Bjørnstjerne Martinus Bjørnson (1832-1910)

Awarded the Prize “as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit.”

Norwegian dramatist, novelist, poet and politician. Bj?rnson was born in Kvikne, Norway on December 8, 1832. While being a student, he tried his hand at journalism. In 1857 he succeeded in starting a literary career and became a stage director at the Norwegian Theatre in Bergen. During the following years he took part in national politics and did not give it up all his life. Bj?rnson died in Paris on April 26, 1910.
Major Works:
En fallit (1875); Kongen (1877); Paul Lange og Tora Parsberg (1899)