The exhibit " Ibsen's Women - Nina Sundbye's sculptures meet Ibsen's manuscripts" marks the start of a rich programme of knowledge and culture throughout 2006 that will give a perspective on the life and work of the artist.

Nina Sundbye (born 1944) spent decades working with Ibsen's characters.
– I cannot remember a time when I was not fascinated by Ibsen, says the woman who is considered one of Norway's most renowned sculptors. She is pleased to have her sculptures meet the sources by being exhibited next to the manuscripts of A Doll's House, Peer Gynt, The Lady from the Sea and Hedda Gabler at the National Library.

Ibsen's notes  
The National Library's collection of published and unpublished Ibsen material is built around a donation from Henrik Ibsen's widow Suzannah after the death of the author. The donation contained what Ibsen had of manuscripts for his works. By studying his drafts, idea and plot sketches and preliminary versions we can learn a lot about the way the great dramatist worked on his contemporary dramas, says Tone Modalsli, head curator at the National Library. Some of this material can be studied by appointment in the special reading room at the National Library.
- And some of the original manuscripts can be seen in the exhibit "Ibsen's Women - Nina Sundbye's sculptures meet Ibsen's manuscripts" at the National Library opening January 15, 2006 at 5 pm.

World heritage
"A Doll's House" is the Ibsen drama that has been performed the most and Nina Sundbye's Nora sculpture is a centerpiece of the exhibition. – The original manuscript for this play, owned by the National Library has been placed on the World Heritage Register by UNESCO, says National Librarian Vigdis Moe Skarstein proudly. She developed the idea for the exhibition together with Bentein Bårdsen from Ibsen 2006, and it was realized by National Library curator Daniela Büchten. After being shown at the National Library, the exhibition will be brought by the Norwegian Ministry  of Foreign Affairs in Ibsen's footsteps through Europe before ending up in Alexandria at the close of the Ibsen Year.

Other events
The National Library is constantly striving to make the national heritage alive and interesting through systematic programming of events. Included in this effort is the presentation of the collection through concerts, talks and other evening and weekend events. In connection with these events there will often be free tours of the totally renovated National Library building at Drammensveien 42 in Oslo. Tours in other languages than Norwegian by prior arrangement. The events are mostly in Norwegian, but our concerts and other events may still be of interest to foreign visitors.  Our lunch lectures on the first Tuesday of every month focus on objects from the collections.

A varied programme
Ibsen Year 2006 will naturally influence the topics on the events calendar of the National Library. Lectures will shed light on Ibsen's relationship with Christiania (Oslo) and his time as the director of the city's main stage at Christiania Theater. Outside lecturers will focus on the problem of adapting Ibsen's manuscripts, and in a serie of concerts you will be able to hear familiar and not so familiar Ibsen music presented by the students and teachers of the Norwegian Academy of Music.
Some other topics that will be covered during the spring of 2006 are women as support and inspiration for Ibsen's work processes and the importance of his wife Suzannah to his work. On International Women's Day, March 8, actress Juni Dahr will present six freedom-seeking women from among Ibsen's cast of characters, in the show "Ibsen Women – Put an Eagle in a Cage".

The events calendar is only available in Norwegian, but foreign visitors can obtain details about the programme on request.
The updated National Library events calendar is here