The St. Olav's Medal was instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway on 17 March 1939, and is awarded in recognition of "outstanding services rendered in connection with the spreading of information about Norway abroad and for strengthening the bonds between expatriate Norwegians and their home country".
Liv Nilsen Garras was born in Hokksund, Norway. Her marriage to John Garras brought her to Greece more than 40 years ago. During all these years, with her enthusiasm and love for both countries, she has been a strong advocate for Norwegian language and culture in Greece.
Garras is the author of a Norwegian-Greek dictionnary, and has, among others, translated works by Jon Fosse and Ibsen.
As a lecturer of Norwegian language and culture at the University in Athens and as private tutor in the evenings, Garras has inspired many Greek students. In her book Glimt av Liv, she describes her strong love for Norway and Greece.
The medal was presented to her by Ambassador Stub on 16th March 2010 during a reception at the Norwegian Embassy. With the St. Olav's Medal she receives a well-deserved acknowledgement for her work.