Tania Ørum facts for kids

Paula Tatiana (Tania) Ørum, born in 1945, is a Danish writer and expert in literature. She is known for her work on women's and gender topics. In the 1970s, she helped start university courses for women's research. This led to the creation of KVINFO, a Danish center for gender and women's research, where she worked from 1981 to 1990. Her research looks at how gender and literature are connected, like in her book Pamelas Døtre (1985). Even after retiring in 2015 from the University of Copenhagen, she still writes and speaks, especially about avant-garde art from the 1960s.

Tania Ørum's Early Life and Education

Paula Tatiana Ørum was born in Tårbæk, Denmark, on May 15, 1945. Her father was Palle Peter Ørum, an engineer, and her mother was Marina Levia Piletski, who was born in Russia.

After finishing school at Aarhus Cathedral School in 1964, Tania spent a year in England. She then studied English at the University of Copenhagen. While there, she was active in student groups and the women's movement.

Creating New Ways to Learn

Tania Ørum helped create the "English Alternative Project." This project offered a different way to study English compared to the usual courses at the university. She led this project and taught there in 1972 and 1973. From 1974 to 1976, she worked as an assistant teacher at the university. She also wrote, translated, and reviewed books, focusing on English literature.

Focus on Women's Studies and Literature

In 1976, Tania Ørum earned her master's degree in English and Danish. She taught for a short time at Virum Gymnasium [da] before becoming an editor for a publishing company called Tiderne Skrifter.

She later returned to university life. In 1979, she received a scholarship at the English Institute. She became a leader in a new field called women's research. This involved both studying and teaching about women's experiences and roles.

Helping Start KVINFO

Working with Lene Koch, Tania Ørum developed courses on women's studies. Their efforts led to the creation of KVINFO in 1981. KVINFO is a special center in Denmark for gender and women's research. Tania worked there until 1990.

Tania Ørum is known for writing in a way that is easy for everyone to understand, not just experts. Her book about women's literature, Pamelas døtre (1985), is a good example. This book won her the George Brandes Prize, which is given for important critical literature.

Later Career and Avant-Garde Art

In 1991, Tania Ørum became a professor at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Literary Studies. She later moved to the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, where she worked until she retired in 2015.

Exploring Gender and Modern Times

With Marie-Louise Svane, she published a collection of writings called Køn og moderne tider (Gender and Modern Times) in 1991. She also helped edit several journals, including Language and Literature, Kontext, and Politisk Revy.

The Experimental Sixties

In 2009, Tania Ørum published De eksperimenterende tressere (The Experimental Sixties). This book explores how avant-garde art broke away from old traditions in the 1960s. Avant-garde art is new and experimental art that challenges what is usually accepted.

Since retiring, Tania Ørum continues to speak about avant-garde art at conferences in Denmark and other countries. She was the main editor of a four-volume series called A Cultural History of the Avant-Garde in the Nordic Countries, which was finished in 2020.