Knut Ødegård

Knut Ødegård

Knut Ødegård (born 6 November 1945) is a Norwegian writer.

Born in Molde, Norway, Ødegård made his poetic debut in 1967.^[1] Since then he has published many volumes of poetry, two novels for young adults, two books about Iceland, a play, and several reinterpretations.^[1] His own works are translated into 27 languages (2010), among these five separate collections in English.^[1]

He was the founder and president of the Bjørnson Festival, a Norwegian literature festival held in homage to Nobel laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, for a decade. Ødegård is now the president of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson-Akademiet, The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression.^[1]

He shares his time between a home in Molde and another in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Selected works

• 1982: Wind over Romsdal, poems, translated by George Johnston.^[2]
• 1989: *Bee-Buzz, Salmon Leap (1989), poems, translated by George Johnston.^[2]
• 2002: Missa, poems, translated by Brian McNeil
• 2005: Judas Iscariot and Other Poems, translated by Brian McNeil
• 2009: "Selected Poems", translated by Brian McNeil

Titles and honours

Ødegård is appointed a Norwegian State Scholar and he has received many prizes and awards for his literary work. The president of Iceland appointed him a Knight Commander of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in 1995, and he was made a Knight of the Norwegian Order of Merit in 1997 – the same year he became the consul general for the Republic of Macedonia in Norway.^[1] In 2009 he received the Jan Smrek Prize for his literary work in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2009 he was knighted by Cardinal Foley as a member of the Vatican Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

References