An exclusive ATN interview with one of the authors helping to bring Nordic sport, history, and imagination to life through ATN Books.
Petter Danielssen has become a familiar name to readers of ATN Books. Whether exploring the sporting traditions of the North in The Nordic Game, imagining encounters between some of Scandinavia’s greatest historical figures in Conversations That Never Happened, or introducing readers to the medieval Icelandic world of Hrafnkell’s Saga, his work is united by a curiosity about Nordic identity and the stories that shape it. We sat down with Petter to discuss history, sport, literature, and why the Nordic countries continue to fascinate readers around the world.
ATN: Petter, your books cover remarkably different subjects. What connects them?
Petter Danielssen: On the surface they seem very different. One is about sport, another is historical fiction, and another is connected to medieval literature. But the common thread is really people. I am interested in how individuals shape societies and how societies shape individuals. The Nordic countries have produced extraordinary athletes, artists, explorers, writers, and thinkers. Whether I am writing about a handball player, a medieval Icelandic farmer, or a fictional conversation between Edvard Munch and Karen Blixen, I am ultimately exploring the same question: what does it mean to be human in a Nordic context?
ATN: Let’s start with Conversations That Never Happened. Where did the idea come from?
Petter Danielssen: I’ve always enjoyed imagining what might happen if historical figures from different eras could meet. History is full of fascinating personalities who never had the opportunity to speak to one another. What would Hans Christian Andersen ask Astrid Lindgren? What would Edvard Munch think of Tove Jansson? How would Niels Bohr react to modern discussions about artificial intelligence? The book is an attempt to create those encounters. It isn’t history in the traditional sense, but it is grounded in historical personalities and their ideas. The challenge was making each voice feel authentic while still creating engaging conversations.
ATN: Were there any conversations that surprised you while writing them?
Petter Danielssen: Several. Sometimes two people who appeared completely different on paper suddenly revealed unexpected similarities. Many Nordic figures share a certain humility and practicality, even when they were internationally famous. I was also struck by how often themes such as nature, community, education, and personal freedom emerged. These ideas seem to run through Nordic history regardless of period or profession.
ATN: Your second ATN title, The Nordic Game, explores sport across Scandinavia and the wider Nordic region. Why sport?
Petter Danielssen: Because sport tells us an enormous amount about society. If you want to understand Finland, learn about pesäpallo. If you want to understand Norway, look at skiing. If you want to understand Iceland, examine how a tiny population can compete successfully on the world stage. Sport reflects geography, culture, climate, economics, and even national psychology. I wanted readers to discover that Nordic sport is much more than Olympic medals. It includes traditional wrestling in Iceland, dog sled racing in Greenland, football in the Faroe Islands, and community sports programmes that involve almost everyone.
ATN: Was there a particular chapter you enjoyed writing most?
Petter Danielssen: The chapters about lesser-known sports were especially enjoyable. Many readers know about Nordic football or ice hockey, but fewer know about glíma, the traditional Icelandic wrestling style, or Finland’s pesäpallo. I also enjoyed exploring Greenlandic and Arctic sports because they demonstrate how people adapt sporting traditions to some of the world’s most challenging environments.
ATN: You also wrote the introduction to Hrafnkell’s Saga. What attracts you to Icelandic sagas?
Petter Danielssen: The sagas are extraordinary. They were written hundreds of years ago, but they still feel modern in many ways. The characters are complex. They make mistakes. They struggle with pride, revenge, loyalty, and ambition. There are no perfect heroes. In Hrafnkell’s Saga, readers encounter questions about power and justice that remain relevant today. For me, the introduction was an opportunity to help modern readers enter that world without feeling intimidated by the historical distance.
ATN: Many ATN readers are not Nordic. What do you think attracts international audiences to Nordic culture?
Petter Danielssen: I think people are searching for authenticity. The Nordic countries are often associated with nature, trust, social cohesion, and quality of life. Of course, reality is always more complicated than stereotypes, but there is something appealing about societies that attempt to balance modernity with tradition. International readers are curious about how these countries function and how their cultures developed. Literature, history, design, food, and sport all provide different windows into that story.
ATN: What role do books play in that exploration?
Petter Danielssen: Books allow us to go beyond headlines and statistics. They give us context. A reader can learn about Iceland through a saga, understand Denmark through its sporting traditions, or discover Sweden through the life of one of its artists. Books create connections that are difficult to achieve through short-form media.
ATN: If readers could take away one thing from your work, what would you hope it is?
Petter Danielssen: Curiosity. The Nordic region is not a single culture. It is a collection of different histories, languages, landscapes, and traditions. The more you explore, the more interesting it becomes. If my books encourage someone to read a saga, watch a handball match, visit a museum, travel to a Nordic country, or simply learn something new, then I feel I have succeeded.
ATN: Finally, what does “All Things Nordic” mean to you?
Petter Danielssen: It means curiosity without boundaries. The Nordic world is much larger than many people imagine. It stretches from Copenhagen to Greenland, from urban design studios to remote fishing villages, from Viking literature to modern technology. What I appreciate about ATN is its willingness to explore all of those dimensions. The Nordic story is not one story—it is thousands of stories. The challenge and the joy is discovering them.
Petter Danielssen is the author of Conversations That Never Happened and The Nordic Game, and the writer of the introduction to ATN Books’ edition of Hrafnkell’s Saga. His work explores the people, traditions, and ideas that have shaped the Nordic world, from medieval Iceland to contemporary Scandinavia.
