Knut Faldbakken
From the Jury’s presentation:
“Faldbakken’s oevre is one of the most prolific and extensive in Norwegian contemporary literature and it is probably one the most widely read and debated. He was among the first writers to really focus on what means to be a modern man. The last decade he has continued many of his central motifs in a rich and critically acclaimed writing of crime novels. This is the man who by publishing great works like Sweetwater and The Evening Country and the highly controversial novel Insect Summer, His Mother’s House, The Honeymoon, and Adam’s Diary, providing an outstanding contribution to contemporary literature and public debate”
Author Knut Faldbakken is now responsible for a considerable body of work, sold and read in many countries and translated into 21 languages. In recent years he has turned his attention to writing crime stories - the Valmann series - something he does very well. He is an experienced writer who creates well observed, believable characters. So far the Valmann series comprises seven books, and there is more to come.The central character and hub of the stories is Jonfinn Valmann, a policeman in his forties. When we first meet him he has been a widower for three years and is slowly starting to put his life back together. The books trace Valmann’s progress - from his falling in love and moving in with a policewoman - and the novel’s characters often reflect the problems he faces in his private life: sexual frustration in The Gymnast, lonely middle-aged man in The Border, interpersonal difficulties in Night Frost and sex and living together, The Thieves. Late damage is an intense drama of jealousy as well as a creepy psychological thriller. Totem is the story of a woman´s struggle to create a worthy life for herself and her child, a struggle she is willing to do anything for to win. In The Night Garden Knut Faldbakken researches the darkest sides of mankind. He does so with great insight and an uncanny boldness.The books are set in Faldbakken’s home town, Hamar, a small Norwegian city on the banks of Lake Mjøsa.
