Jon Olav Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway and currently lives in Bergen. He debuted in 1983 with the novel Raudt, svart (Red, black). His first play, Og aldri skal vi skiljast, was performed and published in 1994. Jon Fosse has written novels, short stories, poetry, children’s books, essays and plays. His works have been translated into more than forty languages. He is widely considered as one of the world’s greatest contemporary playwrights. Fosse was made a chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite of France in 2007. Fosse also has been ranked number 83 on the list of the Top 100 living geniuses by The Daily Telegraph.
He was awarded The Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 “for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable”.
Since 2011, Fosse has been granted the Grotten, an honorary residence owned by the Norwegian state and located on the premises of the Royal Palace in the city centre of Oslo. The Grotten is given as a permanent residence to a person specifically bestowed this honour by the King of Norway for their contributions to Norwegian arts and culture.
Books in order of publication (In English and Norwegian):
Novels & novellas
Raudt, svart (Samlaget, 1983)
Stengd gitar (Samlaget, 1985)
Blod. Steinen er (Samlaget, 1987)
Naustet (Samlaget, 1989) – Boathouse, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2017)
Flaskesamlaren (Samlaget, 1991)
Bly og vatn (Samlaget, 1992)
Melancholia I (Samlaget, 1995) – Melancholy, trans. Grethe Kvernes and Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2006)
Melancholia II (Samlaget, 1996) – Melancholy II, trans. Eric Dickens (Dalkey Archive, 2014)
Morgon og kveld (Samlaget, 2000) – Morning and Evening, trans. Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2015)
Det er Ales (Samlaget, 2004) – Aliss at the Fire, trans. Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2010)
Andvake (Samlaget, 2007)
Olavs draumar (Samlaget, 2012)
Kveldsvævd (Samlaget, 2014)
Trilogien (Samlaget, 2014) – Trilogy, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2016)
Det andre namnet – Septologien I-II (Samlaget, 2019) – The Other Name: Septology I-II, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2019, Transit Books (US), 2020)
Eg er ein annan – Septologien III-V (Samlaget, 2020) – I Is Another: Septology III-V, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2020, Transit Books (US), 2021)
Eit nytt namn – Septologien VI-VII (Samlaget, 2021) – A New Name: Septology VI-VII, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2021, Transit Books (US), 2022)
Septologien (Samlaget, 2022) – Septology, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2022, Transit Books (US), 2022)
Kvitleik (Samlaget, 2023) – A Shining, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2023, Transit Books (US), 2023)
Vaim (Samlaget, 2025) – Vaim, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2025, Transit Books (US), 2025)
Vaim Hotel (Transit Books / Fitzcarraldo, forthcoming October 2026
The Vaim Weekly (forthcoming 2027): The concluding volume of the trilogy.
Short fiction & essays
Frå telling via showing til writing (1989)
To forteljingar (Samlaget, 1993)
Prosa frå ein oppvekst (Samlaget, 1994) – Scenes from a Childhood, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2018)
Hundemanuskripta (Samlaget, 1995-1997)
Eldre kortare prosa med 7 bilete av Camilla Wærenskjold (Samlaget, 1998)
Gnostiske essay (1999)
Kortare prosa (Samlaget, 2011)
Essay (Samlaget, 2011)
Når ein engel går gjennom scenen og andre essay (2014). An Angel Walks Through the Stage: and Other Essays, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2015).
Levande stein (Samlaget, 2015)
Children’s
Uendelig Seint, illustrated by Alf-Kåre Berg (Samlaget, 1989)
Kant, illustrated by Akin Düzakin (Samlaget, 1990)
Dyrehagen Hardanger (Samlaget, 1993)
Vått og svart, illustrated by Akin Düzakin (Samlaget, 1994)
Søster, illustrated by Vá Leong (Samlaget, 2000)
Spelejenta, illustrated by Øyvind Torseter (Samlaget, 2009)
Fridtjov & Ingebjørg, illustrated by Oddvar Torsheim (Skald, 2014)
Plays
Nokon kjem til å komme (written in 1992–93; first produced in 1996). Someone is Going to Come
Og aldri skal vi skiljast (1994). And We’ll Never Be Parted
Namnet (1995). The Name
Barnet (1996). The Child. Originally published with Mor og barn and Sonen.
Mor og barn (1997). Mother and Child. Originally published with Barnet and Sonen.
Sonen (1997). The Son. Originally published with Barnet and Mor og barn
Gitarmannen (1997). The Guitar Man. Originally sent as a Christmas Greeting from Samlaget. Renamed to Saxofonmannen
Natta syng sine songar (1997). Nightsongs, trans. Gregory Motton (2002).
Ein sommars dag (1999). A Summer’s Day
Draum om hausten (1999). Dream of Autumn
Sov du vesle barnet mitt (2000). Sleep My Baby Sleep
Besøk (2000). Visits
Vinter (2000). Winter
Ettermiddag (2000). Afternoon
Vakkert (2001). Beautiful
Dødsvariasjonar (2001). Death Variations
Jenta i sofaen (2002). The Girl on the Sofa, trans. David Harrower (2002).
Lilla (2003). Lilac
Suzannah (2004)
Dei døde hundane (2004). The Dead Dogs, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (2014).
Sa ka la (2004)
Svevn (2005). Sleep
Varmt (2005). Warm
Rambuku (2006)
Skuggar (2006). Shadows
Eg er vinden (2007). I Am the Wind, trans. Simon Stephens (2012).
Desse auga (2009). These Eyes
Jente i gul regnjakke (2010).
Kortar stykke (2011).
Hav (2014).
Tre librettoar (2015).
Slik var det (2020).
Sterk vind (2021).
I svarte skogen inne (2023).
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