SOLEFALD frontman Cornelius Jakhelln has issued the following update via the group's MySpace page:

"I hinted to this being a very special day in a bulletin this morning. Now the day is almost over, and finally I have the time to inform you. At a press conference in Oslo today I was awarded the 1st prize in a big Scandinavian novel contest, for my saga novel "The Fall Of The Gods" (Gudenes Fall). For five years I have worked on that book. There have been more downs than ups along the way, with disappointment and disapproval, lack of motivation and financial strain. Lots of it. At one point I had the novel turned down pretty harshly by my publisher, just before which I contracted tendonitis (past by now). My bitterness was complete. I considered giving up writing entirely.

Last summer I became aware of Bonnier-Cappelen's big prize, and thought of it as a pretext for trying my hands on that wreck of a novel, a second time. For a month I sat by the seaside in Kragerø, smoking cigars and drinking Islay whisky, trying to come up with a genuine voice for my new protagonist - Odin, the Allfather. When I decided to purge the Norwegian written language of all the alien consonants that came in during the Danish reign, in order to make it more similar to our spoken idiom, something happened; at once, old Odin sounded young and vigorous, as fresh as iced tea in rain. That summer the Norwegian singer Ravi haunted the charts, his killer weirdo orthography being similar to the one I deployed in "The Fall Of The Gods".

As I write this, just before collapsing on my bed, the news is on the main page of Norway's two biggest newspapers, www.dagbladet.no and www.vg.no. On the publisher Cappelen's page, you will find a picture of my Odin, and a congratulation from my editor. Check it out! This is certainly the most important day of my career. I have done a whole lot of interviews with Norwegian newspapers and radio stations today, and also appeared in the television news. And the prize? It is more than enough to make me happy! My novel will be translated into Finnish and Danish; it will appear as Book of the Month in Cappelen's book club in August; I was awarded 500.000 NOK (approx. 80.000 USD). Needless to say, I find that pretty freaking cool!

"The Fall Of The Gods" came out of the same universe as that of "Red For Fire" and "Black For Death"; the book includes a lot of Solefald references, including a prose rendering of the entire RFF+BFD concept, of Bragi's fate, that is. Although my Odin listens to orchestral music while smoking his cigars, he is secretly a Black Metal fan. Thor and Eric Blood-Axe found their own band, and they really suck. Big time! The time-honoured tradition of picking on Dimmu Borgir is continued in the book, as I let Eric Blood-Axe quote "Da den kristne satte livet til", that adolescent masterpiece from 1995. I'm sure the Dimmu lads have enough self irony to accept that little prank.

I am delighted to share this news with you, and extend my sincere thanks for all the positive attention you have given me in times of need. The creator's life is often solitary and sometimes lonely, and that is when he needs encouragement the most. I will use parts of the prize sum to build up my new little record label in Berlin, Von Jackhelln Inhuman, where you will see future releases from Sturmgeist and G.U.T. I do hope book will be translated into other languages than the Scandinavian ones. The gods will speak their mind. " Skald through the runes/ Let Fate decide."