Knausgård, Kotche & Renck Blur the Boundaries Between Sound, Story & Screen

“One of the 21st century's greatest literary sensations” (The Wall Street Journal), Karl Ove Knausgård is a Norwegian writer renowned for his autobiographical six-book series Min kamp (My Struggle), which delves into the complexities of his upbringing, relationships, and parenthood with raw authenticity and philosophical fervor. Knausgård’s newest novel, The School of Night, will be published by Penguin Press in Jan 2026. Demonstrating a remarkable ability to transform the mundane into something beautiful, meaningful, and worth remembering, Knausgård “achieves an acute, piercing psychological closeness that at times feels suffocating or maddening and at other times utterly sublime” (The New Yorker).

His work is published in 35 languages, illustrating the breadth of his writings’ emotional impact. Knausgård is the recipient of the 1998 Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature (the first awarded to a debut novel), 2009 Brage Prize, 2017 Jerusalem Prize, 2019 Swedish Academy Nordic Prize, and 2023 Lenin Award. Additionally, his second novel was longlisted for the 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Illinois-native Glenn Kotche, best known for his involvement with the Grammy Award-winning rock band Wilco, is an innovative composer and percussionist among the 100 greatest drummers of all time, according to Rolling Stone. Kotche has played on over 180 recordings by artists from Taylor Swift to Andrew Bird, and he’s a founding member of two other bands, Loose Fur and On Fillmore. He has also written music for classical and post-classical ensembles like the Kronos Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, and many more.

Kotche explores the compositional possibilities of rhythm and thrives in multidisciplinary collaborations. He shares the genius of his craft in A Beat a Week: A Total Percussion Approach to Playing the Drumset, as well as his weekly posts of original drumbeats in his DrumBeatProject. Kotche’s incredible career has garnered five Grammy nominations and one win. 

Historia: A Multidimensional Premiere

The program at Northrop features the premiere of Historia, a new work that weaves together Knausgård's textual prowess and Kotche's sonic explorations, alongside solo performances that highlight each artist’s work. Knausgård reads from his new upcoming novel The School of Night, while Kotche also performs new and existing work—including the acclaimed Monkey Chant, an 11-minute piece from Kotche's 2006 solo album Mobile, to mark its 20th anniversary. Historia, the centerpiece of the afternoon, also includes film—co-commissioned with donor support*—by award-winning director Johan Renck, known for HBO's Chernobyl and David Bowie's Blackstar music video. The visuals will be projected on a 50'x15' backdrop. This combination of sound, story, and screen highlights the multidimensional, collaborative experience of creative inquiry and narrative. To round out the afternoon, director of bookstore partnerships at Bookshop.org Steph Opitz will moderate a conversation between Knausgård and Kotche on the creative process, offering a special glimpse into their friendship and artistic synergy.

Born in Sweden and now based in New York, Johan Renck is one of today’s most prominent, “voraciously in-demand” (Interview Magazine) directors of music videos, TV, commercials, and film. Renck’s illustrious resume includes collaborations with top brands such as Chanel, Valentino, H&M, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Nike, among others, and he has worked with global superstars such as David Bowie, Madonna, Zendaya, Lana Del Rey, and many more. In 2020, Renck received critical acclaim for directing the award-winning HBO series Chernobyl, the highest-rated TV show ever on IMDb, with 19 Emmy nominations and ten Emmy wins—including Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series and Outstanding Limited Series—a Golden Globe, Directors Guild of America Awards, plus 14 BAFTA Award nominations. He also directed the Netflix film Spaceman and episodes of critically acclaimed shows such as Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Bloodline. Renck’s vibrant storytelling, bold creativity, and directorial expertise embraces a “dry and Sisyphean" motto: “Make it as difficult to film as is humanly possible. That’s how you make it good. In any artform, one of the things we respond to is this inherent feel that there’s a struggle behind it” (Deadline).

The Liquid Music | Northrop Series immerses audiences in music’s shapeshifting form—through genres, into the written word, across film, and into entirely new dimensions. Combining the distinct voices of Knausgård, Kotche, and Renck, this shared expression liquifies genres for a transformative experience. Kotche has previously appeared live at Northrop during the 2018–19 Season event Ate9, a bold fusion of dance, humor, and his original full-length score, calling glenn. Knausgård will be making his Northrop debut but is no stranger to Minnesota. He has traveled through North America to retrace the steps of the Vikings, from Newfoundland all the way to Alexandria, MN, recounted in an article for The New York Times. Learn more about him in this interview on PBS Newshour.