Tor Ulven

Tor Ulven is regarded as one of his generation’s most influential authors.  He died, at 41, by his own hand. He published the first of five collections of poetry in 1977 and became an almost mythological author and the standard of poetry writing in the 1980’ies in Norway. After 1989 he wrote prose texts, but the poet was still holding the pen. Ulven’s texts are exceedingly precise and full of nuances, merciless in their existential quest, and at the same time pervaded by musicality.  His poetry contemplates the existence of death in all things and is characterised by a strong presence of detail and vision.  Ulven believed that the text should speak for itself without any comments from the author, and did not give any interviews. 

A selection of titles:

Gifts for the Grave (Gravgaver) 1988

The Garbage Sun (Søppelsolen) 1989

Replacement (Avløsning), novel 1993

To Wait and Not to See (Vente og ikke se), stories 1994
Stone and Mirror. Mixtum compositum (Stein og speil) 1995

Ulven was awarded several literary prizes, among them

The Obstfelder Prize 1993The Doubloug Prize 1995