Jostein Gaarder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jostein Gaarder
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Gaarder in 2017
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| Born | 8 August 1952 Oslo, Norway |
| Occupation | novelist, short story writer |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Genre | Children's literature, fiction |
| Notable works | The Solitaire Mystery, Sophie's World, The Orange Girl |
| Notable awards | See below |
| Spouse | Siri Dannevig |
| Children | 2 |
Jostein Gaarder (born August 8, 1952) is a famous Norwegian writer. He has written many novels, short stories, and children's books.
Gaarder often writes from the point of view of children. His stories explore their sense of wonder about the world. He also likes to use a technique called metafiction. This means he creates "stories within stories" in his books.
His most well-known book is Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy, published in 1991. This book has been translated into 60 languages. More than 40 million copies have been sold worldwide.
Early Life and Career
Jostein Gaarder was born and grew up in Oslo, Norway. His father was a school headmaster. His mother, Inger Margrethe Gaarder, was a teacher and also wrote children's books.
Gaarder married Siri Dannevig in Oslo in 1974. They later moved to Bergen, Norway, in 1979. They have two sons.
After finishing his studies, Gaarder worked as a high school teacher in Bergen. He taught for several years before becoming a full-time writer.
The Sophie Prize
In 1997, Jostein Gaarder and his wife, Siri Dannevig, started the Sophie Prize. This award was given every year to people or groups working to protect the environment. It was named after his famous novel, Sophie's World.
The prize was worth about $100,000. Gaarder contributed over $1.5 million to environmental causes through this prize. The last Sophie Prize was given out in 2013. It stopped because there wasn't enough money to continue it.
Awards and Prizes
Jostein Gaarder has won many awards for his books. Here are some of them:
- 1990 - Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature for Kabalmysteriet (The Solitaire Mystery)
- 1993 – Norwegian Booksellers' Prize for I et speil, i en gåte (Through a Glass, Darkly)
- 1994 – Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Sophie's World
- 1995 – Premio Bancarella for the Italian version of Sophie's World
- 1996 - Peer Gynt Prize
- 1997 – Buxtehude Bull for the German version of I et speil, i en gåte
- 2004 – the Willy-Brandt Award in Oslo
- 2005 – Commander, The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (a special honor from Norway)
- 2005 – an Honorary degree from Trinity College, Dublin
List of Works
Here are some of the books Jostein Gaarder has written:
- Diagnosen og andre noveller (The Diagnosis and Other Stories) (1986)
- Froskeslottet (The Frog Castle) (1988)
- Kabalmysteriet (The Solitaire Mystery) (1990)
- Sofies verden (Sophie's World) (1991)
- Julemysteriet (The Christmas Mystery) (1992)
- Bibbi Bokkens magiske bibliotek (Bibbi Bokken's Magic Library) (with Klaus Hagerup) (1993)
- I et speil, i en gåte (Through a Glass, Darkly) (1993)
- Hallo? Er det noen her? (Hello? Is Anybody There?) (1996)
- Vita Brevis: A Letter to St Augustine (also known as That Same Flower) (1998)
- Maya (1999)
- Sirkusdirektørens datter (The Ringmaster's Daughter) (2001)
- Appelsinpiken (The Orange Girl) (2004)
- Sjakk Matt (Checkmate) (2006)
- De gule dvergene (The Yellow Dwarves) (2006)
- Slottet i Pyreneene (The Castle in the Pyrenees) (2008)
- Det spørs (2012)
- Anna. En fabel om klodens klima og miljø ("Anna. A Fable About the Earth's Climate and Environment") (2013)
- Anton og Jonatan (Anton and Jonatan) (2014)
- Dukkeføreren (2016)
See also
In Spanish: Jostein Gaarder para niños
