Tokke

Tokke, a rural municipality located in western Telemark, Norway, joined ICORN in August 2022.

Historically, this area is known as the home of independent and well-read farmers who resisted oppression from central authorities. Tokke is the home county of Talleiv Huvestad, a prominent historical figure who took part in the Constituent Assembly which gathered in Eidsvoll in 1814. Telemark has a rich cultural legacy, including fostering some of the greatest Norwegian writers such as Ibsen, Vinje and Vesaas.

The Tokke Public Library is the main host for the ICORN writer or artist in residence, in close cooperation with other parts of the municipal administration. The library is situated at the local cultural centre in Dalen, where a variety of cultural activities are available to the community. Tokke is a small, but resourceful municipality which connects ICORN residents to relevant professional and social networks within and beyond the region. The partnership between Tokke Library and the nearby Vinjesenteret, a national centre dedicated to literature and journalism is only one of the many opportunities which Tokke presents to its ICORN residents.

In 2023, Tokke welcomed a writer and journalist from Eritrea as its first ICORN resident.