A book about North-Norway: The food, the places and the people
We are excited to announce that ArktiskMat partner Ben Mervis and his team will publish a new book about North-Norway this autumn. The book will be around 200 pages with wonderful descriptions and photos by Liz Seabrook.
Photo: Liz Seabrook
A book about North-Norway: The food, the places and the people.
Trough the Bodø 2024 project “Feeding Europe” we were looking at ways to document the rich and diverse food culture of North-Norway. Luckily for us, our good friend and longtime ArktiskMat team-member Ben Mervis came up with a brilliant idea about an exciting book project.
For the last several years, the team behind food-focused travel magazine Fare have turned their gaze to the North of Norway. Bringing their unique approach to deep, thoughtful content and locally-led stories, Fare is creating a beautiful book that will explore the range and cultural depth of North Norway – to be released in autumn of 2024.
-Who are you (background, current work)
This book will be compiled and curated by Ben Mervis, Fare's founder and Editor in Chief, with stories and essays from local Norwegian writers. The photography comes from London-based lifestyle and food photographer Liz Seabrook, who has returned year-after-year, to capture the change in colours and lifestyle as seasons unfolds.
-Why a book about North Norway?
In many ways, the focus on North Norway comes from our own personal interest in the region – that it has a special place in our hearts. Our first visit here was nearly a decade ago. Returning over the years as a team, meeting with locals, exploring their history, memories of community, and cultural heritage; these experiences have made a great impact on us. We are inspired to create this book as a stunning portrait and tribute to the region: the people, the landscapes, cultures, and cuisines that come from it.
-Some examples of a special moment/place people you have visited
Our last two trips have been to Lofoten and Vesterålen. There we've met with a friend of ours, a Sámi reindeer herder and cultural historian/activist, who has helped us in understanding the profound, often spiritual connection she shares with both the land and the living beings on it. On these same trips, we've also stayed in Henningsvær and explored the multi-generational story of Trevarefabrikken, speaking not only with the young, energized owners of the space, as well as local elders who have been connected with the space for over seventy years. This sort of focus on community, tradition, and contemporary projects and reinvigoration is fascinating to us, and part of what makes North Norway so compelling.
-And, that this was made possible because of a collaboration with Bodø 2024 and ArktiskMat
There is, simply put, no way this project could have been undertaken without the support of Bodø 2024 and ArktiskMat (as well as its wider community). It was for ArktiskMat that I made my first trip to Mosjøen in 2015, an experience place that hold a significant place in my heart. The way ArktiskMat thoughtfully connects with local voices and weaves together stories both old and new is a huge inspiration for our project. We are incredibly grateful to Bodø 2024 for seeing and supporting our vision. This has allowed us to show the dynamic, moving portrait of the region that we feel the book will be.
About the author
Ben Mervis is a Glasgow-based food writer, researcher, and editor. Mervis is the founder and editor-in-chief of the food-focused travel magazine and leads research for Netflix's Chef's Table series. Before founding Fare, Mervis worked at the world-renowned restaurant Noma as well as the culinary non-profit organization MAD in Copenhagen.
Mervis is a graduate of two British universities, the University of Glasgow and King's College London, where he studied British history. He is particularly enthusiastic about history, travel, and all sorts of puddings.
Photos: Liz Seabrook