Fredrik Græsvik shuts himself away to write new book

Former TV 2 foreign correspondent Fredrik Græsvik, 59, is spending the summer indoors working on a book manuscript and preparing for an autumn lecture tour, Dagbladet reports. He says he has imposed strict discipline on himself and is allowing almost no visitors while he works.

Græsvik declined to discuss what the book will be about when he spoke to Dagbladet for its Summer Talk feature.

“No, I am keeping quiet about the book,” he said.

Græsvik left TV 2 in 2023 after realising that his many years covering wars had left deep marks. He has spoken openly about signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, periods of depression, loneliness and the way memories of wars continue to affect him. He now gives lectures and is writing the new book.

At the moment, he is also preparing lectures that will include the US midterm elections in November. He said he occasionally looks out of the window and notices the fine weather in Oslo, and sometimes walks to the nearby Slottsparken to read on particularly good days.

“No bees are buzzing this summer,” Græsvik said when asked whether he was taking the holiday as it comes. “There is strict discipline and clear boundaries.”

He said he normally treats himself to a holiday in summer, but this year he will have to settle for dreaming about a trip that either happened in the past or may come in the future. A journey to a warm place could be possible after the midterm elections and as winter approaches, he said.

Græsvik said he never completely switches off, but that going to the gym while listening to a podcast unrelated to his work helps him shift his thoughts.

His favourite summer memories include childhood summers at a holiday home and a trip around Italy last summer, which he described as slightly too hot.

His worst summer memory dates from July 2011. He was attending a jazz festival in Molde when his holiday was interrupted and TV 2 sent him to Utøya to report on the terrorist attack.

“It was a week of powerful impressions,” Græsvik said. “For me, there have been many summers of war and terror, but this came too close.”

Græsvik has previously written books including “Sentenced to death in Congo”, “The shootings at the Serena Hotel”, “The lost war”, “The escape”, “Eternal war” and “Wounded”. His 2024 book “Wounded” dealt with how he eventually decided that he had had enough and wanted to regain his sleep and find his way back to a normal life, according to publisher Kagge.