I was born in 1950 in Lærdal in the Sognefjord area. In the 1970'ies I studied psychology at the University of Bergen. I also spent one year in the US studying psychology and literature at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. My work experience is varied, I have been a teacher, a gardener, a hotel receptionist. In the 1980'ies I worked for several years as a journalist and literary critic in Bergen. Since 1988 I have been a full time writer.
My first book, The lung-leaf Tree (poetry), appeared in 1980 and got very good reviews. Since then I have published eleven more books, short stories, novels, children's books, poetry again. My first novel He did it (1990) received several literary rewards in Norway. The North Way, the first novel in a series on language and madness, was published in 2003. Another book in the same series, The Night Bus, came in 2007. The series will be completed the fall 2012 with the novel Where Grace is.
By literary critics I have been described as a "great novellist" and as one of the most important poets in Norway. A leading literary critic calls me "the writer of gentle, mimosa-like sensations." According to another the keynotes in all my books are atmosphere and intensity. My language has been described as "dense" and "concise", I'm said to be skilled "in the art of omission".
Bibliography:
1980 Lungeblæretre (The Lung-leaf Tree). Poems.
1986 Neslesommarfuglen (The Turtoiseshell Butterfly). Short stories.
1988 Knutepunkt (The Junction). Poems.
1990 Han gjorde det (He did it). Novel.
1991 Steinskuggar/ Stoneshadows. Poems and photos. Bilingual. Photos: Jens Hauge.Translations: Robin Fulton.
1993 Det trettande biletet (The Thirteenth Picture). Novel.
1995 Rom bak rom bak (Rooms Behind Rooms Behind). Poems.
1997 Som om eg ikkje hugsar (As if I don't Remember). Novel.
1999 - Bang! sa Big (- Bang! said Big). Children's book
2000 Den svarte Audien (The Black Audi). Children's book.
2003 Nordvegen (The North Way). Novel.
2007 Nattbussen (The Night Bus). Novel.
2012 Der nåden finst (Where Grace is). Novel.
Prizes:
For the novel He did it from 1990 I received three literary awards in Norway..