A new title in Museum Nord’s publication series!

11 November 2025

We are very pleased to announce the launch of a new title in Museum Nord‘s own publication series. The book is written by Gjermund Andreassen. Gjermund (1954) was born and raised at Toftenes in Øksnes, Vesterålen. He graduated from the teacher training college at Nesna (1977), has a cand.philol. in music (NTNU 1983) and a master’s degree in Spanish language and culture (UiT 2014). He has also studied history (NTNU 1979), oral storytelling (Oslo Met 2003) and Italian (UiB 2007). He has taught in primary and secondary school and in music school, in high school and at university level, and was for a number of years principal of the music school. He has a broad ray of productions as a composer and arranger.

This time he has turned his attention to the man who by many has been given the title of “Father of the Coastal Express”, Richard With himself.

Richard With was born in Tromsø in 1846. In 1881 he was one of the founders of Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab at Stokmarknes in Vesterålen. With this small shipping company, he put in a bid when the state in 1893 was looking for someone who could establish a coastal route between Trondheim and Hammerfest for goods and mail. The major players in the industry at the time in Norway, Nordenfjeldske- and Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, did not come forward in 1893. Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab thus became the first shipping company in what we for manye years have called the Hurtigruten

The book is published by Orkana Publishing House, established in Stamsund in Lofoten.

The official launch of the book will be held on 15 November at 13.00 at the Hurtigruten Museum. There will be both samples from the book, a photo show, a performance of “The Ballad of Richard With” by the cabaret group Zöllners and the opportunity to get a signed copy.

On the occasion of the book launch, we offer a 10% discount on all items in the museum shop, and coffee and waffel for 70 NOK!