Transnational Twilighters: A Twilight fan community in Norway

This chapter offers a case study of the transnational appeal of the Twilight phenomenon. Focusing on a Norwegian language Twilight fan board, it examines one of the communities within the online fandom that surrounds the saga in both its literary and film forms. Our analysis of fan posts identifies two key themes. Firstly, we consider how fans construct issues of cultural proximity in relation to their engagement with Twilight. This is contextualised by a discussion of the prevalence of US pop culture in Norway. The second part of our analysis examines fan posts about romance and sexuality in relation to Bella, Edward and Jake. This analysis draws comparisons between posts on the Norwegian fan community and on Anglophone fan boards, in order to highlight similarities in Twilight fandom across different national contexts. The chapter will draw on prior work on fans and audiences (eg., Hills 2002, Jenkins 1992, Sandvoss 2005) along with existing research on transnational audiences and cultural difference (eg., Gripsrud 1995, Liebes and Katz 1990). Through this analysis of the transnational appeal of Twilight, the chapter seeks to make an important contribution to the emerging study of Twilight as a cultural phenomenon, and to the discipline of fan/audience studies more broadly.