Ørstavik, Hanne

With the publication of the novel CUT in 1994, Hanne Ørstavik (b. 1969) embarked on a career that would make her one of the most remarkable and admired authors in Norwegian contemporary literature. Her literary breakthrough came three years later with the publication of LOVE ( Kjærlighet), which in 2006 was voted the 6th best Norwegian book of the last 25 years in a prestigious contest in Dagbladet. Since then the author has written several acclaimed and much discussed novels and received a host of literary prizes.

Ørstavik’s books arouse strong feelings among readers and critics alike, a fact that greatly contributes to her unique standing. Her works are read and analysed by students of literature at universities in Norway and abroad. In 2008, Oktober publishing house published the anthology OPENINGS, containing essays on Ørstavik’s books written by Nordic literary critics and academics.

Ørstavik's books have been translated into 15 languages.

Click here for a brochure with sample translations and presentation of Hanne Ørstavik's works.

 Praise for Ørstavik's books:

"Hanne Ørstavik’s literary significance grows from novel to novel... An existential novel dealing with both the heaviness and lightness of language, written with impressive strength and courage... Rarely does one come across such a perceptive analytical mind as Hanne Ørstavik. She gives nothing away for free, there is no overdriven emotion, no sentimentality nor pandering to her public. The story’s concept overrides everything, all the layers of the onion are peeled away until we come to the heart of the question. Hanne Ørstavik never makes it easy for herself or the reader in her rigorous treatment of these existential problems. But thanks to a language rich in its precision, with no loss of simplicity, it becomes an experience to follow her to her conclusion. One knows that one has read something substantial which one would not wish to be without."
 (Dagbladet)

"Ørstavik has an almost unnerving ability to reproduce the tone of the inner dialogues people have with themselves, she is unsurpassed in her description of the way wordless thoughts slip and slide from one theme to the next ...The author also has a extraordinary eye for detail...one of the country’s most interesting authors."
 (Dagens Næringsliv)