On February 15th,a TV program about by firewood shall heat Norwegian TV viewers on a cold February night. The program “National Firewood Night” will provide twelve hours of entertainment on firewood and wood heating.
In 2011, the book sales in Norway were dominated by an unexpected trend. On top of the bestseller lists was a book about wood hogging, stacking, and drying. The book also presented firewood as a part of the Norwegian cultural heritage. Writer Lars Mytting sold 150,000 copies and suddenly ‘every’ Norwegian was interested in firewood.
- See also: The Book About Firewood – A Bestseller
Since then, Norwegians have been talking about firewood as a cultural melting pot, as the foundation of our very existence. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) has invested in so-called ‘slow TV’ concepts where people can travel throughout Norway from their sofas.
These concepts have received great critics in Norway, and NRK has created a program that tries to reconcile two narrow, but popular themes.
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The ‘National Firewood Night’ show is presented by Rebecca Nedregotten Strand, and there will be ‘firewood based’ entertainment along with studio guests. After midnight, the firewood evening slips into a calmer phase, where viewers are encouraged to ‘indulge in fireplace coziness’.
Without wood, no Norway
One of the main guests during the twelve-hour broadcast is author Lars Mytting.
– What is so interesting about firewood?
– It is the only energy source that also is a part of our cultural heritage. Without wood we would not be here, and this cold country had been uninhabited, Mytting tells NRK.
– You also have an aesthetic interest. What is the most beautiful about firewood?
– Perhaps the most beautiful is that it is a piece of nature, an organic compound that has grown close to you. You hardly need to process it. You cleave it, dry it, and then you take it inside, he continues.
Among the TV producers, there is a certain amount of tension on how the public will react to twelve whole hours of burning wood.
– I’m not sure where the idea came from, but it would not have been possible without Lars Mytting and his book about firewood. We are very excited about how many people that will watch the show but I think many are curious about something as ‘quirky’ as this, project manager Lise May Spissøy tells NRK.
After midnight, the show offers purely tranquility and romance. A lone photographer will be in charge of shooting and keeping the wood burning – aka the entertainment. The slow-TV program will be a mix of education and entertainment.
Text by: Anette Broteng Christiansen, ThorNews
Source: NRK
Photos from top: Wikipedia, Vi i Villa
thornews.com 
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