Margit Walsø
The Parfumier

A voyage to Provence, a mystery to solve, an unexpected love story.

Ingrid is twenty-five years old and disenchanted with her job at a laboratory in Trondheim.
One day she finds a parfumier’s organ in the basement of her childhood home: a specially made tiered shelf for her father’s collection of perfume essences. She decides to travel to Grasse in Provence to explore the lesser known aspects of her deceased father’s life. She finds clues in amongst her father’s things that lead her to the mysterious Sonja Richard and her perfume factory. Ingrid gets a job at the factory, but does not tell Sonja who she is.
The perfume industry is facing a growing demand for new, synthetic scent molecules. This troubles the inhabitants of Grasse, who have always made a living from their orange trees, roses, jasmine and lavender.
A power struggle emerges between the older and the younger woman, culminating when Ingrid finds out Sonja’s secret.

* THE PARFUMIER offers a unique insight into the world of fragrances, the rich variety of raw materials and the art of perfume making.
* A sensual feel good novel where the gift for smelling and memory always rules.
* A YEAR IN PROVENCE meets EAT, PRAY, LOVE.

Margit Walsø

Margit Walsø (b. 1968) had her literary debut in 2007 with the historical novel “Dear Voltaire”, a story about the mathematician Emilie du Chatelet and her passionate relation with Voltaire. Walsø’s writing reveals a sincere interest for European history, especially the century of the enlightenment.
Margit Walsø comes from a small industrial town in Western Norway called Sunndalsøra. She studied both Science and Literature before entering the publishing business. Today she lives in Oslo with her husband and two daughters.
Walsø has worked as publisher in Det norske Samlaget for many years as head of the literary department. She has published both Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s books and Academic books. Today Margit Walsø is director of NORLA, Norwegian Literature Abroad.