WEXFO
Board, administration and committees
Board
Mads Nygaard
Chair of World Expression Forum
Publisher and president of Aschehoug. Twenty years of experience in the publishing industry. Former CEO and vice president of two newspaper/media companies; Dagsavisen and Avishuset Dagbladet. Board member of The Norwegian Publishers Association and a number of other companies.
Anne Bergman
Board member
Director of The Federation of European Publishers since 2004, based in Brussels. Bergman holds a Master in Medieval History, and has served on the board of Europeana.eu, EU’s digital portal for common European cultural heritage, as well as for the European Internet Forum.
Marit Borkenhagen
board member
Managing director, The Norwegian Festival of Literature. Member of the Board of Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA), ANNO Museums in Hedmark, the Sigrid Undset Society, Lillehammer UNESCO City of Literature, Lillehammer Literature House, Gunnar Bjerkes Kulturfond and member of the Adjudication Committee for the Bjørnson Prize. Head of network of Norwegian Literature Festivals. Former head of information in The Norwegian Book Club. Master of Literature (UiO).
Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor
board member
Background in international relations and international law. She has studied and worked with human rights issues in several countries, but has in the last years been working in civil society organizations in Norway like NOAS, FIVAS and the Norwegian Council for Africa. She has been especially involved in the work with corporate social responsibility. She currently works as an advisor at Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists, and is the leader of the human rights organization FIVAS.
Margit Ketterle
Board member
Editorial Director for non-fiction at Verlagsgruppe Droemer Knaur. Chairs the Foundation of Freedom of Expression in the German publishers’ and booksellers’ association (Börsenverein).
Felicia Anthonio
board member
Felicia Anthonio is #KeepItOn Campaign Manager at Access Now, a global campaign of over 300 organizations that fights against internet shutdowns. She has authored and co-authored several publications on internet shutdowns featured on Access Now, Yale University, CIPESA and Bloomsbury Collections websites. Felicia hosted The Kill Switch podcast and was featured on The Shutdown documentary by BBC World Service. Felicia is an Advisory Council member of the US-based Open Technology Fund’s (OTF) and a Board member as well as Programme committee member of the World Expression Forum (WEXFO), in Norway. Before joining Access Now, Felicia worked as Programme Associate, press freedom and free speech advocate, at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) where she coordinated the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX). She is a member of the African Digital Rights Network and a 2019 Fellow of the African Internet Governance School (AfriSIG). She holds a Master’s Degree in Lettres, Langues et Affaires Internationales from l’ Université d’Orléans, France and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Psychology from the University of Ghana.
Trine Skei Grande
board member
CEO at Norwegian Publishers Association. Former Minister of Culture and Equality, Minister of Education and Integration and Deputy Prime Minister in Norway. Parliamentary leader and parliamentary representative in 2001-2021 for Venstre (The Liberal Party). Former Vice Mayor and City Councelor in Oslo.
Aage Borchgrevink
board member
Head of Center for International Justice at The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Oslo. Chair of the Board of the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers’ and Translators’ Association (NFFO). Member of the board of Truth Hounds (Ukraine). Freelance journalist and columnist. Writer of fiction and non-fiction. Received the Norwegian PENs Ossietzky Prize for defending freedom of expression (2004), and The Norwegian Critics’ Prize for Non-Fiction for En norsk tragedie/A Norwegian Tragedy; Anders Behring Breivik and the Massacre on Utøya (Gyldendal 2012; English edition, Polity 2013).
Elisabeth O. Sjaastad
board member
Film and theatre director educated at Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama (1998-2000), Promotion manager Virgin Records/EMI 2000-2002. Amanda nominated for the documentary film “Shiny Stars, Rusty Red” (2003) about freedom of expression in China.
Vice President of Norwegian Filmmakers’ Association 2005-2010, CEO FERA (Federation of European Film Directors) in Brussels 2009-2014. Founding partner and head of project for the independent Norwegian streaming service Nettkino in cooperation with Kulturmeglerne funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Creative Europe 2015-2020. President of Norwegian Filmmakers’ Association 2020-present
Fatemeh Ekhtesari
board member
Fatemeh Ekhtesari is an Iranian poet, editor, human rights activist and midwife. She is part of the Iranian literary movement “Postmodern Ghazal”, seen as the most radical poetic movement in contemporary Iran, and has been chief editor of several literary magazines. Her poetry, fiction and non-fiction writing explore issues of sexuality, religion, and gender, and the struggle for women’s rights.
José Borghino
board member
Secretary general of the International Publishers Association, Geneva, since September 2015. He joined the IPA as policy director in 2013, and was in charge of policy development, organizing the Prix Voltaire (IPA’s Freedom to Publish Prize), and managing the IPA’s activities in the educational publishing sector, including the annual What Works? conference and the Educational Publishers Forum. Before joining the IPA, he was manager, Industry Representation at the Australian Publishers Association. Has been executive director of the Australian Society of Authors, a lecturer in literary journalism and creative industries at the University of Sydney, and editor of the online news magazine NewMatilda.com. He held senior positions at the Literature Board of the Australia Council and was the founding editor of EDITIONSReview.
Anne Holt
board member
Author and lawyer. Minister of Justice 1996-1997, lawyer 1992-1996, Junior Police Prosecutor, Oslo, 1988-1990, journalist and host NRK Television 1984-1988 and 1990-1992. Chair of JURK, legal advice for women. Education: Master of Law 1986.
Helje Solberg
Board member
Head of News division at NRK, Norwegian Broadcasting. Chair of the board at Faktisk (Norwegian fact checking organization). Previous vice president of World Editors’ Forum.
Khin Thandar Htay
Board member
Thandar is a marketing and communications professional who previously led a commercial team of one of the leading media in Myanmar, Frontier Myanmar. In parallel, she also led the Black Knight Marketing and Communication Agency, a sister company of Frontier Myanmar, in collaborating with several top international clients in Myanmar. Thandar currently leads the programmes and activities for WAN-IFRA Women In News in Southeast Asia as Director for the region. The World Association of News Publishers, or WAN-IFRA, is the global organisation of the world’s press with the mission to protect the rights of journalists and publishers worldwide to operate independent media.
Administration
Kristenn Einarsson
Managing Director
Kristenn is Managing Director at World Expression Forum AS, as well as a consultant, chair of the Freedom to Publish Committee in the International Publishers Association and chair of Norges Televisjon.
Kristenn has 45 years of experience in publishing, including positions as CEO of The Norwegian Publishers Association (2011 – 2020), CEO the Norwegian Book Clubs (1991-2010), Chairman of Kunnskapsforlaget Publishing house (2000 – 2008), Managing Director of Kunnskapsforlaget (2008- 2010). He has also been President of the Bjørnson Academy (Norwegian Academy for Literature and Freedom of Expression), Chair of the Norwegian Film Fund (2001 – 2007), Chair of the Norwegian Film Institute (2008- 2012) and board member of NORLA (Norwegian Literature Abroad) (2018 -2020).
Julia Dietze
Producer
Julia is Producer at World Expression Forum and works with logistics, production, and our many volunteers. Julia has a BA in International Tourism Studies from Harz University of Applied Sciences, and experience with organising major sports events such as World Para Snow Sports Championship and FIS World Cup Lillehammer.
Anne-Thea Haavind
Head of Administration
Anne-Thea is Head of Administration at World Expression Forum. Prior to her current position at WEXFO, she worked nine years as Head of the Pegasus and KOMMA-programmes at the Norwegian Festival of Literature. She has a Master’s Degree in Cultural Studies, and professional experience from festivals and events since 2009, including Kongsberg Jazz festival, Dølajazz and Youth Olympic Games.
Hilde Fauskerud Hansen
Project Manager WEXFO Youth
Hilde is Project Manager at WEXFO Youth. She has a Master's Degree in Art History and educated as a teacher with five years of education at university level. Hilde is also educated in project management and has 12 years of experience as project manager at Lillehammer Art Museum. In addition, Hilde has extensive experience with festivals, including as Festival Manager and board memeber of DølaJazz – Lillehammer Jazzfestival.
Andreas Gjone
Communications and Marketing Manager
Andreas is Communications and Marketing Manager at World Expression Forum. Andreas has worked as a communications professional since 2006, with extensive experience from the non-profit sector, business and public sector, including Tier 1 law firm Wiersholm (2019-2023), child rights organization Plan International Norway (2013-2019), PR agency Axxept (2011-2013), Oppland County Governor (2010-2011) and Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (2007-2010). Andreas holds a Master's Degree in North American Studies with additional education in project management and cultural entrepreneurship.
Nomination Committee
Barbara Trionfi
Chair
Visiting Scholar, The New Institute Centre for Environmental Humanities (NICHE), Ca' Foscari University, Venice, Italy. Member of the International Board of Trustees, ARTICLE 19.
IPI Fellow. Previously executive director at the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists dedicated to safeguarding and fostering media freedom and promoting quality, independent journalism.
Silje Riise Næss
Film commissioner at The Danish Film Institute and national representative to Eurimages, The Council of Europe’s film fund. Previous Head of Programming at the Oslo House of Literature, Head of Communication at the International Ibsen Centennary Ibsen 2006, and Information and Marketing Manager in Arthaus – the Art film Foundation. Silje has served as President of the Films from the South Festival and Executive board member of the Norwegian Humanist Association, and is the current chair of The Bergman Estate on Fårö Foundation.
Ingvild Kogstad Brodal
Senior Advisor at the Norwegian Publishers Association, specializing in educational policy, learning technology and the textbook industry, and literary exports. Holds a master's degree in African literature and culture, with graduate studies in law and political science. Formerly served as a project coordinator for Norway's most important literary prize Brageprisen and the Nordic Conference for Educational Publishers and EdTech. Currently a board member at the Norwegian vocational school for bookselling, a deputy board member of Norwegian Arts Abroad and a member of the council of The Norwegian Festival of Literature.
Elin Floberghagen
Morten Gjelten
Managing Director Norsk teater- og orkesterforening (NTO) - Association of Norwegian Theatres and Orchestras.
Program Committee
Veslemøy Østrem
Chair
Editor-in-Chief of Altinget, a political newspaper in Norway, owned by the Nordic media house Alrow Media. She has held various leadership roles in the media industry, and has led Vårt Lands news department and Aftenposten’s policy and finance department. Østrem has an international engagement for media development, and are used as mentor and keynote speaker in EU programs for media leadership and innovation.
Felicia Anthonio
#KeepItOn Campaign Manager at Access Now, an international not-for-profit organization with a mission to extend and defend digital rights of users at risk.
Joakim Lie
Project leader at the Fritt Ord Foundation with background as teacher, lecturer and journalist. Involved in support and grants for students and in educational projects, such as initiatives reaching out to students and others with the aim of highlighting and debating topics on free speech and democracy.
Jakob Mchangama
Danish lawyer, human rights advocate, and social commentator. He is the founder and director of Justitia, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law.
Arizza Ann Nocum
Arizza is the co-founder and President of KRIS, a non-profit organization promoting peace through education and youth leadership. KRIS has trained over 1,000 Filipino youth leaders on peacebuilding, supported hundreds of youth and youth organization’s initiatives for education and development, reaching millions. Arizza is one of ten young leaders hand-picked by the former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to eradicate violent extremism through the global Extremely Together initiative. She is also Managing Director of DIGInspire, providing strategic marketing services to top companies across diverse industries in the Philippines.
Oksana Brovko
CEO at Association of Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine. 24-year experience as managing director, commercial director and financial director at media organisations. Work on the development of independent Ukrainian media, to protect press freedom in Ukraine. During the war, concentrated on the support projects for the regional media.
Nedin Mutic
Senior adviser in Diversity, Inclusion & Talent development with over 15 years of experience in creating a space for dialogue and experience exchange within the storytelling industries.
Kristenn Einarsson
Kristenn is Managing Director at World Expression Forum AS, as well as a consultant, chair of the Freedom to Publish Committee in the International Publishers Association and chair of Norges Televisjon.
Leandro Demori
Executive Editor of The Intercept Brasil, and is a board member of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji). He is the author of “Cossa Nostra in Brazil: The History of the Mafioso Who Took Down the Empire” (Companhia das Letras, 2016).
Paminder Parbha
Human rights researcher/campaigner with over 25 years of experience and the Head of International Programs in PEN International.
Marit Borkenhagen
Managing director at The Norwegian Festival of Literature. Member of the Board of Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA), ANNO Museums in Hedmark, the Sigrid Undset Society, Lillehammer UNESCO City of Literature, Lillehammer Literature House, Gunnar Bjerkes Kulturfond and member of the Adjudication Committee for the Bjørnson Prize. Head of network of Norwegian Literature Festivals. Former head of information in The Norwegian Book Club. Master of Literature (UiO).
Khaled Emam
Human rights lawyer and Executive Director of the Justice Call organization. His work has centered on building strong and sustainable democracies, promoting peace and stability, and protecting the rights and welfare of civilians.
Khaled has a BA in Law and a master’s in international law from Cairo University and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard University. As the organizing partner of the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY), Khaled has played a key role in fostering youth engagement in the development of inclusive and sustainable societies. Khaled has also served as a former Co-Chair of The United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (UN IANYD).
Lars Gudmundsson
Gudmundson has an extensive background in educational policy and management. He worked for several years for the Norwegian Ministry of Education on curriculum reforms, as a speech writer and adviser for government commissions on education policy. As Deputy Director for the European Wergeland Centre, he managed educational programmes on democratic citizenship and human rights in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Greece, the Baltic and Nordic countries. He also acted as advisor for the government of Ukraine on democratic reforms in education and for the government of Greece on refugee education. Currently he is the Director of the Utøya Learning Centre in Norway, managing the educational programmes at the site of the terror attacks 22 July 2011.
Aage Borchgrevink
Head of Center for International Justice at The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Oslo. Chair of the Board of the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers’ and Translators’ Association (NFFO). Member of the board of Truth Hounds (Ukraine). Freelance journalist and columnist. Writer of fiction and non-fiction. Received the Norwegian PENs Ossietzky Prize for defending freedom of expression (2004), and The Norwegian Critics’ Prize for Non-Fiction for En norsk tragedie/A Norwegian Tragedy; Anders Behring Breivik and the Massacre on Utøya (Gyldendal 2012; English edition, Polity 2013).
Martijn David
After working for two decades in general (mostly literary) publishing he joined the Dutch Publishers Association in 2012. There he is representing general publishers as well as a role as Senior Advisor on Copyright, Collective Rights and Privacy. He is on the board of various CMO’s and also on board of the Literature Museum in The Hague.
Samsaya Sampda Sharma
Artist, singer-songwriter with over 20 years of experience in the music industry.
Vice chair in NOPA Norwegian songwriting society, board member at MØST music network, and FLB Arts council Norway, certified diversity leader and Keychange ambassador.
Working for songwriters social and music rights since 2019.