Ragnar Hovland (born 15 April 1952 in Bergen) is a Norwegian novelist, essayist, poet, and writer of children's books.
Personal life Hovland was born in Bergen to priest Håkon Hovland and schoolteacher Sigrid Indrebø, and grew up in Strandvik Municipality and Luster Municipality. He was married to Sabine Angelika Rolka from 1978 to 1992, and to Tove Olaug Bakke since 1996.
Career Hovland made his literary debut in 1979, with the novel . The book follows four young boys from secondary school to college. Their interests circle around rock music, alcohol, a dose of politics and girls.
He followed up with the short story collection (1981). The collection includes the stories "Dei siste beat-poetane i Midthordaland", where two wannabe poets are expelled from the gang and instead read their works for a herd of wet sheep; further "Sommarens blå flygel", where two young lovers are surprised by the boy's father, who expresses concern that they could catch a cold since they lie naked on the ground. In the surrealistic story "Songen om Emilia", a young man finds a dead body on the floor three days in a row, and is unable to get rid of the corps, even if he pushes them into the cupboard every time.
The novel Sveve over vatna (1982) is set in Bergen, and the protagonist is a student who gets involved in various strange adventures.
He was awarded the Brage Prize in 1992 for the children's book Ein motorsykkel i natta. He received the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 2001, for the novel Ei vinterreise.
Awards Brage Prize 1992. Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature 2001 Dobloug Prize 2008 Bastian Prize for Children's and Young-Adult Books 2008
Bibliography About Ragnar Hovland Halvor Folgerø og Finn Tokvam Ler dei no, så har eg vunne: møte med Ragnar Hovland 2012
By Ragnar Hovland Stille natt (novel) 2011 Kunsten å komme heim og andre essay (essays) 2011 Dr. Munks popleksikon (reference work / autobiography) 2008 Fredlaus (children's and youth book) 2006, 2008 1964 (novel) 2006, 2007 Brevet 2006 Verdt å vite (trur eg) (essays) 2002 Norske gleder (essays) 2002 Ei vinterreise 2001 Psst! : kubanske notat (poems) 2000 Åleine i Alpane 1999 Halve sanninga. Tre versjonar 1998 Detektivforteljing (Children's book) 1998 Guillaume Appollinaire 1996 Norrøne gudar 1996 Dr. Munks testamente (novel) 1996 Katten til Ivar Aasen møter hunden frå Baskerville (poems, Children's book) 1996 Eline og Julie tar ferja (novel) 1994 Ein dag i Sherwoodskogen (Children's book) 1994 Bjørnen Alfred og hunden Samuel forlet pappkartongen (Children's book) 1993 Over Bali og Hawaii (drama) 1992 Ei lang reise (Children's book) 1992 Ein motorsykkel i natta (novel) 1992 Gjest Bårdsen døyr åleine ved Nilens breidd 1992 Paradis (novel) 1991 Novelleår (red.) 1990 Konspirasjoner (essays) 1990 Sjølvmord i Skilpaddekaféen (novel) 1989 Mercedes (Young adult) 1989 Skrivestadier 1989 Utanfor sesongen 1988 Love me tender (drama) 1988 Emil og kaffikokaren (Children's book) 1987 Sjømannen, tante Elida og dei største eventyr (Children's book) 1986 Elefantmusikken (poems) 1985 Professor Moreaus løyndom (novel) 1985 Bussen til Peking (novel) 1984 Jakta på Salamanderen (Children's book) 1983 Under snøen (novel) 1983 Sveve over vatna (novel) 1982, 1988, 1995, 2008 Vegen smal og porten trang 1981 Den flygjande sykkelen og andre forteljingar (Children's book) 1981 Dei siste beat-poetane i Midthordaland (novella) 1981 Det får stå til (Children's book) 1980 Alltid fleire dagar (novel) 1979, 1978
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