In memory of Thomas Hylland Eriksen (1962–2024)

One Saturday morning in late November 2024, a young man entered a residential area near the University of Oslo, carrying a letter and a package, searching for the home of the prolific Norwegian anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen. Earlier, this man, Giulio, a master's student from Sicily, had visited me in my university office seeking advice. He had recently returned from Fiji, where he had studied the impact of rising sea levels forcing people to leave their homes. Giulio had conducted fieldwork for over a year, twice as long as master's students at Oslo University are usually allowed. But his supervisor, Thomas Hylland Eriksen, had supported him wholeheartedly.