Erlend Loe (24 May 1969,

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

) is a Norwegian

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

and

film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets ...

. Loe writes both

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

's and adult literature. He has gained popularity in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

with his humorous and sometimes naïve novels, although his stories have become darker in tone, moving towards a more

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

criticism of modern Norwegian society.

Biography

Erlend Loe worked at a psychiatric clinic, as a substitute teacher and as a

freelance journalist ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

for Norwegian newspaper

Adresseavisen ''Adresseavisen'' (; commonly known as ''Adressa'') is a regional newspaper published daily, except Sundays, in Trondheim, Norway. The paper has been in circulation since 1767 and is one of the oldest newspapers after Norske Intelligenz-Seddeler ...

. Loe now lives and works in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

where in 1998 he co-founded ''Screenwriters Oslo'' - an office community for screenwriters. His first book ''Tatt av kvinnen'' (''Gone with the Woman'') was published in 1993, and a year later published a children's book, ''Fisken'' (''The Fish''), about a forklift operator named Kurt. Loe has a distinctive style of writing which is often likened to

naïve art Naïve art is usually defined as visual art that is created by a person who lacks the formal education and training that a professional artist undergoes (in anatomy, art history, technique, perspective, ways of seeing). When this aesthetic is ...

. He often uses

irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...

, exaggeration and humor. His children's books are illustrated by

Kim Hiorthøy Kim Hiorthøy (born March 17, 1973) is a Norwegian electronic musician, graphic designer, illustrator, filmmaker and writer. Biography Hiorthøy was born and raised in Trondheim, Norway, and studied at the Trondheim Academy of Fine Art (1991–96 ...

. Loe has recorded many of his books as Norwegian audiobooks. His popular novel ''Naiv. Super.'' ('' Naïve. Super.'') has been translated into over 20 languages including English.

Bibliography

Novels

(English title only mentioned if English translation has been published.) * ''Tatt av kvinnen'' (1993) * '' Naïve. Super'' (Naive.Super.) (1996) * '' L'' (1999) * ''Fakta om Finland'' (2001) * '' Doppler'' (Doppler) (2004) * ''Volvo lastvagnar'' (Volvo Trucks) (2005) * ''Muleum'' (Muleum) (2007) * ''Stille dager i Mixing Part'' (Lazy Days) (2009) * ''Fvonk'' (2011) * ''Vareopptelling'' (2013; English: tallying the inventory) * ''Slutten på verden slik vi kjenner den'' (2015) * ''Dyrene I Afrika'' (2018) * ''Helvete'' (2019) * ''Forhandle med virkeligheten: Ett år på ett hjul'' (2020)

Other works

* ''Fisken'' (1994), Children's book * ''Maria & José'' (1994), picture book * ''Kurt blir grusom'' (1995), children's book, also adapted into an animated film * ''Den store røde hunden'' (1996), children's book * ''Kurt quo vadis?'' (1998), children's book * ''Detektor'' (2000), film script * ''Jotunheimen, bill.mrk. 2469'' (2001), text to photographs by Bård Løken * ''

Klatretøsen ''Klatretøsen'' ( en, The Climbing Girl) is a 2002 Danish crime comedy film directed by . A remake from this Danish blockbuster was made in 2004 with the name ''Catch That Kid''. The film's tagline is "The gutsiest girl since Pippi Longstocking. ...

'' (2002), film script * ''Kurt koker hodet'' (2003), play, also adapted into a children's book * ''Pingvinhjelpen'' (2006), play * ''Organisten'' (2006), with Petter Amundsen, non-fiction * ''The Mischievous Russ/Den Fæle Russen" short story in Jørn Tomter's photography boo
''The Norwegian Way''
* ''Kurtby'' (2008), children's book * ''North'' (2009), screenplay * ''Kurt kurér'' (2010), children's book * ''En helt vanlig dag på jobben'' (2010), screenplay * ''Fruit Delivery (short)'' (2012), original screenplay * ''Fisken och apelsinen (short)'' (2012), original screenplay * ''Bara sex (short)'' (2012), screenplay

Awards

*1997: Cappelen Prize *1999:

Norwegian Booksellers' Prize The Norwegian Booksellers' Prize (''Bokhandlerprisen'') is a literature prize awarded annually by the Norwegian Booksellers Association after voting among all who work in Norwegian bookstores. The prize is awarded for one of the year's books in t ...

for ''L'' *2013:

Aschehoug Prize The Aschehoug Prize is published annually by the Norwegian publishing house Aschehoug. The Aschehoug Prize is awarded to Norwegian authors on the basis of the merit of a recent publication. It is awarded on merit, irrespective of the publisher, bas ...

References

External links

Nordic Council Film Prize 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loe, Erlend 1969 births Living people Norwegian children's writers 20th-century Norwegian novelists 21st-century Norwegian novelists Norwegian dramatists and playwrights