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Kristian Kristiansen (writer) facts for kids

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Kristian Kristiansen (born November 16, 1909 – died July 14, 1980) was a Norwegian writer. He wrote many types of books. These included novels, plays, short stories, and books for children.

Kristian Kristiansen's Life and Books

Kristian Kristiansen was born in Tromsø, Norway. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Trøndelag. After finishing middle school, he worked many different jobs.

In 1936, he started writing short stories. These stories appeared in a magazine called Arbeidermagasinet. He also wrote two short plays: Det dages (1937) and Medaljen (1938). In 1938, he published a children's book titled Eggtjuver i fugleberget. His first novel, Vi bærer et bilde, came out in 1939.

His book Jeg er ingen spion! from 1940 is very special. It was one of the few books published in Norway during World War II. The story takes place in parts of Norway that were not occupied during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940.

Adrianstua
Adrianstua at Trondheimsfjord, Kristian Kristiansen's former home.

After Norway was freed, Kristiansen lived in Sweden for a while. In 1950, he moved to Trondheim. He lived there for the rest of his life. His novels published after 1950 were historical stories. They were often set in Trondheim. He wrote about real events from the city's past. For example, the novel Klokken på Kalvskinnet (1966) tells about the challenges faced by someone forced to do hard work in the early 1800s.

Famous Books: The Adrian Trilogy

Kristiansen's most famous work is a series of three novels. They are called Adrian posepilt (1950), Vårherres blindebukk (1952), and I den sorte gryte (1954). These books tell the story of a boy growing up in an orphanage in the late 1600s. This trilogy made Kristiansen well-known across Norway.

The story of Adrian was even turned into a play. It was shown on stage at the Trøndelag Teater.

Awards and Recognition

Kristian Kristiansen received several important awards for his writing.

  • In 1955, he was given the Mads Wiel Nygaards Endowment.
  • He won the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize in 1961.
  • He won the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize again in 1967, sharing it with Tarjei Vesaas.

Kristian Kristiansen's Family Life

During the Second World War, Kristiansen helped the Norwegian resistance movement. Because of this, he had to escape to Sweden in 1942. In Sweden, he met Ellen Hedlund, who was a doctor. They were married from 1943 to 1955. Later, in 1959, he married Turid Ellefsen, who was an architect.

Adrianstua: A Home for Writers

Adrianstua was Kristian Kristiansen's home in Trondheim. Today, the city of Trondheim owns this house. It is managed by a group called Trøndersk Forfattarlag. They rent the house to local authors for five-year periods. This means other writers can live and work in Kristiansen's former home.

Some of the authors who have lived there include:

  • Tale Næss (1997–2002)
  • Ingrid Storholmen (2002–2007)
  • Arild Vange (2008–2013)
  • Mathias R. Samuelsen (from 2013)

Kristian Kristiansen's Main Works

Here is a list of some of the books and plays Kristian Kristiansen wrote:

  • Det dages (1937)
  • Medaljen (1938)
  • Eggtjuver i fugleberget (1938)
  • Vi bærer et bilde (1939)
  • Jeg er ingen spion (1940)
  • Hvem skal havren binde (1940)
  • Over de høye fjelle (1941)
  • Men än står Dovre (1943)
  • Fredens øy (1945)
  • Brev til Stefan (1947)
  • Adrian Posepilt (1950)
  • Vårherres blindebukk (1952)
  • I den sorte gryte (1954)
  • Jesper nattmann (1957)
  • Jomfru Lide (1960)
  • Heia nordinger! (1962)
  • Klokken på Kalvskinnet (1966)
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