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Vinduet

Vinduet is a Norwegian literary magazine published by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, issued in print from 1947 until 2021 and subsequently continued as an online publication.

Last updated August 31, 2026

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Overview

Vinduet, whose Norwegian name means “The Window,” is a Norwegian literary magazine associated with the publishing house Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. Founded in 1947 by Harald Grieg and Nic. Stang, it developed as a forum for literary fiction, critical essays, literary discussion, and book reviews. The publication is based in Oslo and has historically served both as a periodical in its own right and as part of the wider cultural and editorial activity surrounding Gyldendal’s Norwegian publishing operation. For most of its existence, Vinduet was a print magazine. It published four paper issues each year, giving it a regular quarterly rhythm and a sustained presence in Norway’s literary culture. Its editorial remit has covered fictional writing as well as articles addressing different forms and traditions of literature. Book reviews and critical writing have been central to its role, allowing the magazine to connect new books and authors with broader debates about literary value, form, interpretation, and cultural life. The magazine’s intellectual profile changed over time. During the 1960s, Vinduet adopted a more eclectic approach to literary work, broadening the range of ideas and writing it was willing to place in conversation. Toward the end of that decade, it came under the influence of younger left-wing intellectuals. This evolution reflected wider changes in Norwegian literary and cultural debate, while preserving the magazine’s basic function as a venue for serious literary engagement rather than a general-interest publication. Vinduet has been shaped by a succession of editors-in-chief, including Jan Kjærstad, Nikolaj Frobenius, Audun Vinger, Kaja Scherven Mollerin, and Preben Jordal. The available reference material identifies Simen V. Gonsholt and Ola Innset as co-editors-in-chief as of April 2021. Editorial leadership has been important to the magazine’s changing tone and selection of fiction, criticism, and essays, although the available sources do not provide a complete chronology of every editorial transition. A major format change occurred in 2021. After more than seven decades as a print periodical, the final paper publication period ended and Vinduet began a digital-only phase. Its first issue as a purely online publication appeared in autumn 2021. This transition preserved the magazine’s literary identity while changing its distribution model and potentially allowing the publication to present its material through a more flexible online platform. The reference material does not establish the complete current publishing schedule, audience size, circulation, financial performance, or detailed digital product structure. Vinduet is therefore best understood as a literary publishing brand rather than a consumer product brand. Its principal offering is curated literary content: fiction, essays and articles about literature, and reviews of books. Its long association with Gyldendal Norsk Forlag gives it an institutional place within Norway’s publishing ecosystem, while its editorial history connects it to several generations of Norwegian writers, critics, and cultural commentators.

History

Vinduet was established in 1947 by Harald Grieg and Nic. Stang as a Norwegian literary magazine connected with Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. From its beginning, the publication provided a dedicated venue for literary writing and criticism. Its regular format consisted of four print issues per year, making it a quarterly periodical rather than an occasional cultural publication. The magazine’s content has included fiction, articles about different kinds of literature, and book reviews. This combination gave Vinduet a dual role: it could publish creative work while also examining books, literary movements, and questions of interpretation. Its affiliation with Gyldendal placed it within one of Norway’s established publishing environments, but its editorial function was distinct from that of a conventional book catalogue or commercial imprint. During the 1960s, Vinduet adopted a more eclectic intellectual approach to literary work. The shift broadened the range of perspectives and forms represented in the magazine. By the end of that decade, the publication had also come under the influence of younger leftist intellectuals. This period contributed to the magazine’s reputation as a site where literary questions could intersect with wider cultural and political debates. A number of Norwegian writers and critics have served as editors-in-chief. The documented editorial history includes Jan Kjærstad, Nikolaj Frobenius, Audun Vinger, Kaja Scherven Mollerin, and Preben Jordal. Audun Vinger held the position from 2008 to 2013, after which Kaja Scherven Mollerin took over. The reference material identifies Simen V. Gonsholt and Ola Innset as editors-in-chief as of April 2021. The sources available for this entry do not supply complete dates for all editors or establish the later editorial structure in detail. The most consequential institutional change in the magazine’s documented history occurred in 2021. After approximately seventy-four years of print publication, Vinduet ended its paper format and became an online-only publication. Its first issue as a purely digital magazine appeared in autumn 2021. The change represented a transition in medium and distribution rather than a stated abandonment of the magazine’s core editorial purpose. Fiction, literary articles, and reviews remain the defining categories associated with the brand. Vinduet is based in Oslo and is owned by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. The available reference material does not provide reliable figures for circulation, readership, revenue, staff size, or the number of digital issues published after the transition. It also does not document major corporate transactions, legal controversies, product recalls, or formal advertising campaigns. Accordingly, the brand is best catalogued as an active Norwegian literary-journal title with a long print heritage and a digital publishing format from autumn 2021 onward.

  • 2021

    Transition to online-only publication

    [1]

    Vinduet ended its print run and launched its first issue as a purely online publication in autumn 2021.

  • 2013

    Kaja Scherven Mollerin took over the editorship

    [1]

    Kaja Scherven Mollerin succeeded Audun Vinger as editor-in-chief after 2013.

  • 2008

    Audun Vinger became editor-in-chief

    [1]

    Audun Vinger served as editor-in-chief from 2008 through 2013.

  • 1969

    Influence of younger leftist intellectuals

    [1]

    Toward the end of the 1960s, younger leftist intellectuals influenced the magazine’s editorial environment.

  • 1960

    Eclectic editorial approach adopted

    [1]

    During the 1960s, the magazine developed a more eclectic approach to literary work and expanded its intellectual range.

  • 1947

    Vinduet founded

    [1]

    Harald Grieg and Nic. Stang founded Vinduet as a Norwegian literary magazine associated with Gyldendal Norsk Forlag.

Products and positioning

A Norwegian literary journal focused on fiction, literary criticism, essays, and book reviews, positioned as an intellectually serious platform within the Gyldendal publishing group.

  • Print literary magazine · 1947

    Print issues

    Vinduet was published as a paper literary magazine from its founding in 1947 until 2021. The print edition appeared four times a year and combined creative writing with literary criticism, articles about literature, and book reviews.

  • Digital literary magazine · 2021

    Online edition

    The online edition is the digital continuation of Vinduet. Its first issue as a purely online publication appeared in autumn 2021, carrying forward the magazine’s focus on fiction, literary discussion, essays, and reviews.

Brand decisions

  • 2021

    Move to an online-only formatStrategy

    Background

    Vinduet had published four paper editions each year since its establishment in 1947. In 2021, the magazine changed its publication medium after decades as a print title.

    Action taken

    The publication ended its print format and issued its first purely online edition in autumn 2021.

    Aftermath

    Vinduet continued as a digital literary magazine. The available sources do not provide readership, financial, or circulation data for the transition.

Recent events

  • 2021

    Vinduet moved from print to online publication[1]

    Other

    After publishing as a paper literary magazine since 1947, Vinduet began a purely online publication phase in autumn 2021.

  • 2021

    Simen V. Gonsholt and Ola Innset identified as editors-in-chief[1]

    Leadership change

    Reference material identified Simen V. Gonsholt and Ola Innset as the magazine’s editors-in-chief in April 2021.

Sources2 sources

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