Founding CEO of the World Expression Forum Kristenn Einarsson on the WEXFO stage in May 2024. Image: Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
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‘A Powerhouse in the Local Cultural Scene’
Our internationalist readership has become accustomed to news of Lillehammer’s World Expression Forum, called WEXFO.
Kristenn Einarsson, longtime publishing executive and chief of the International Publishers Association‘s (IPA) Freedom to Publish committee, is the founding CEO of this annual international gathering of thought-leaders. The program is particularly good for world book publishing professionals because it’s not entirely seated in publishing. Policymakers, politicians, educators, analysts, Nobel Prize winners, essayists, and humanitarian program leaders all come across the gleaming WEXFO stage, often speaking alone, many times engaging in debate with each other.
While a quick rapport among WEXFO participants is developed over meals and in breaks in the rare springtime air of Lillehammer, profoundly serious issues are on the agenda and are examined with sure-footed grace and urgency by speakers.
Now moving into its fourth year, this conference, increasingly recognized for its importance on the world stage, is one for which we want to give you early notice that its 2025 dates are somewhat different than those in the past.
This year’s iteration of WEXFO is set for 2 and 3 June in Lillehammer (rather than in May), and early-bird price discounts, both for individuals and groups, have been announced: tickets are on sale. (An extra conference day, “WEXFO Take Action,” is available on June 4. And, as is the norm for this event, accommodation at the Scandic Lillehammer must be booked separately from your ticket.
The admirably engaged municipality of Lillehammer—which is well invested in a strong reading program of its own—has announced its own contribution to the production of the World Expression Forum this year: 350,000 Norwegian kroner (US$31,250).
In a rationale for its fine contribution to the costs of the World Expression Forum this year, Lillehammer’s leadership writes, “WEXFO has quickly become a powerhouse in the local cultural scene and has great ambitions for further growth.
“WEXFO can show strong results and significant growth since its inception in 2021″—its first staging was in 2022—and through its annual conferences, it has attracted numerous international key figures in politics, research, media, and organizational life to Lillehammer. Additionally, WEXFO has proven to be an active and interested partner with a particular focus on youth, something that a large number of local school students have benefited from.”
Early Speakers: Ates, Biard, Khan
Perhaps not explored as frequently as it should be, the city of Lillehammer has embarked on a committed drive to make itself an exemplary hub of democracy, and that reference in the municipality’s statement about its contribution relative to students refers to more than 1,000 young people from Lillehammer and the region who each year are quite joyously engaged in a program of cultural awareness during the course of WEXFO—sending peals of laughter and cheers from the grounds as games and competitions go forward outside.
Early program notes:
There are returns to this year’s program planned for Seyran Ates and Gérard Biard, and the documentary filmmaker and human-rights activist Deeyah Khan is a scheduled to speak.
More information is to come as we flesh out some early details.
More from Publishing Perspectives on issues of the freedom to publish, the freedom to and freedom of expression is here, more on the Prix Voltaire is here, and on the International Publishers Association is here. More on the World Expression Forum, WEXFO, is here. Special thanks to James Taylor for session documentation.
Publishing Perspectives is the global media partner of the International Publishers Association.
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