Lars Mytting

Lars Mytting was born in Norway in 1968. An award-winning author and journalist, he has previously published Norwegian Wood, which was awarded the Bookseller Industry Awards Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2016. His fictional debut novel, The Sixteen Trees of the Somme, also received the Norwegian National Booksellers' Award.

Edvard lives with his grandfather in a remote farm in Norway. He was never told how or where his parents died but he is certain that his grandfather’s brother is somehow connected to the mystery. After receiving a beautifully intricate piece of craftsmanship – a coffin for his grandfather – Edvard goes on a journey to unlock his family's secrets that takes him from Norway to the Shetlands, and to a battlefield in France.

The book’s translator, Paul Russell Garrett, translates literary and theatrical works from Danish and Norwegian. Paul serves on the committee of the Translators Association and is Programme Director for a new theatre translation initiative.

The Sixteen Trees of the Somme is a tragic and moving tale that spans an entire century. An elaborate novel exploring family secrets and the search for one’s identity.