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When editor Namra Saleem and boss (and publisher) Hilde were trying to decide on the theme for this year's 10 investigations, they kept coming back to hope.

“I actually thought it seemed too big and too difficult, especially because I myself didn't feel very hopeful given everything that's happening in the world,” says Namra.

“But I couldn't seem to let it go. So hope it had to be.”

For Namra, it was about approaching the topic without romanticizing it. “I didn't want to create a naive, feel-good edition, but rather an honest exploration of hope, with room for both complexity and darkness. Capturing both hope and hopelessness.”

The process was demanding, but also rewarding, she continues.

“When we started, neither Selma (editor) nor I felt particularly hopeful. But through conversations with those who contributed, something happened. I really feel that a spark in me was rekindled,” she says.

“It has been both painful and sad, but also, for lack of a better word, empowering. My hope no longer feels like a weak little bitch—it is a hope with flames.”

As editor, she has placed great emphasis on preserving the voices of the contributors. “As far as possible, I always fight for all contributions to be included. My job is to support and get the best out of people. Occasionally, I have suggested cuts, but always in collaboration, it is important that people feel comfortable and cared for.”

The edition also bears the mark of the times in which it was created.

“When we were almost finished, Tamima was murdered. The news hit us hard. Even though only the last two contributions mentioned her, we noticed that the whole newspaper took on a new weight because of it.”

Nevertheless, Namra experienced small, almost magical connections that gave her hope.

“I cling to connections like that, almost in a superstitious way. It could be that one person mentions a bird in a poem, while another draws a bird in their illustration. Or that two contributions describe hope as a friend who can let you down. Connections like that make an impression.”

During her work, she also gained a clearer answer to what gives hope:

“Our relationships—between us and within each other.”

Finally, she hopes that the newspaper will be as much of a gift to readers as it was to the editorial team.

“I think many people have felt the same way. Perhaps some will recognize themselves in it, or have their own hopes rekindled. For me, it's important not to give up, but to keep fighting for a better world. Hope means nothing without action,” she concludes.

10 Investigations is an annual art magazine produced by TrAP, which provides space for in-depth reflection and artistic exploration. Each year, contributions from various artists and thinkers are collected around a specific theme.

This issue is the tenth and will be printed in 2025 in a circulation of 55,000 and distributed with Klassekampen's Saturday newspaper on September 27. In addition, it will be distributed in stacks at libraries and art institutions in Tromsø, Bodø, Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger, and Oslo. The newspaper examines various issues that arise in a multicultural society. The purpose of the investigations is to draw on people's lived and professional experiences, primarily from cultural life. Contributions are most often provided in text form, but can also take the form of documentary photographs, works of art, graphic representations, or other media.

Can't get hold of the newspaper where you live? It is also available digitally here:

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