Per Petterson

Per Petterson, born on July 18, 1952, is a distinguished Norwegian writer, translator, and librarian. He made his literary debut in 1987 with 'Aske i munnen, sand i skoa', a collection of short stories that set the stage for his future success. Over the years, Petterson has garnered critical acclaim for his novels, with 'To Siberia' (1996) being a notable work that explores the impact of World War II and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize upon its English release in 1998.

One of Petterson's most poignant works is 'I kjølvannet', translated as 'In the Wake' (2002), which tells the harrowing story of a young man coping with the loss of his family in the tragic Scandinavian Star ferry disaster of 1990, a personal tragedy for Petterson himself. This novel won the Brage Prize in 2000, further establishing his reputation as a powerful storyteller.

His breakthrough came with 'Ut og stjæle hester' (2003), which won both the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature and the Booksellers’ Best Book of the Year Award. The English translation, 'Out Stealing Horses', received the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2006 and the International Dublin Literary Award in 2007, the latter being the world's largest monetary literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English, amounting to one hundred thousand euros. The novel was also recognized as one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times Book Review in December 2007.

In addition to his writing, Petterson has worked as a librarian, bookstore clerk, translator, and literary critic. He cites literary giants such as Knut Hamsun and Raymond Carver as significant influences on his work. His novels have been translated into almost fifty languages, showcasing his universal appeal and the depth of his storytelling.