Jarl André Bjerke (30 January 1918 – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian writer and poet. He wrote a wide range of material: poems (both for children and adults), mystery novels (four of them under the pseudonym Bernhard Borge), essays, and articles. He translated works by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

and

Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditi ...

. Bjerke was known as a prominent proponent of the Riksmål language during the

Norwegian language struggle The Norwegian language conflict ( no, målstriden, da, sprogstriden) is an ongoing controversy in Norwegian culture and politics related to the written versions of Norwegian. From 1536/1537 until 1814, Danish was the standard written language o ...

, and of

anthroposophy Anthroposophy is a spiritualist movement founded in the early 20th century by the esotericist Rudolf Steiner that postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world, accessible to human experience. Follower ...

, especially in the 1950s and launched a magazine, ''

Ordet ''Ordet'' (, meaning " The Word" and originally released as ''The Word'' in English), is a 1955 Danish drama film, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. It is based on a play by Kaj Munk, a Danish Lutheran priest, first performed in 1932. The film w ...

'', in the same period. Several of Bjerke's poems have been set to music by

Marcus Paus Marcus Nicolay Paus (; born 14 October 1979) is a Norwegian composer and one of the most performed contemporary Scandinavian composers. As a classical contemporary composer he is noted as a representative of a reorientation toward tradition, tonal ...

Background

Bjerke was born at Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. His parents were the author Ejlert Bjerke and Karin (Svensson) Bjerke. He was the cousin of author

Jens Bjørneboe Jens Ingvald Bjørneboe (9 October 1920 – 9 May 1976) was a Norwegian writer whose work spanned a number of literary formats. He was also a painter and a Waldorf school teacher. Bjørneboe was a harsh and eloquent critic of Norwegian society a ...

(1920-1976). His debut was in 1940 with a collection of poems, ''Syngende Jord''.

Mystery novels and short stories

His mystery novels were influenced by his interest in psychoanalysis. His first mystery novel, ''Nattmennesket'' was published in 1941. In this novel he introduced the psycho analyst Kai Bugge who claims that a psychologist is more able to solve a real crime than a police officer. After a particularly hideous murder, Bugge and police officer Hammer, join forces to solve the impossible mystery. Where Hammer looks for material clues and interviews the suspects about things like motive and alibis, Bugge makes an analytical approach. ''De dødes tjern'' from 1942 was made into a film in 1958, directed by

Kåre Bergstrøm Kåre Bergstrøm (3 February 1911 – 24 June 1976) was a Swedish-born photographer and film director who settled in Norway. Bergstrøm was born in Värmland. He was assigned with the film production company Norsk Film from 1933, and eventual ...

(1911–1976). This novel is also featured by Kai Bugge in opposition to literary critic, Gabriel Mørk and policeman, Harald Gran. The three accompanied by author Bernhard Borge, his wife and Gran's fiancée visit the scene of a suicide. The deceased had left a diary in which he revealed his growing obsession by the pond, which ends with a confession that he has no choice but to commit suicide by drowning himself. During the investigation it turns out that visitors are not immune to the forces that abode in the pond. In 1947, he published ''Døde menn går i land''. This is the only one of his full novels that does not star Kai Bugge, but the conflict between a traditional solver of mysteries and those who dabbles in paranormal phenomena is a central motif in the novel. Arne Krag-Andersen has bought a famously haunted house on the southern coast of Norway. There is a curse on the manor: Any one who tries to change anything whatsoever with the house or its contents, will die a violent death. American minister Pahle is deeply fascinated by satanism and claims that a satanic cult was connected to the house. A deserted Estonian ship found outside the shore adds to the atmosphere. In 1950, ''Skjult Mønster'' was published. Kai Bugge re-enters the scene, but even if he solves the strange mystery and sheds light on the hidden pattern, he plays no central role. Irene Cramer is scared to death, and it seems clearly that her fright is not only imagined. She moves in with four bachelors in an attempt to be protected, but even their chivalrous behavior doesn't give her the security she craves. The reader is led through a veritable maze with a pattern that seems impossible until the hidden pattern is revealed by Kai Bugge. The short story collection ''Tryllestaven'' from 1961 does not really fit the description "mysteries". A few of them are, but most of them concerns other parts of life. You meet a young boy and his dreams, a girl solving the ultimate question for a scientist, a very distorted traditional Norwegian fairy tale, an underdog who finds his magic wand in shape of a walking cane, the challenge of writing soberly while sober and other stories. In 1963 André Bjerke published ''Enhjørningen'' under his own name. ''Enhjørningen'' consists of three novellas and a short story bound together by the challenge between psychology and the unicorn – representing the supernatural forces in existence. Dr. Kahrs denies the existence of any unicorn, and his three bridge-playing friends, author Nordberg, ad-man Bøhmer and journalist Strand, try to convince him by telling of their meeting with the unicorn. Bjerke also published the short story collection, ''Hobby-detektiven'' where the very unusual police officer, Klaus Vangli is the hero. Vangli has a very untraditional approach to the different mysteries he sets out to solve. He claims that his enormous range of hobbies gives him the necessary skills and knowledge to solve murders, thefts, fraud and a rather petty theft by a small child. His hobbies covers chess, astronomy, optics, philately, track and field, football betting and other interests that has seems to have nothing in common. Bjerke also published two collections of mystery short stories in 1970, titled ''Onkel Oscar starter opp'' and ''Onkel Oscar kjører videre''. Oscar is a cab driver in contemporary Oslo who is mixed up in different crimes and solves them by his ability his acumen. The stories, co-written by TV host, Harald Tusberg, were adaptations from the manuscripts for the TV series about uncle Oscar.

Non-literary achievements

Bjerke was the co-host of the television show NRK Streiftog i grenseland in 1973. This series of shows was the first dedicated to investigating paranormal and occult phenomena. Harald Tusberg was the other host. André Bjerke was a chess player and wrote several essays about the history and culture of chess.

Personal life

Bjerke was married to the actress Henny Moan. Together they had a daughter, Vilde, who wrote a book about her father, ''Du visste om et land'' in 2002. After a debilitating stroke in 1981, he was reliant on a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In 1983, he was made a knight in the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

. He died during 1985 and was buried at

Vestre gravlund Vestre Gravlund is a cemetery in the Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway. It is located next to the Borgen metro station. At , it is the largest cemetery in Norway. It was inaugurated in September 1902 and also contains a crematorium (''Vestre kr ...

in Oslo.

Awards

*1958 -

Bastian Prize The Bastian Prize ( no, Bastianprisen) is a prize awarded annually by the Norwegian Association of Literary Translators. The prize, established in 1951, is given for translating a published work into Norwegian language. The award is a statue made ...

(''Bastianprisen for oversettelsen'') *1963 - Riksmal Association Literature Prize (''Riksmålsforbundets litteraturpris'') *1967 - Riksmal Association Radio Listeners Prize (''Riksmålsforbundet: Lytterprisen'') *1972 - Norwegian Association of Literary Translators (''Norsk kulturråds oversetterpris'') *1973 - Riverton Club Honorary Prize (''Rivertonklubbens ærespris'') *1980 -

Oslo City Culture Award The Oslo City Culture Award is a Norwegian award given to a person, group or cultural activity of outstanding achievement in or long-time contribution to arts, science or other cultural work in the city of Oslo's or the country's cultural life. A ...

(''Oslo bys kulturpris'')

References

Other sources

*Bjerke, Vilde (2002) ''Du visste om et land. Om min far André Bjerke'' (Oslo :Aschehoug) *Hansen, Jan E. (1985) ''André Bjerke : det bevegelige menneske : et portrett'' (Oslo : Cappelen) *Parmann, Øistein (1982) ''André Bjerke i lek og alvor'' (Oslo :Grøndahl og Dreyer)

External links

André Bjerke
NRK {{DEFAULTSORT:Bjerke, Andre 1918 births 1985 deaths Writers from Oslo 20th-century Norwegian writers 20th-century Norwegian poets Norwegian male poets Riksmål-language writers Anthroposophists Norwegian crime fiction writers Norwegian mystery writers Norwegian chess writers Norwegian chess players Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal Burials at Vestre gravlund 20th-century chess players Norwegian magazine founders