scientific expedition to North-West Spitsbergen led by Prince Albert of Monaco and Norwegian polar scientist Gunnar Isachsen. The project explores how this expedition contributed to laying the groundwork for Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard. Aagre plans to retrace parts of the original route, visiting the same remote areas around Ny-Ålesund and Magdalenefjorden.
Marit Beate Kasin: Reconnecting with Nature in the Arctic
Marit Beate Kasin is a journalist and nonfiction author with a focus on environmental issues, land use, and nature conservation. Her most recent book, Naturparadokset, was nominated for the 2024 Brage Prize and investigates the drivers of nature loss in Norway, while pointing to possible pathways for ecological restoration. With deep ties to the Valdres mountains and years of experience in political reporting, Kasin combines critical inquiry with lived knowledge of rural and natural environments.
In Svalbard, Kasin will investigate how the erosion of our relationship with nature contributes to the ecological crisis, and how this connection might be repaired. She will conduct interviews, gather perspectives, and observe the Arctic landscape as a living case study of both environmental vulnerability and resilience.
Anne Kristine Soltvedt, Head of Organization and Scholarship at NFFO, comments:
“The Artica Svalbard residency offers a rare opportunity for nonfiction writers to work in one of the world’s most unique environments. We are proud to support Audun Aagre and Marit Beate Kasin—two writers whose projects reflect deep engagement with Arctic themes, past and present.”
Charlotte Hetherington, Director of Artica Svalbard, adds:
“We’re delighted to welcome Audun and Marit to our residency programme. Their work aligns with Artica’s mission to support thoughtful, research-driven projects that explore the Arctic not only as a place, but as a lens through which to understand global challenges.”
The NFFO nominations are part of a long-standing collaboration with Artica Svalbard, aimed at supporting nonfiction writers whose work is rooted in critical inquiry, environmental awareness, and social relevance. The residencies provide space for reflection, research, and meaningful dialogue—bringing new perspectives to the Arctic, and from it.
We look forward to welcoming Audun Aagre and Marit Beate Kasin to Longyearbyen in 2026, and to following the development of their important work.