The Norwegian Booksellers' Prize (''Bokhandlerprisen'') is a literature prize awarded annually by the

Norwegian Booksellers Association The Norwegian Booksellers Association () is a Norwegian interest group. Its purpose is "looking after the interests of the booksellers and working to strengthen the position of literature and books in society". It awards the annual Norwegian Book ...

after voting among all who work in Norwegian bookstores. The prize is awarded for one of the year's books in the fiction / general literature category, including children's and youth books. The prize was initiated in 1948, then did not return until 1961. It was also on a hiatus from 1970 to 1980.

Prize winners

* 1948 –

Sigurd Hoel Sigurd Hoel (December 14, 1890 – October 14, 1960) was a Norwegian author and publishing consultant, born in Nord-Odal. A prolific writer and critic, during the World War II he was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement. In his early ...

* 1961 – Kristian Kristiansen * 1962 –

Vera Henriksen Vera Margrethe Henriksen (née Roscher Lund; 22 March 1927 – 23 May 2016) was a Norwegian novelist, playwright, and non-fiction writer. She was particularly known for her historical novels and plays set in the Middle Ages. Biography Vera Margre ...

* 1963 –

Terje Stigen Terje Stigen (28 June 1922 – 14 August 2010) was a Norwegian author.Erik Bjerck Hagen''Terje Stigen'' (Store norske leksikon)/ref> Biography Terje Stigen was born on Magerøya in Finnmark, Norway. He spent part of his childhood in Tromsø. Af ...

* 1964 –

Elisabeth Dored Elisabeth Braadland Dored (née Elisabeth Sophie Wiel Braadland; 22 March 1908 – 6 September 1972) was a Norwegian visual artist and author. Biography Elisabeth Sophie Wiel Braadland was born at Idd (now Halden) in Østfold, Norway. Her parents ...

* 1965 –

Johan Borgen Johan Collett Müller Borgen (28 April 1902 – 16 October 1979) was a Norwegian writer, journalist and critic. His best-known work is the novel ''Lillelord'' for which he was awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 1955. He wa ...

* 1966 –

Ebba Haslund Ebba Margareta Haslund Halvorsen (12 August 1917 – 10 July 2009) was an American-Norwegian novelist, writer of short stories, playwright, essayist, children's writer, literary critic, radio speaker and politician. Early and personal life ...

* 1967 – Kristian Kristiansen and

Tarjei Vesaas Tarjei Vesaas (20 August 1897 – 15 March 1970) was a Norwegian poet and novelist. Vesaas is widely considered to be one of Norway's greatest writers of the twentieth century and perhaps its most important since World War II. Vesaas' work is c ...

* 1968 –

Odd Eidem Odd Eidem (23 October 1913 – 10 June 1988) was a Norwegian writer, journalist and literary critic. Biography He was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the eldest of three sons born to Gunnar Kølbel (1890–1963) and Dorothea Seri ...

and

Hans Heiberg Hans Heiberg (28 January 1904 – 6 December 1978) was a Norwegian journalist, literary critic, theatre critic, essayist, novelist, playwright, translator and theatre director. Early and personal life Heiberg was born in Kristiania as son of ...

* 1969 – Finn Alnæs and

Richard Herrmann Richard Herrmann (28 January 1923 – 27 July 1962) was a German football player. He played for the clubs 1. FC Kattowitz (1934–1945) and FSV Frankfurt (1947–1960). He was part of the West Germany team which won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He ...

* 1981 – Leif B. Lillegaard * 1982 –

Anne Karin Elstad Anne Karin Elstad (19 January 1938 – 4 April 2012) was a Norwegian author known for her book series featuring the character ''Julie''. Biography Anne Karin Hestnes was born 19 January 1938, in Halsa Municipality to farm owner Johan Hestnes (1 ...

* 1983 –

Herbjørg Wassmo Herbjørg Wassmo (born 6 December 1942) is a Norwegian author. She was born in Vesterålen and worked as a teacher in northern Norway until beginning her career as an author. Her first published work was a collection of poems, "Vingeslag" (" ...

* 1984 –

Torill Thorstad Hauger Torill Thorstad Hauger (22 November 1943 – 4 July 2014) was a Norwegian novelist, children's writer, non-fiction writer and illustrator. She was the author of a number of prize-winning novels with historical themes for children and teenagers. ...

* 1985 –

Jo Benkow Jo Benkow (born Josef Elias Benkowitz; 15 August 1924 – 18 May 2013) was a Norwegian politician and writer, notable for being an important person in the Conservative Party of Norway, and the President of the Parliament 1985–1993. He was also ...

* 1986 – Anne-Cath. Vestly * 1987 –

Fredrik Skagen Fredrik Skagen (30 December 1936 – 20 June 2017) was a Norwegian writer. He was born in Trondheim. He is best known for his crime fiction, but is also the author of some children's books and several radio plays. His first book was publish ...

* 1988 –

Bjørg Vik Bjørg Vik (11 September 1935 – 7 January 2018) was a Norwegian novelist, short story writer, playwright, and journalist. Biography Bjørg Turid Vik was born in Oslo, Norway. Her parents were Sverre Thorbjørn Johansen (1903–1958) and Anna ...

* 1989 –

Gunnar Staalesen Gunnar Staalesen (born 19 October 1947) is a Norwegian writer. He is a major figure in the Nordic noir crime fiction genre through his 20 novels featuring Varg Veum, a private detective in Bergen on the rainy west coast of Norway. The Varg Veu ...

* 1990 –

Lars Saabye Christensen Lars Saabye Christensen (born 21 September 1953 in Oslo) is a Norwegian-Danish author. Saabye Christensen was raised in the Skillebekk neighbourhood of Oslo, but lived for many years in Sortland Municipality in northern Norway; both places pl ...

* 1991 –

Roy Jacobsen Roy Jacobsen (born 26 December 1954) is a Norwegian novelist and short-story writer. Born in Oslo, he made his publishing début in 1982 with the short-story collection ''Fangeliv'' (Prison Life), which won Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris. He has wo ...

* 1992 –

Karsten Alnæs Karsten Alnæs (born 29 May 1938) is a Norwegian author, historian, and journalist, who has dual degrees in history and literature from the University of Oslo. He worked as a journalist and taught at the Norwegian School of Journalism. His bibli ...

* 1993 –

Jostein Gaarder Jostein Gaarder (; born 8 August 1952) is a Norwegian intellectual and author of several novels, short stories, and children's books. Gaarder often writes from the perspective of children, exploring their sense of wonder about the world. He often ...

* 1994 –

Klaus Hagerup Klaus Hagerup (5 March 1946 – 20 December 2018) was a Norwegian author, translator, screenwriter, actor and director. He was also known for his role of Tom in the film ''The Chieftain'' (1984). Career The youngest of two brothers, he debuted ...

* 1995 –

Anne Holt Anne Holt (born 16 November 1958) is a Norwegian author, lawyer and former Minister of Justice and the Police (Norway), Minister of Justice. Early life She was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978. Holt g ...

* 1996 –

Ingvar Ambjørnsen Ingvar Even Ambjørnsen-Haefs (born 20 May 1956) is a Norwegian writer. He is best known for his "Elling" tetralogy: ''Utsikt til paradiset'' (1993), ''Fugledansen'' (1995), ''Brødre i blodet'' (1996), and ''Elsk meg i morgen'' (1999). ''Brø ...

* 1997 –

Karin Fossum Karin Fossum (born 6 November 1954) is a Norwegian author of crime fiction, often referred to as the "Norwegian queen of crime". Early life Karin Mathisen was born on 6 November 1954 in Sandefjord, in Vestfold county, Norway. She currently lives ...

* 1998 –

Erik Fosnes Hansen Erik Fosnes Hansen (born 6 June 1965) is a Norwegian writer. Hansen was born in New York and made his debut at age twenty with the novel ''Falketårnet''. His best-known work is his second novel, ''Psalm at Journey's End'', which in separate b ...

* 1999 –

Erlend Loe Erlend Loe (24 May 1969, Trondheim) is a Norwegian novelist, screenwriter and film critic. Loe writes both children's and adult literature. He has gained popularity in Scandinavia with his humorous and sometimes naïve novels, although his storie ...

* 2000 –

Jo Nesbø Jon "Jo" Nesbø (; born 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian novelist and musician. His books had sold over 50 million copies worldwide by 2021, making him the most successful Norwegian author to date. Siegel, Lee (5 May 2014).Pure Evil: Jo Nesbø and th ...

* 2001 –

* 2002 –

Åsne Seierstad Åsne Seierstad (born 10 February 1970) is a Norwegian freelance journalist and writer, best known for her accounts of everyday life in war zones – most notably Kabul after 2001, Baghdad in 2002 and the ruined Grozny in 2006. Personal and pro ...

* 2003 –

Per Petterson Per Petterson (born 18 July 1952 in Oslo) is a Norwegian novelist. His debut book was ''Aske i munnen, sand i skoa'' (1987), a collection of short stories. He has since published a number of novels with good reviews. ''To Siberia'' (1996), set i ...

* 2004 –

Levi Henriksen Levi Henriksen (born 15 May 1964) is a Norwegian novelist, short story writer and singer-songwriter. Career When his first short story collection ''Feber'' was published in 2002, Henriksen immediately captured the public's imagination with his ...

* 2005 –

Anne B. Ragde Anne Birkefeldt Ragde (born 3 December 1957) is a Norwegian novelist. Ragde was born in Odda and made her literary debut in 1986 with the children’s book ''Hallo! Her er Jo!'' Since then, she has written several books for children and young ad ...

* 2006 –

* 2007 –

* 2008 –

Tore Renberg Tore Renberg is a Norwegian writer and musician. He is the author of several books within various genres, including novels, short stories and children's books, as well as writing for film and stage. His work has been translated into copious lang ...

* 2009 –

* 2010 – Jan-Erik Fjell * 2011 –

Jørn Lier Horst Jørn Lier Horst (born 27 February 1970) is a Norwegian author of crime fiction and a former Senior Investigating Officer at Vestfold police district. His books have been published in over 40 countries and have sold more than ten million copies. ...

* 2012 –

* 2013 – Cecilie Enger * 2014 –

Lars Mytting Lars Mytting (born 1 March 1968) is a Norwegian writer. He achieved international success with the non-fiction book ''Hel ved'' (2011). His awards include the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize and the Dobloug Prize. Career Born in Fåvang on 1 Mar ...

* 2015 – Maja Lunde * 2016 –

Vigdis Hjorth Vigdis Hjorth (born 19 July 1959) is a Norwegian novelist best known for English translations of '' Long Live the Post Horn'' (2012) and ''Will and Testament''. She was longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2019 f ...

* 2017 –

Helga Flatland Helga Flatland ( born 16 September 1984) is a Norwegian novelist and children's writer. Making her literary debut in 2010, she eventually became a full-time writer, and has won prizes such as Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris, Mads Wiel Nygaard's En ...

* 2018 – Simon Stranger * 2019 –

Lisa Aisato Lisa Aisato N'jie Solberg, pen name Lisa Aisato (born 23 July 1981), is a Norwegian visual artist, illustrator and author of picture books. Personal life Aisato was born in Kolbotn, Norway, to a Norwegian mother and Gambian father. Among her si ...

* 2020 –

* 2021 –

Abid Raja Abid Qayyum Raja (born 5 November 1975) is a Norwegian lawyer and Liberal Party (Norway), Liberal Party politician who served as Minister of Culture from 2020 to 2021. He was elected to the Storting as representative for Akershus (Storting constit ...

* 2022 – Zeshan Shakar * 2023 – Oliver Lovrenski * 2024 – Erika Fatland

References

{{Reflist Norwegian literary awards