Self-Control

Stig Sæterbakken (1966-2012) became one of Norway's most critically acclaimed authors during his lifetime. His books have been compared to works by artists such as Beckett, Bernhard and Polanski. Sæterbakken's novels explore the inner life and morality of human beings. A darkness looms in his stories, yet they are written in brilliant language. Sæterbakken was also highly regarded for his essays and translations, the latter which includes three Slovak poets and Swedish writer Nikanor Teratologen. Sæterbakken had a powerful, often controversial, voice in literary debates and actively sought out taboos, both in the public eye and his own writing.Seán Kinsella holds a Master in Philosophy in literary translation from Trinity College, Dublin. Kinsella has translated Norwegian crime novels by Stig Sæterbakken, Frode Grytten, Tore Renberg, and Bjarte Breiteig into English, as well as a selection of short stories by Kjell Askildsen, Everything Like Before (2020). He lives in Norway with his family.

“In all that Sæterbakken did, there was a tremendous faith in literature and its power.” —Karl Ove Knausgård“One of the most interesting contemporary authors in Europe.” —Eurozine“Sæterbakken captures this sense of Andreas' clinging to [control], and slowly reveals how tenuous that hold is through Andreas' self-absorbed and reflective monologue. It's well done, and ultimately also affecting.” —The Complete Review