Ebba Hentze facts for kids

Ebba Hentze (born September 25, 1930 – died May 20, 2015) was a talented writer from the Faroe Islands. She wrote books for children, poems, and was also a very busy translator.

She won several important awards for her writing and cultural work. These included prizes from the Tórshavn City Council in 1984, the Faroese Literature Prize in 2006, and the Faroese Cultural Prize in 2008. She also received grants from Denmark and Sweden. Some of her books were written in Danish and some in Faroese. Ebba was especially known for translating many books, about one hundred in total. She translated them into Danish from languages like English, German, Faroese, Swedish, and Norwegian.

About Ebba Hentze's Life

Ebba Hentze was adopted and grew up in a town called Tvøroyri in the Faroe Islands. Her parents were Peter Christian Pauli Hentze and Olivia Sophie Skaalum. When she was young, she moved to Denmark to study. She finished high school in Copenhagen in 1950. After that, she studied literature and languages at the University of Copenhagen. In the 1950s, she received special scholarships. These allowed her to study at different universities in Europe, including places like Uppsala in Sweden, Vienna, Rome, and Paris.

Ebba worked as an advisor for publishing companies like Politiken and Gyldendal. She also worked on her own for Danish, Swedish, and Faroese radio stations. In the late 1970s, she moved back to the Faroe Islands. There, she became a very important person among writers and thinkers in Tórshavn. She was part of the Faroese committee that chose Faroese books for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize. She was also an honorary member of the Faroese Writer's Association.

Ebba Hentze first started writing by publishing a few poems in a Danish literature magazine. She also wrote several short stories in Danish. In 1985, she wrote an important prose poem called Kata, ein seinkaður nekrologur. This poem was about a woman who gave up her dreams of getting an education. This was because she had to take care of her younger brothers and sisters after her mother passed away. Ebba worked hard to share Faroese literature with people outside the Faroe Islands. She did this by translating many Faroese novels and poems into Danish. She also helped find publishers who wanted to print these books. She translated many books by authors like Jóanes Nielsen and Rói Patursson. One of the books she translated was Rói Patursson's poetry collection Líkasum (1985), which won The Nordic Council's Literature Prize.

Books for Young Readers

Ebba Hentze wrote several books especially for children:

• Antonia og Morgenstjernen (Antonia and the Morning Star), 1981.
• Antonia midt i det hele (Antonia in the Middle of It All), 1982.
  • Both Antonia books were first written in Danish. Later, they were translated into Faroese. They were also played on radio stations in the Faroe Islands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. These books were also published in the Netherlands and Belgium.
• Bjørns søn (Bjørn's Son), 1983. This book was written in Danish and later translated into Faroese as Mamman eigur meg (My Mom Owns Me). The story takes place in the village of Hvalba, where Ebba's mother was from.
• Mia, skúlagenta í Havn (Mia, Schoolgirl in Tórshavn), 1987. This children's book was written in Faroese.
• Gulleygað (The Golden Eye), 1992. This children's book was also written in Faroese.

Short Stories and Poems

Ebba Hentze also wrote short stories and poems for older readers:

• Juli (July), 1986. This short story appeared in the Faroese literature magazine Brá.
• Kata, ein seinkaður nekrologur (Kata, a Delayed Obituary), 1984. This poem was published in Brá magazine. It also appeared in a school textbook for students aged 14 to 16.

Faroese Books Translated by Ebba Hentze

Ebba Hentze translated many important Faroese books into Danish. This helped more people read and enjoy Faroese stories and poems. Some of the books she translated include:

• Bølgerne leger på stranden (The Waves Play on the Beach) by Jens Pauli Heinesen, 1980.
• Livets Sommer (Life's Summer), a novel by Oddvør Johansen, 1982.
• Med Edgar Allan Poe i Solhavn (With Edgar Allan Poe in Solhavn), 1984. This book contained 12 short stories by Hanus Andreassen (now known as Hanus Kamban).
• Ligesom (Just Like), 1986. This was a collection of poems by Rói Patursson, who won The Nordic Council's Literature Prize. The original title was Líkasum.
• Saltet i dampende middagsgryder (The Salt in Steaming Dinner Pots), 1988. These were poems by Jóanes Nielsen. Ebba Hentze chose and translated them from his earlier poetry collections.
• Færøhesten (The Faroese Horse), 1990. This was an illustrated children's book by Ólavur Michelsen.
• Gummistøvler er de eneste tempelsøjler vi ejer på Færøerne (Rubber Boots Are the Only Temple Pillars We Own in the Faroe Islands), 1992. This novel was by Jóanes Nielsen.
• Kirkerne på havets bund (Churches at the Bottom of the Sea), 1994. These were poems by Jóanes Nielsen.
• Grå oktober (Gray October), 1995. This was a crime story by Jógvan Isaksen.
• Sting (Sting), 1998. These were poems by Jóanes Nielsen.
• Blodprøver (Blood Tests), 2003. These were poems by Tóroddur Poulsen.
• Hedder noget land weekend? (Is There a Country Called Weekend?), 2005. This was a play by Jóanes Nielsen.

Awards and Recognition

Ebba Hentze received many awards for her important contributions to literature and culture:

• Statens Kunstfond (The Danish Arts Foundation).
• Barnamentanarheiðursløn Tórshavnar býráðs (Tórshavn City Council's Children's Books Prize) in 1984.
• Drassows Legat (Drassow's Grant) in 1992.
• Mentanarvirðisløn Landsins (The Faroese Cultural Prize) in 2001. This was an "Extraordinary cultural prize."
• Lachmannska Priset (Lachmann's Prize) in 2002.
• Faroese Literature Prize (Mentanarvirðisløn M. A. Jacobsens) in 2006.
• Faroese Cultural Prize in 2008.
• Sømdargáva landsins 2012 (Faroese Grant) in 2012. This was an annual grant given to her for the rest of her life, starting in 2013.