Tales from the Arctic
Maria Philippa Rossi is a children’s book author and journalist who has lived in Longyearbyen since 2018. She explains what’s so captivating by Svalbard.
Text: Anne Månum
Svalbard – a distant fantasy
Svalbard – a place where the sun doesn’t rise for months and the northern lights light up the sky in stunning displays. It’s a place where the horizon stretches endlessly, and the landscapes are both beautiful and unforgiving. For many, the idea of living in this extreme environment is a distant fantasy. But for Maria Philippa Rossi, it’s home.
Since moving to Svalbard in 2018, Maria has experienced the polar extremes of this Arctic archipelago, from the dark, still winters to the overwhelming light of the midnight sun. As an author and journalist, she’s not just surviving here — she’s thriving, writing, and raising a family.
“When I first arrived in Svalbard, what struck me most was the vast nature.”
Maria recalls her arrival to the island in January 2018.
“The moon was out, the sky was dark blue. It was silent, it felt like the world had paused,” she says.
The quietness was overwhelming
For someone used to the constant hum of city life, the sudden quietness was almost overwhelming.
But it’s not just the silence that defines life here. The absence of daylight during the long winter months also plays a key role in how residents live and perceive time.
“You wake up and it’s dark, you work in the dark, and by the time you get home, it’s still dark. It’s a different rhythm – a different pace,” Maria explains.
“A typical day changes completely depending on the season. In winter, it’s all about coping with the darkness. In summer, it’s about embracing the endless daylight.”
But in summer, time feels like it’s slipping away as the sun never sets.
“In the summer, you’ll find yourself going for a walk at 11 p.m., as though it’s just another afternoon. The landscape is so breathtaking that it feels like you could walk forever.”
Raising children in the Arctic
“Raising children here is pretty extreme.”
For Maria, raising a family in Svalbard comes with unique challenges – and rewards. The freedom they experience in nature is unparalleled.
“There’s something magical about watching kids learn to ski on glaciers or learn how to spot reindeer on the way to school,” she says.
Life for kids in Svalbard is intimate, surrounded by a small but tightly-knit community. The is a local school and several kindergartens, yet there’s a practical edge to childhood here.
“My boys know we need to bring a rifle when leaving the city, but in general we are very little worried about polar bears,” Maria explains.
Strange and surreal
Life on Svalbard isn’t like anywhere else. The community is built on the idea of temporary existence. Maria explains,
“Few people owns property here. You live in rented houses. No one is born here, and you are not supposed to die here either. Svalbard is a place for passing through.” she says.
But that doesn’t take away from the deep connection residents feel to the land.
“People come and go, but everyone shares the same feeling of being on the edge of the world.”
Make people understand
Maria has written a children’s book about science in the Arctic. She wants people to not only admire the beautiful nature in the Arctic, but also understand the processes that goes on, how they are connected and how we as human impact the eco systems around us.
“You may look at a small copepod and think «It doesn’t matter» if it goes extinct, but it does! Things in nature are connected, and it is of utmost importance that we realise we cannot mess with one part of nature and not think it will affect others.”
Writing for a younger audience has been challenging and yet, very rewarding.
“The children I’ve met in the writing process have been incredibly curious. It’s a fantastic skill! Never stop asking questions! To get the most out of Svalbard, ask questions!”
Arctic Mysteries
Nature in the Arctic is full of mysteries — great and small. On our voyages to Svalbard and other Arctic regions, we experience nature up close. It’s breathtakingly beautiful — but questions arise. What’s happening here? Why? How does it all connect? Arctic Mysteries is a children’s book for all ages that explores exactly that — in a simple, vivid, and captivating way. It takes us behind the scenes of Arctic research and reveals what’s hidden out on the tundra, beneath the glaciers, and even up in space.
