Jens Pauli Heinesen facts for kids

Jens Pauli Heinesen (born November 2, 1932, in Sandavágur – died July 19, 2011, in Tórshavn) was a very important writer from the Faroe Islands. He wrote many novels and is known as one of the best Faroese novelists ever. He won the Faroese Literature Prize four times and the Faroese Cultural Prize once.

Before Jens Pauli Heinesen, there were not many novelists in the Faroe Islands. Faroese literature was quite new, with the first novel in the Faroese language published in 1909. Some earlier Faroese writers like William Heinesen wrote in Danish. Jens Pauli Heinesen wrote in his own unique way, using language that sounded more like everyday spoken Faroese rather than formal dictionary words. He often wrote about how Faroese society was changing from old traditions to modern ways. He also wrote about political topics, sharing his critical views. Sometimes, his stories included parts of his own life, like his long series of seven novels called Á ferð inn í eina óendaliga søgu (On a journey into a never ending story), which he wrote between 1980 and 1992. Jens Pauli Heinesen was also the president of the Association of Writers of the Faroe Islands from 1968 to 1975.

Jens Pauli Heinesen's Life Story

Jens Pauli Heinesen's parents were Petur Heinesen á Lofti, a farmer from Sandavágur, and Anna Maria Malena Heinesen. She was from the small island of Hestur. Jens Pauli grew up in Sandavágur.

When he was only 14, he moved to Tórshavn, the capital city. He first worked in an office, but soon went back to school. He finished high school in 1954. He even published his first book, a collection of short stories called Degningsælið, in 1953 while he was still in high school!

After high school, he moved to Denmark. He studied there and became a school teacher in 1956. His wife, Maud Heinesen, later became a writer too, specializing in children's books.

Family Life

In August 1956, Jens Pauli married Maud Brimheim from Klaksvík. They had two daughters: Elin Brimheim Heinesen, who became a singer and editor, and Marianna, whom they adopted from Korea. The family moved back to the Faroe Islands in 1957.

Becoming a Full-Time Writer

Jens Pauli Heinesen published his first novel, Yrkjarin úr Selvík og vinir hansara (The poet from Selvík and his friends), in 1958, shortly after returning to the Faroes. He worked as a teacher in Tórshavn until 1970, writing his books in his free time.

In the 1960s, he published a three-part novel called Tú upphavsins heimur. In 1968–69, he took a break from teaching and lived in Spain with his family. During this time, he wrote most of his novel Frænir eitur ormurin.

In 1970, he made a big decision: he quit his teaching job to become a full-time writer. This was a brave step, as very few Faroese writers dared to do this. He was 38 years old at the time.

He published many novels in the years that followed. In 1973, he released Frænir eitur ormurin, which won the Faroese Literature Prize. Two years later, he published Rekamaðurin (The man with the driftwoods). This book became very popular in the Faroe Islands and was even read on the Faroese radio many times.

His most important work was a series of seven novels published in the 1980s and 1990s. This series is called Á ferð inn í eina óendaliga søgu (On a journey into a never ending story). Each novel in the series has its own title.

A Famous Poem and Song

Jens Pauli Heinesen wrote a beautiful poem called Eitt dýpi av dýrari tíð (An Abyss of Precious Time) in 1953, when he was just 21 years old. His daughter, Elin Brimheim Heinesen, later composed music for this poem. She released the song in 1988 on an album called Nalja. The song became very popular and is now a classic in the Faroe Islands, often sung when people gather.

Jens Pauli Heinesen was a very productive writer. He wrote novels, short stories, poems, and plays. He even wrote one children's book and translated books from other languages into Faroese.

Jens Pauli Heinesen's Books

Here are some of the books Jens Pauli Heinesen wrote:

Novels

• Yrkjarin úr Selvík og vinir hansara (1958)
• Tú upphavsins heimur I, II, III (1962, 1964, 1966)
• Frænir eitur ormurin (1973)
• Rekamaðurin (1977)
• Tey telgja sær gudar (1979)
• Á ferð inn í eina óendaliga søgu (a seven-volume series):
  • Nú ert tú mansbarn á foldum (1980)
  • Lýsir nú fyri tær heimurin (1981)
  • Leikur tín er sum hin ljósi dagur (1982)
  • Markleys breiðist nú fyri tær fold (1983)
  • Eitt dýpi av dýrari tíð (1984)
  • Í andgletti (1988)
  • Bláfelli (1992)
• Ein ódeyðilig sál – og aðrar (1999)
• Koparskrínið (2000)
• Hvør var Nimrod? (2004)

Short Stories

• Degningsælið (1953)
• Hin vakra kvirran (1958)
• Gestur (1967)
• Aldurnar spæla á sandi (1969)
• Í aldingarðinum (1971)
• Gamansleikur : søgur úr Krabburð (1974)
• Dropar í lívsins havi (1978)
• Tann gátuføri kærleikin (1986)
• Gamansleikur 2 : søgur úr Krabburð (1995)
• Rósa Maria (1995)

Plays

• Uppi í eini eikilund (1970)
• Hvønn stakkin skal eg fara í, pápi (1975)
• Fýra sjónleikir (Four plays) (1985) – includes:
  • Hvønn stakkin skal eg fara í, pápi
  • Vælkomnir, føringar, her í vási
  • Skuggarnir
  • Uppi í eini eikilund
• Sníkurin (1989)

Children's Books

• Brúsajøkul (1987)

Translated Books

Jens Pauli Heinesen also translated books into Faroese, including:

• Eitt dukkuheim by Henrik Ibsen (1984)
• Leingi livi lítla tokið by Charlotte Steiner (1958)
• Knassi by Sterling North (2000)

Awards and Prizes

Jens Pauli Heinesen received many important awards for his writing:

• 1959 – Faroese Literature Prize
• 1969 – Faroese Literature Prize for his novel Aldurnar spæla á sandi
• 1973 – Faroese Literature Prize for his novel Frænir eitur ormurin
• 1993 – Faroese Literature Prize for his novel Bláfelli and the series Á ferð inn í eina óendaliga søgu
• 1999 – Mentanarvirðisløn Landsins (the Faroese Cultural Prize)