The Los Angeles Times is read by close to three million people every day and is, together with the New York Times, recognized for their high journalistic standards in the art and culture fields. The L.A. Times Book Prizes were first given out in 1980 and the nominees are mostly found among books originally written in English, which makes it even more special to have two Norwegian nominees.
"This is magnificent" says Gina Winje of Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA) "and a confirmation of the quality of Norwegian literature and its wide appeal in the English speaking market, which is a trend we've been experiencing for the past few years."
Out Stealing Horses (Ut og stjæle hester) has received great attention in the United States and The New York Times Book Review put it on their list of the top ten books of 2007. Petterson's editor at Graywolf says she is thrilled about the attention the book has been getting, also mentioning the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, which Petterson won in competition with, among others, Salman Rushdie and Cormac McCarthy.
Karin Fossum's has also built a strong following in the U.S. The New York Times says about one of her earlier releases When the Devil Holds the Candle (Når djevelen holder lyset) that “the story is so chillingly told that we can only marvel at the author's skill.”
The Indian Bride (Elskede Poona), for which she is nominated, is Fossum's fourth book published by Harcourt. Out Stealing Horses is Petterson's second book to be released in the U.S. and the first published by Graywolf Press. His novel In the Wake was published by Thomas Dunne Books in 2006.