No author of a rural history book has ever felt the consequences of discussing recent rural history as much as Harald Langmyr. His book “Nok innmark til ei ku” has taken him all the way to the Supreme Court and cost him around NOK 160,000 after his rounds in the courts.
It all started when his ex-wife sued him for disclosing her private life in the village book. The district court in Aust-Agder temporarily suspended the book and then acquitted Harald Langmyr on all counts. His ex-wife appealed and Langmyr subsequently lost in the Court of Appeal. After some delay, a new round of legal proceedings is set to begin in the new year, this time in the Supreme Court. Ahead of the upcoming trial, it has become clear that the village book author will now be granted free legal aid to cover his expenses.
