It may surprise our readers to know that in the room where the Norvik Press team gathers for our meetings, there resides a polar bear skull and a family of cuddly polar bears! (Or, this might not be surprising at all – we are the publishers of the quirky Lobster Life!)
This curious fact is relevant beacause 27 February 2024 is International Polar Bear Day. To celebrate, UCL Scandinavian Studies is hosting an afternoon of in-person events, including a language taster, exhibition, and panel: Stories from the Nordic North Atlantic and The Arctic. Please come along! The celebrations are free to attend, and you can drop-in or book through Eventbrite here.
The full programme is below:
1–2pm: Language Taster: Words for Snow and Ice in Arctic Languages (Dr Riitta Valijärvi, Associate Professor of Finnish and Minority Languages), UCL Art Museum (drop-in)
This taster is about words for snow and ice in a selection of Arctic languages. We will begin with a discussion about culture-specific vocabulary across languages, followed by plenty of examples from languages like Finnish, Swedish, North Sámi, Greenlandic, and Nenets. We will touch upon language families, climate change, and English vocabulary. The session includes lots of pictures and an interactive element.
2–5.30pm: Pop-up Exhibition: The Arctic and Nordic Landscapes, UCL Art Museum (drop-in)
Come and have a look at some of the items in UCL’s collections that represent (hi)stories from the Nordic region.
5.30–7pm: Panel Discussion: Storied Arctics / Arctic Voices, Medical Sciences and Anatomy, G46, H O Schild Pharmacology Lecture Theatre (booking required)
Conversations with polar researchers, authors, and poets.
7–8pm: Reception, North Cloisters (booking required)
We look forward to seeing you there!