Join us for a lecture exploring present and future changes in Faroese society, with a focus on current events in the Arctic region, with Bergur Djurhuus Hansen (Dean and Associate Professor of Literature, Faculty of Language and Literature at University of the Faroe Islands).

At times having been described as a borderland in the North Atlantic or as stepping stones towards another world, the Faroe Islands were first settled by Irish monks around 600 CE. Today they have a strong economy, a vibrant art and music scene and internationally acclaimed literary publications, are engaged in international trade and cultural activities, and are dependent on their close relations with other nations. But as recent developments within the North Atlantic have brought opportunities for collaboration and economic growth as well as threats from geopolitical competition and militarization, they have revitalized descriptions of the Faroe Islands as stepping stones — today to the Arctic. These narratives have new implications as the region undergoes an “Arcticification,” with an increased focus on the North as a region of ice and heavy seas, climate change, crisis, and military tensions.

Based on historical developments, presenting significant and fascinating excerpts from historical accounts as well as from travel writings and contemporary pieces of literature, Bergur Djurhuus Hansen will address these subjects and more.

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