What happens when an entire town has to be moved? And what does it tell us about the green transition we are in the middle of? In this author talk, we meet journalist and author Geir Ramnefjell in conversation about the book Kiruna – gruvebyen, urfolkskampen og det store spillet om den grønne framtida.

Travel directly east from Northern Norway, and you will almost inevitably end up in Kiruna – or Girona, as the town is also called in Northern Sámi. Here, iron ore has been extracted from the mines beneath the town for generations. Mining has created jobs and prosperity, but also a new and dramatic reality: the ground beneath parts of the town is becoming unstable.

Large parts of Kiruna are therefore now being moved towards the north-west. The process has provoked strong reactions and protests, and raises questions about who really gets to decide over landscapes, natural resources and the future of the north.

The dilemmas of the green transition

In the book, Ramnefjell highlights how Kiruna stands at the centre of several simultaneous conflicts: the nature crisis, the climate crisis and growing great-power rivalry over strategic resources. At the same time, the story is closely tied to Indigenous struggle and abuses against the Sámi population.

The green transition was supposed to save the planet. Along the way, however, the questions have become both more complicated and more contentious.

The conversation will be led by Monica Celius, director of the Hamsun Centre.

Accessibility:
The event will be live captioned* to help create a more inclusive cultural life.

This author talk is for you if you:

• are interested in the High North, politics and society
• want to understand more about the dilemmas of the green transition
• enjoy good conversations about current books and the big questions of our time

*Live captioning means that what is said during the event is written down and shown as text in real time. This makes the conversation more accessible, including for people with hearing impairments.