*Red-throated Loon adult and chick by the dog kennels in Longyearbyen (2024), Photo: Endre Harvold Kvangraven*

I first thought my stay on Svalbard would mostly be a writing retreat, but soon realised that fieldwork was the way to go. I was writing about birds and arrived in early July when breeding season was at its peak and bird activity was ceaseless under the midnight sun. Through summer into fall, I followed several pairs as they incubated eggs, raised chicks, protected them from predators, and finally migrated southward. While I did go on some boat trips, most of my time was spent in Longyearbyen and the surrounding hills and valleys. Top birding hotspots in this area include the dog kennels on the edge of town and the bird lagoon by the campsite near the airport. Adventdalen is well worth exploring in its entirety, while a hike to the Little Auk breeding colony in Bjørndalen is not to be missed.

For future residents, I recommend not being too focused on any fixed goal. What you find will be different from what you expect. Talk to locals, spend time in the field, and unexpected opportunities will emerge. Stay as long as you can and watch how the landscape changes over time. Stay up, observe the changing light. The hours after midnight and into the early morning can be the best time of day. Don’t worry about bringing things to read, as there is an excellent local library in Longyearbyen, while Artica has a small but eclectic book selection. Get out on a boat at least once, to get a sense of the bigger picture.

I had little time for reading on Svalbard, but here are some sources that can be useful:

Svalbardfugler – Felthåndbok / Svalbard Birds – Field Guide, Georg Bangjord and Trond Haugskott (2023) Third edition. BirdLife Svalbard.
This booklet offers an accessible and neatly laid out overview in English and Norwegian of birds that are regularly seen on Svalbard. It can be purchased locally at Svalbard Museum or at the Visit Svalbard tourist information center.
Fuglelivet i Longyearbyen og nærområdene. Longyearbyen feltbiologiske forening (LoFF), Georg Bangjord (2009)
A complement to the above, in Norwegian, specifically focusing on the birdlife around Longyearbyen.
The Paradox of Svalbard: Climate Change and Globalisation in the Arctic, Zdenka Sokolíčková (2023) Foreword by Thomas Hylland Eriksen.
Despite being problematic in many ways, this remains the only book that offers an in-depth ethnographic view of the sociopolitical situation in Longyearbyen.
Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy (2021)
This popular novel often came to mind during my stay at Artica. Though it does not deal directly with Svalbard, the themes of Arctic Terns, climate change and extinction resonate strongly with my experiences there.
The Seabird’s Cry: The Lives and Loves of Puffins, Gannets and Other Ocean Voyagers, Adam Nicolson (2017)
A vivid glimpse into the lives of seabirds. Again, not specifically about Svalbard, but a compelling and insightful introduction to seabirds that occur here and the challenges they face.

Post-rock sounds right for the gradual but sometimes violent shifts that characterise the landscapes of Svalbard, an atmosphere where the forces of nature are on full display:

1. Silent Whale Becomes a Dream – “North”

2. Latitudes – “The Glacial Body”

Endre Harvold Kvangraven is a writer, researcher, and wildlife enthusiast. He has lived in various African countries but is now back in his native Norway, where his research centers on the relations between humans and birds in contemporary Scandinavian literature, exploring themes such as ornithological practice, identification, and care. He holds a PhD in Nordic Literature from the University of Stavanger.

He is the author of Ulv i det norske kulturlandskapet (Res Publica, 2021), a work of literary nonfiction tracing the role of wolves in Norwegian cultural history.

Endre Harvold Kvangraven

Rikke Luther