Knut Hamsun Norwegian writer, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1920 Date of Birth: 04.08.1859 Country: Norway

1. Biography of Knut Hamsun
2. Early Life and Career
3. Neo-Romantic Rebellion
4. Notable Works
5. Markens Grøde and Nobel Prize

Biography of Knut Hamsun

Knut Hamsun (1859-1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Born Knut Pedersen on August 4, 1859, in Lom, Gudbrandsdalen, he grew up in a family of a village tailor.

Early Life and Career

At the age of nine, Hamsun began working in his uncle's office, but soon embarked on a period of wanderings from 1873, during which he tried his hand at various occupations. His first book was published in 1877, but it was only after living in the United States from 1882 to 1884 and 1886 to 1888, and settling in Copenhagen, that he gained attention. His novel "Hunger" (Sult), published in 1890, caused a sensation with its groundbreaking interpretation of the theme.

Neo-Romantic Rebellion

Hamsun's rejection of industrial-democratic civilization led to his sympathies towards the Nazis in the 1930s, placing him among the enemies of his homeland during World War II. After the war, he was brought to trial for treason. Due to his advanced age, Hamsun avoided imprisonment and spent some time in a nursing home. He was later sent for examination at a psychiatric clinic in Oslo. In 1950, he returned to his estate, Nørholm, near Grimstad in southern Norway, where he passed away on February 19, 1952.

Notable Works

Hamsun's literary works were characterized by his aestheticization and depiction of irrational processes in the minds of individuals. Some of his notable works from this period include "Pan" (1894) and a trilogy about a wandering dreamer named August: "Under the Autumn Star" (1906), "A Wanderer Plays on Muted Strings" (1909), and "The Last Joy" (1912).

Markens Grøde and Nobel Prize

Hamsun's ideological and practical "return to nature" as a result of his neo-romantic rebellion against civilization led him to prefer the life of a gentleman farmer after his wanderings. It was during this period that he wrote his most renowned novel, "Growth of the Soil" (Markens Grøde) in 1917. This epic portrayal of simple life brought him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 and international recognition during the turbulent years following World War I.