Crime writer Kaja Gjersem Nygaard visits Sølvberget with a talk that takes us into the world of police officer Martha Krogh – a series closely tied to Stavanger in setting, language and atmosphere. Nygaard will also share some of her own favourite crime novels: books that inspire, challenge and demonstrate the impressive breadth of the genre.
With her debut novel Et mørkere vann (A Darker Water), Nygaard won the 2025 Maurits Hansen Award “New Blood” for best crime debut. Since then, she has published En sterkere tro (A Stronger Faith) and the brand-new Et dypere svik (A Deeper Betrayal). In the third book, we are taken to a Stavanger of both oil-fuelled prosperity and shadowy backstreets – from the industrial area of Risavika to the corridors of knowledge at the University of Stavanger.
In the talk, Nygaard offers insight into what happens when a main character lives across several books: How do you develop a character over time? Is Martha Krogh the same in book three – or must she be allowed to change, even as readers follow her closely? And what is it really like to use your own hometown as a setting for crime and drama?
From 20–26 April, everyone is invited to a spring festival at Sølvberget – a celebration of everything the library offers: new and improved spaces for reading, powerful storytelling on film and stage, World Book Day, and events and exhibitions on sustainability and reuse.