Olav Sletto in words and tones in Hol Old Church

Almhjell was the long-time leader of the Olav Sletto Society. There will be folk music performances as Olav Sletto was inspired in his writing of folk music. Afterwards there will be a sale of coffee and snacks in Holet Library.

There will also be an opportunity to see the Olav Sletto collection in the library. Afterwards there will be a carpool to the farm Sletto up towards Holsåsen, where Olav Sletto grew up.

Organizers: Ål og Hol Mållag, Folk Music Week, Friends of Holet Library.
Tickets can be purchased at the door for NOK 200,-

Text: Hol Church

Olav Sletto (1886–1963) was a Norwegian author, teacher and public educator from Hol in Hallingdal. He is best known for his novels with roots in rural culture and Norwegian history, and for his great commitment to the Nynorsk language and cultural dissemination.

Sletto wrote both historical novels and more autobiographical works, and he often used folk music and oral storytelling tradition as inspiration for the language and atmosphere of his books. Many of his books draw material from Hallingdal and the surrounding area, and he is considered an important voice within the Nynorsk literary tradition.

Some of his best-known works include the trilogy about his life: Per Spegil (1939), Per and Ola (1941), and Frukt av livsens tre (1945). He was also active in the målrørsla (the Nynorsk language movement), and he had a strong belief in the role of literature and schools in building a culturally conscious society.

He grew up on the farm Sletto in Hol, which is referred to in the program you found. The farm and his childhood there have had a great influence on his writing.