PORTFOLIO
Hobbelstad
Inger Merete Hobbelstad — historical fantasy
This gallery is filled with some of the most ambitious and personal illustrations I have made, all taken from Hobbelstad’s historical fantasy series about Anton and Emilie.
The books are written by Inger Merete Hobbelstad, a cultural commentator at NRK who was awarded the Riksmål Association’s Golden Pen in 2018. They can also be read as an advent calendar, structured in 24 chapters with one illustration for each day in December leading up to Christmas.
Christmas has not quite been the same for me since trying to imagine how it was celebrated in Christiania at the end of the 19th century. It was a period of change shaped by new technologies, growing class divisions and rapid shifts in society. At the same time, the forests outside the city remained dark and full of mystery, folklore and old wonders.
This was the atmosphere I wanted to capture in the illustrations. A world that feels historically grounded, yet where magic still exists in the shadows and at the edges of everyday life.
Across the books, we also encounter places that no longer look the way they once did. Did you know that Grand Café was once decorated with vaulted ceilings, nymphs and heavy velvet furniture? Details like this have been some of the most rewarding to research, draw and bring back to life.
In 2024, the first book in the series, Glasskongen, was nominated for the ARK Children’s Book Prize and received a five star review from Dagbladet. You can read the review in Dagbladet
In 2026, the illustrations also received international attention when they were longlisted for the World Illustration Awards. You can read more here.
You may also check out the book in Norli´s online bookstore: Glasskongen 2023↗
This gallery is filled with some of the most ambitious and personal illustrations I have made, all taken from Hobbelstad’s historical fantasy series about Anton and Emilie.
The books are written by Inger Merete Hobbelstad, a cultural commentator at NRK who was awarded the Riksmål Association’s Golden Pen in 2018. They can also be read as an advent calendar, structured in 24 chapters with one illustration for each day in December leading up to Christmas.
Christmas has not quite been the same for me since trying to imagine how it was celebrated in Christiania at the end of the 19th century. It was a period of change shaped by new technologies, growing class divisions and rapid shifts in society. At the same time, the forests outside the city remained dark and full of mystery, folklore and old wonders.
This was the atmosphere I wanted to capture in the illustrations. A world that feels historically grounded, yet where magic still exists in the shadows and at the edges of everyday life.
Across the books, we also encounter places that no longer look the way they once did. Did you know that Grand Café was once decorated with vaulted ceilings, nymphs and heavy velvet furniture? Details like this have been some of the most rewarding to research, draw and bring back to life.
In 2024, the first book in the series, Glasskongen, was nominated for the ARK Children’s Book Prize and received a five star review from Dagbladet. You can read the review in Dagbladet
In 2026, the illustrations also received international attention when they were longlisted for the World Illustration Awards. You can read more here.
You may also check out the book in Norli´s online bookstore: Glasskongen 2023↗