Kjærstad, Jan

Jan Kjærstad occupies a prominent place in contemporary Norwegian literature. He has a Master of Theology from the University of Oslo, and he made his debut as a writer of fiction in 1980 with KLODEN DREIER STILLE RUNDT, a collection of short stories. He has written a number of novels and short stories and he has published picture books and essays. In 1984 he received the Norwegian Literary Critics Association's Prize for HOMO FALSUS, ELLER DET PERFEKT MORD. The fact that he was honored with Germany's prestigious Henrik Steffens Prize in 1998, awarded to Scandinavians who have significantly enriched Europe's artistic and intellectual life, also illustrates his international appeal as an author. His trilogy FORFØREREN (1993), EROBREREN (1996) and OPPDAGEREN (1999) makes a monumental contribution towards renewal of the art of novel writing in Scandinavia. In 2001, Jan Kjærstad won the Nordic Council's Prize for Literature for OPPDAGEREN.

Praise for Kjærstad's books:

"One of the most influential writers of his generation. Say his name, and I think of Milan Kundera, Martin Amis and Frank Zappa"
 ( Linn Ullmann)

"He exists. The perfect novelist exists and his name is Jan Kjærstad and he comes from Norway"
(Dagens Nyheter)

"Read, reader, read - great books are so rare"
(Die Welt)

"Kjærstad's novels are redolent with the fantastic profusion of the stories they tell, of all that flows forth from them, presented in ever-new guises"
(Die Zeit)

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