THE STIKLESTAD PRIZE 2026

The 2026 Stiklestad Prize will be awarded to Tore Skeie.

THE APPOINTMENT COMMITTEE'S STARTING POINT

The statutes state that "The Stiklestad Prize shall be a recognition for efforts that contribute to lifting, developing

and/or actualize Stiklestad. This can be done by bringing the place to life in the form of

various artistic contributions, through contributions to increased knowledge about the site's more than thousand-year-old history

history or by contributing to the development of Stiklestad as a dynamic democratic arena.

The statutes provide great freedom of action, and any allocation should be part of a long-term strategic perspective. The

should be awarded to someone who has contributed to shaping or create special attention for Stiklestad

within one of three categories:

1. Artistic, either creative or performing

2. Knowledge-building, through research and/or dissemination

3. Democracy-developing, through a focus on dialogue and social sustainability

Based on category 2, this year's Stiklestad Prize is proposed to be given to historians, authors and critics.

Tore Skeie (b.1979).

JUSTIFICATION

The proposal that Tore Skeie should receive the Stiklestad Prize 2026 is based in particular on his extensive work

with the dissemination of the stories related to Olav Haraldsson and the time after the Battle of Stiklestad in

the books "Hvitekrist. About Olav Haraldsson and his time", published in 2018, and "Hardråde. About Harald

Sigurdsson and his world", published in 2025. Both books can show impressively high sales figures, and

For "Hvitekrist" Skeie was awarded Norway's most prestigious historian prize in 2019, the Sverre Steen-

the award, for outstanding historical communication at a high professional level. Skeie has for several years distinguished

himself as one of the country's foremost history communicators, with particular emphasis on the Middle Ages. Through

By combining historical expertise with an enormous written communication power, he has managed to reach and

engage an unusually broad audience. Based on very thorough source material, he creates

driving good stories that provide a much deeper understanding of the past, including Norway's strong

ties to the rest of Europe.

In addition to the books, Skeie has traveled around and given a number of lectures and participated in conversations with

starting point in the books, which has meant that he has reached an even larger audience. Among other things,

It is possible to experience him during this year's Olsok Days in Stiklestad. As part of the work on the books,

It is also worth noting that Skeie has supplemented his work with written sources with, among other things, visits to

Verdal and Stiklestad, and that he has had dialogue with professionals at Stiklestad National

Cultural center.

For this reason, it is recommended that the Stiklestad Prize for 2026 be awarded to Tore Skeie.

ABOUT THE STIKLESTAD PRIZE

The Stiklestad prize is awarded by Verdal municipality.

It was first awarded in 1971. It is awarded every two years and this year is the 28th time.

 

Previous winners are: