Norwegian writer, editor, and theatre director, known with Henrik Ibsen, Alexander Kielland and Jonas Lie as one of the "four great ones" of 19th century Norwegian literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1903.

Bjørnson was born in Kvikne as the son of Peder Bjørnson, a Lutheran pastor and, Elise Nordraak, a merchant's daughter. In 1849 he went to Christiania (now Oslo) to prepare for the university's entrance exams and entered the university in 1852. Bjørnson soon abandoned his studies and joined the cultural life. He became the theatre critic for Morgenbladet and edited later Illustreret Folkeblad. In 1857 he was appointed director of the Norske Theater in Bergen. He returned to Oslo in 1859 and worked for Aftenbladet, where his liberal editorials finally led to his resign. Between 1860 and 1863 Bjørnson lived abroad, mostly in Italy, and after his return was appointed director of the Christiania Theater (1865-1867). As a playwright Bjørnson gained first notice in the late 1850s with historical dramas. Among his works were MELLEM SLAGENE (1857), HALTE HULDA (1858), KONG SVERRE (1861), SIGURD SLEMBE (1863) and MARIA STUART I SKOTLAND (1864). In the 1860s he published also poetry, and from his DIGTE OG SANGE many poems were later set to music.

As an active participant in political and cultural battles Bjørnson's views about church and religion were much debated and condemned. In the 1870s and '80s Bjørnson spent long times abroad and in 1881 he visited the United States. His best works from this and later period include the 'problem' plays EN FALLIT (1875), REDAKT ØREN (1875), EN HANDSKE (1883) and OVER ÆVNE (1886) and the novels DET FLAGER I BYEN OG PÅ HAVNEN (1892) and PÅ GUDS VEJE (1889). In 1893 Bjørnson settled on a farm, traveling from there to Denmark, France, Germany and Italy. He died in Paris on April 26, 1910.

Bjørnson's poem "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (Yes, We Love This land Forever) written in 1857, is the Norwegian national anthem.

Note: Bjørnson married in 1858 Karoline Reimers, an actress- One son, Bjørn, became a actor and a daughter, Bergljot, married Ibsen's son Sigurd.

For further reading: Modern Norwegian Literature 1860-1918 by B. Downs (1966); A History of Norwegian Literature by H. Beyer (1956)

Selected works:

• MELLEM SLAGENE, 1857
• SYNNOVE SOLBACKEN, 1857 - TRUST AND TRIAL
• HALTE HULDA, 1858 - LAME HULDA
• ARNE, 1859
• EN GLAND GUT, 1860
• SMAASTYKKER, 1860
• KONG SVERRE, 1861 - KING SVERRE
• SIGURD SLEMBE, 1961 - SIGURD THE BALD
• MARIA STUART I SKOTLAND, 1864 - MARY STUART IN SCOTLAND
• BERGLJOT, 1865
• DE NYGIFTE, 1865 - THE NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE
• JERNBARNEN OCH KIERKEGAARDEN, 1866
• FISKERJENTEN, 1868 - THE FISHER-MAIDEN
• DIGTE OG SANGE, 1870 - POEMS AND SONGS
• ARNLJOT GELLINE, 1870
• SIGURD JORSALFAR, 1872
• BRUDESLAATEN, 1873
• EN FALLIT, 1875 - A BANKRUPTCY
• REDAKTØREN, 1875 - THE EDITOR
• ARNLJOT GELLINE, 1875
• MANGHILD, 1877 - MANGHILD AND DUST
• KONGEN, 1877 - THE KING
• KAPTEJN MANSANA, 1879 - CAPTAIN MANSANA AND OTHER STORIES
• DE NY SYSTEM, 1879
• LEONARDA, 1879
• STØV, 1882
• EN HANSKE, 1883 - THE GAUNTLET
• DET FLAGER I BYEN OG PAA HAVNEN, 1884 - THE HERITAGE OF KURTS
• GEOGRAFI OF KJÆRLIGHED, 1885 - LOVE AND GEOGRAPHY
• OVER ÆVNE, I, 1886 - BEYOND OUR POWER, PART I
• PÅ GUDS VEJE, 1889 - IN GOD'S WAY
• BRUDESLAATTEN, 1893 - THE BRIDAL MARCH AND OTHER STORIES
• ABSALONS HAAR, 1894 - ABSALOMÄS HAIR AND A PAINFUL MEMORY
• NYE FORTÆLLINGER, 1894
• PAUL LANGE OG TORA PARSBERG, 1898 - PAUL LANGE AND TORA PARSBERG
• LABOREMUS, 1901 - transl.
• PÅ STORHOVE, 1902
• DAGLANNET, 1904
• MARY, 1906 - transl.
• NAAR DE NY VIN BLOMSTER, 1909 - WHEN THE NEW WINE BLOOMS
• SAMLADE VÆRKER, 1914
• ARTIKLER OG TALER, 1920
• SAMLADE VÆRKER, 1932
• BREV TIL KAROLINE, 1957

Compiled by Kuusankoski Public Library, Finland (© 1997) and René Märtin (© 1998-2001).