Tarjei Vesaas's debutantpris is a prize awarded annually for the best first literary work in Norwegian. It is awarded by the Norwegian Authors' Union, and the organisation's 9-member Literary Caucus constitutes the jury for the prize. They choose the winner based on a free and independent evaluation on aesthetic criteria.
In accordance with an agreement between the Authors' Union and the Norwegian Publishers' Association, all newly published Norwegian literature is sent to all members of the Literary Caucus. The members thus choose the year's winner without there being any direct application for the prize. The winner is chosen at the Literary Caucus' annual 3-day January meeting, at which the caucus performs most of the tasks within its mandate, concerning stipends, guaranteed income and prizes. The prize is usually awarded in March.
The prize was instituted in 1964 by Tarjei Vesaas with the money he received as winner of the Nordic Council's Literature Prize that year. Reflecting his intent, the literary merit of the work is the most important criterion, but if possible the prize is awarded to a young writer, 35 at the most.Anne Oterholm, "Tarjei Vesaas Debutantpris 2009!" , Den norske Forfatterforening 2 March 2010 Halldis Moren Vesaas wrote of the establishment of the prize in her memoir, Båten om dagen (1976): Så snart Tarjei fekk visst at han skulle få denne prisen, hadde han sagt at han ville gje bort dei pengane. Dei skulle settast av til eit stipendfond, det som seinare fekk namnet Tarjei Vesaas' debutantlegat. Det skulle delast ut kvart år til ein talentfull og ung – helst ikkje over 30 år – debutant. Dette at dei som fekk legatet skulle vere unge, grunngav givaren med at han mintest frå si eiga første skrivetid kor mykje ei oppmuntring kunne ha å seie for ein debuterande ung forfattar. Heile ideen viser òg kor positivt innstilt han var til ungdommen og til alt det leitande og eksperimenterande som no tok til å prege den unge diktinga her til lands. (As soon as Tarjei learnt that he was to receive that prize, he had said that he wanted to pay back the money. It was to be put aside for a stipend fund that would later receive the name 'Tarjei Vesaas' debutantlegat' (debut endowment). It was to be paid out annually to a talented and young - at least not over 30 - first-time author. That those who should receive the stipend should be young contributors at the beginning of their careers, since he remembered from his own first time writing how much encouragement could mean to a young author publishing for the first time. The whole idea also shows how positively disposed he was towards youth and towards all the seeking and experimenting which was now beginning to characterise young people's writing here in this country.) Cited from p. 218 in her memoirs, issued together under the title I Midtbøs bakkar (1979 and 1995). Vesaas and his wife Halldis Moren Vesaas (who were not themselves involved in the judging) were delighted that in its second year the prize went to Jan Erik Vold, who had been their lodger in summer 1964 at the 'writer's hut' Juvstøyl.
Winners Year Author Work2022 Svisdal M. Seppola Simonsen Hjerteskog // Syđänmettä2021 Svisdal Kristin Vego Se en siste gang på alt vakkert2020 Svisdal Karoline Brændjord Jeg vil våkne til verden2019 Svisdal Hanna Stoltenberg Nada2018 Svisdal Lars Svisdal Seg til inkjes2017 Shakar Zeshan Shakar Tante Ulrikkes vei2016 Dale Jan Kristoffer Dale Arbeidsnever2015 Moe Kenneth Moe Rastløs2014 Lerstang Amalie Kasin Lerstang Europa 2013 Pedersen Gine Cornelia Pedersen Null 2012 Strassegger Peter Franziskus Strassegger StasiaElise Hellem Ratvik and Jonas Sætre, "Dette er årets forfatterdebutant: Den Norske Forfatterforeningen gir Tarjei Vesaas debutantpris til den nyutdanna psykologen Peter Franziskus Strassegger for boken Stasia", NRK, 3 March 2013 2011 Mariussen Lina Undrum Mariussen Finne deg der inne og hente deg ut"Tarjei Vesaas Debutantpris til Lina Undrum Mariussen" , Den norske Forfatterforening 3 March 2013 2010 Flatland Helga Flatland Bli hvis du kan. Reis hvis du må"Tarjei Vesaas Debutantpris til Helga Flatland" , Den norske Forfatterforening 20 March 2011 2009 Evjemo/Skomsvold Eivind Hofstad EvjemoKjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold Vekk meg hvis jeg sovnerJo fortere jeg går, jo mindre er jegStein Versto, "Delt debutantpris for 2009" (Split debutant prize for 2009) , Den norske Forfatterforening 14 March 2010 2008 Sveen Lars Petter Sveen Køyre frå FrænaBjarte Breiteig, "Tarjei Vesaas Debutantpris til Lars Petter Sveen" , Den norske Forfatterforening 21 March 2009 2007 Smith Nils Henrik Smith Manhattan Skyline 2006 Blatt Thomas Marco Blatt Slik vil jeg måle opp verden 2005 Karlsvik Mette Karlsvik Vindauga i matsalen vender mot fjorden 2004 Ness Ole Asbjørn Ness Det er natt 2003 Løvåsen Sigmund Løvåsen Nyryddinga 2002 Kriznik Heidi Marie Kriznik Applaus2001 Tiller Carl Frode Tiller Skråninga 2000 Kristensen Mirjam Kristensen Dagene er gjennomsiktige 1999 Wærness Gunnar Wærness Kongesplint 1998 Marstein Trude Marstein Sterk sult, plutselig kvalme 1997 Ramslie Lars Ramslie Biopsi 1996 Opstad Steinar Opstad Tavler og bud 1995 Eeg Harald Rosenløw Eeg Glasskår 1995 Renberg Tore Renberg Sovende floke 1994 Grøndahl Cathrine Grøndahl Riv ruskende rytmer 1993 Besigye Bertrand Besigye Og du dør så langsomt at du tror du lever 1992 Lund Thure Erik Lund Tanger 1991 Vatle Sylvelin Vatle Alle kjenner vel presten? 1990 Versto Stein Versto Ho blei borte i trappene 1989 Hollup Anne Grete Hollup Maria og knivmakeren 1988 Lian Torun Lian Tre skuespill 1987 Vinterbo-Hohr Aagot Vinterbo-Hohr Palimpsest 1986 Lie Sissel Lie Tigersmil1985 Olsen Morten Harry Olsen For alt vi er verdt 1984 Bøe Anne Bøe Silkestein 1983 Gjerseth Kjell Gjerseth Chakoo 1982 Jacobsen Roy Jacobsen Fangeliv 1981 Jenssen Frank A. Jenssen Saltbingen 1980 Eggen Jo Eggen Ting og tings skygger 1979 Herbjørnsrud Hans Herbjørnsrud Vitner 1978 Bjugn Sissel Solbjørg Bjugn Den første avisa på Lofotveggen 1977 Rønning Bjarne Rønning Bjarne Huldasons sjøreise 1976 Christensen Lars Saabye Christensen Historien om Gly 1975 Moe Ingvar Moe Løktastolpefrø 1974 Mathisen Karin Mathisen (Karin Fossum) Kanskje i morgen 1973 Lem Steinar Lem Signaler 1972 Pedersen Erling Pedersen Rottenes konge 1971 Reinertsen Eivind Reinertsen Lukk opp dørene, krigen er over 1970 Aremk Joachim Aremk (Karl Halvor Teigen) Tapetdører 1969 Sande Hans Sande Strime 1968 Sagen Rolf Sagen Dørklinker 1967 Grøgaard Johan Fredrik Grøgaard Dyvekes grav 1966 Obrestad Tor Obrestad Kollisjon (poem), Vind (novellas) 1965 Vold Jan Erik Vold Mellom speil og speil 1964 Jakobsen Sigmund Jakobsen Gjennom brend by
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