Torbjorn Ekelund – författare

“What [Ekelund is] addressing is the intention to walk one’s way to meaning: the walk as spiritual exercise, a kind of vision quest... A key strategy for finding ourselves, then, is to first get lost.”—The New York Times Book ReviewAn ode to paths and the journeys we take through nature, as told by a gifted writer who stopped driving and rediscovered the joys of traveling by foot.Torbjørn Ekelund started to walk—everywhere—after an epilepsy diagnosis affected his ability to drive. The more he ventured out, the more he came to love the act of walking, and an interest in paths emerged. In this poignant, meandering book, Ekelund interweaves the literature and history of paths with his own stories from the trail. As he walks with shoes on and barefoot, through forest creeks and across urban streets, he contemplates the early tracks made by ancient snails and traces the wanderings of Romantic poets, amongst other musings. If we still “understand ourselves in relation to the landscape,” Ekelund asks, then what do we lose in an era of car travel and navigation apps? And what will we gain from taking to paths once again?“A charming read, celebrating the relationship between humans and their bodies, their landscapes, and one another.”—The Washington PostThis book was made possible in part thanks to generous support from NORLA.

In this engrossing book, a father and son ascend a mountain together, retracing the steps of a boy who went missing there a century earlier—a quest that spawns a tender meditation on nature, family, and the joy of discovery.Six-year-old Hans Torske disappeared in Norway's Skrim mountains in 1894. Why he wandered away from his family's cabin is still a mystery, but his body was found the following summer, lying atop a 2,860-foot mountain peak and covered with his thin jacket. More than 100 years later, nature writer Torbjørn Ekelund and his seven-year-old son, August, attempt the same summit. It's August's first overnight hiking trip, and Ekelund is eager to share his love of nature with his son. But soon he notices that the ways children and adults experience nature are vastly different, for better and for worse.The Boy and the Mountain reflects on what parenthood requires: experiencing the joy of watching your child go out into the world for the first time, while also worrying about the dangers they may face. Filled with curiosity, humility, and deep gratitude for wild places, this gem of a book is a celebration of the uncompromising nature of the elements, our bond with them, and the special relationship between father and son.

From the acclaimed author of In Praise of Paths comes a humorous and modest Walden for modern times.As nature becomes ever more precious, we all want to spend more time appreciating it. But time is often hard to come by. And how do we appreciate nature without disruption? In this sensitively-written book, Torbjørn Ekelund, an acclaimed Norwegian nature writer, shares a creative and non-intrusive method for immersing oneself in nature. And the result is nothing short of transformative.Evoking Henry David Thoreau and the four-season structure of Walden, Ekelund writes about communing with nature by repeating a small, simple ritual and engaging in quiet reflection. At the start of the book, he hatches a plan: to leave the city after work one day per month, camp near the same tiny pond in the forest, and return to work the next day. He keeps this up for a year.His ritual is far from rigorous and it is never perfect. One evening, he grows so cold in his tent that he hikes out before daybreak. But as Ekelund inevitably greets the same trees and boulders each month, he appreciates the banality of their sameness alongside their quiet beauty. He wonders how long they have stood silently in this place—and reflects on his own short existence among them.A Year in the Woods asks us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world. Are we anxious wanderers or mindful observers? Do we honor the seasons or let them pass us by? At once beautifully written, accessible, and engaging, A Year in the Woods is the perfect book for anyone who longs for a deeper connection with their environment, but is realistic about time and ambition.

Am See zelten, unter Sternen schlafen und den Vögeln lauschen – Torbjørn Ekelund erfüllt sich den Traum vom Ausstieg in die Natur und zieht jeden Monat für eine Nacht in den Wald. Auf seinen Mikroexpeditionen findet er nach der Arbeit Ruhe und Abgeschiedenheit. Er spürt beim Fliegenfischen dem Wechsel der Jahreszeiten nach und geht mit seinem kleinen Sohn auf Entdeckungstour. Einfühlsam und inspirierend schildert er, wie wenig man für so ein Abenteuer braucht. Denn Wälder gibt es überall, man muss einfach nur hineingehen.

August ist sieben Jahre alt, als sein Vater Torbjørn Ekelund ihn erstmals auf eine große Tour in die Natur mitnimmt. Mit Rucksack und Zelt laufen sie durch magische Kiefernwälder und über felsige Pfade. Ihr Ziel: der Gipfel des Styggemann südwestlich von Oslo. Dabei folgen sie den Spuren eines kleinen Jungen, der 122 Jahre zuvor auf der Route verschwunden ist. Ekelund sucht nach einer Erklärung, was damals passiert sein könnte. Gleichzeitig beobachtet er mit Neugier und Faszination, wie spielerisch sein Sohn sich durch die Landschaft bewegt und mit welcher Ausdauer er Herausforderungen meistert. Ein berührender Text über die Kompromisslosigkeit der Elemente, unsere Verbundenheit mit ihnen und die besondere Beziehung zwischen Vater und Sohn.