“I felt very welcome when I came. I don’t anymore.” Fifth essay in Artica Writings series now available

Photo: Ángel Valiente

The Artica Writings series continues with a new essay featuring Marina van Dijk, a Dutch goldsmith who moved to Longyearbyen in 1995 to build her own business. For nearly three decades, she has been part of the fabric of Svalbard’s international community — one of the foreigners with the longest ties to the archipelago.

In conversation with journalist Elida Høeg, van Dijk reflects on the shifts she has witnessed in Longyearbyen: from the early years of curiosity and inclusion, when her home became a gathering place for other newcomers, to the gradual rise of bureaucracy, social divides, and exclusionary policies that have left her questioning her place in the town she helped shape.

The essay traces van Dijk’s journey from starting a workshop in her twenties, to engaging in local politics, to the frustrations of navigating what she calls a “toy democracy.” While she remains deeply attached to Svalbard, she speaks candidly about no longer feeling welcome in a place she has called home for thirty years.

Her reflections offer a rare perspective on belonging, exclusion, and the human cost of political decisions in the Arctic.

This fifth essay adds another essential voice to the Artica Writings series, which highlights the lived experiences of international residents in Svalbard.

Read the full essay here: https://www.articasvalbard.no/artica-writings-2024/marina-van-dijk

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Welcome Samantha Dwinnell to the Artica Svalbard Team!