PRE-SCHENGEN SEQUENCE – THE NOT-WIFE LETTERS

He is Norwegian and he can travel freely, she is from Ghana and needs a visa. She makes him look at the country he comes from with new eyes, he tries to get closer hers. If she is to get a permanent residence permit they have to get married, but neither one pronounces the word “wife”.

Rune Berglund Steen’s first poetry collection is a story of falling in love, of contradictions, encounters and distance – where Norwegian law enters the pact of love.

Praise for PRE-SCHENGEN SEQUENCE – THE NOT-WIFE LETTERS :

"Poetry debut of the year … Steen writes poetry which incorporates political questions. The text is quite simply rather impressive in its versatile use of lyrical as well as narrative devices … After having read this year’s poetry debuts, I have no qualms about proclaiming that PRE-SCHENGEN SEQUENCE – THE NOT-WIFE LETTERS is the best debut collection of 2009.”
(Dagbladet)

“Steen breaks with expectations … It’s an interesting story, and there is a poetic nerve in it … That’s what makes this a good book: It’s poetic in its way of approaching the world, but doesn’t take the liberty of expressing itself in a consistently poetic way … A clever young man has understood what you can’t do. And then chooses to do it anyway … It’s an extra bonus that you don’t have to be an experienced reader of poetry to get something out of [these poems].”
(Klassekampen)

“Steen’s strength is that he succeeds in making his political critique highly personal and concrete … Steen makes Norway a country in the world. He points ahead in the literary landscape”
(Aftenposten)

First published: 2009, Forlaget Oktober
Rune Berlund Steen: Biography and bibliography