Levanger

When Levanger joined ICORN in 2014, it was the first city in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway, to become a city of refuge for persecuted writers and artists. Mamon Ali Jabari from Syria was Levanger's first ICORN writer-in-residence (2014-2016), followed by Azerbaijani journalist Gunel Movlud (2016-2018) and  Afghan writer and doctor Hafizullah Shariati (2019-2021). Levanger has recently welcomed its fourth ICORN resident (2022-2024) who is not yet public. 

Levanger is a municipality in Trøndelag county in Norway, in the district of Innherred. The town of Levanger lies at the mouth of the Levangselva river along the Trondheimsfjord. About 20 000 people live in Levanger. Located with access to the sea and by Jämtland in Sweden and Trondheim just south, Levanger has a long history as a meeting place.

In the nearby city Verdal, is Stiklestad National Culture Centre. Stiklestad has a unique position in Norwegian history as the site of the battlefield where the Viking king Olav Haraldsson was killed on 29 July 1030. Today, Stiklestad is a national symbol, a monument, a sacred site and a museum.

During the 2nd World War, Falstad prison camp in Ekne, Levanger, was established by the Gestapo. Political prisoners of 13 different nationalities, were kept in Falstad, which in 1942 was also used as transit camp for Norwegian jews sent to Poland. The building, the Falstad Centre, is today a national centre for prisoners of war and human rights.

Levanger is home to several famous writers, among others Dag Skogheim (1928-2015), Torvald Sund and Eivind Hofstad Evjemo.

Levanger library organises various events during the year as debates, literature evenings, readings for children, exhibitions and so on. The ICORN writers and artists use the library facilities whenever wanted. 

Library activites in social media:
Facebook.com/levbib
Instagram: @levbib