The Princes of Paupers Pond: Family Secrets, Pre-War Norway & the Painter Who Became a Novelist (with Lars Elling)
Two brothers lived next door to each other for decades and never spoke a word. When Norwegian artist Lars Elling was a boy, they were his grandfather and great-uncle, and he never learned why. Years later, that silence became his debut novel.This week on Rock, Paper, Swords!, Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill talk to Lars about The Princes of Paupers Pond, a literary story of childhood adventure in the Norwegian forests, the bond between brothers, and the long shadow of decisions made before the First World War.In this episode:The real “War of the Apples”, and how a feud over fallen fruit became a novelHow a painter shut out by the pandemic started writing, 9am to 1pm, seven days a weekWhy Lars’s prose is so visual, and how painting shapes his storytellingWriting Norway from a wine farm in South AfricaThe sequel, Filip of Starholm, which sends a young artist to Sarajevo in 1991What gets lost, and what gets invented, when you turn family history into fictionBefore the interview, Matthew and Justin catch up on first drafts, proof edits, agents and rejections, Professor Tom Licence’s book on Harold II, and Matthew’s Roman novel Guardian of Rome: Incendium.Perfect for fans of historical fiction, literary fiction, Nordic and Scandinavian stories, and anyone fascinated by the creative process.Support the show on Patreon from as little as £1 a month, or join for free to catch every free episode and update. If you enjoy the episode, please leave a review and share it with a fellow reader.Keywords: Lars Elling, The Princes of Paupers Pond, Norwegian novel, Nordic fiction, Scandinavian literature, historical fiction podcast, author interview, artist turned novelist, family secrets, pre-war Norway, writing podcast, Matthew Harffy, Justin Hill
