Arvid Hanssen (28 July 1932 – 31 July 1998) was a Norwegian journalist, newspaper editor, poet, novelist and children's writer.

Biography

Hanssen was born in Vika at Indre Senja in

Troms Troms (; ; ; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with ...

county. He completed

Finnsnes is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town that is the administrative centre of Senja Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The town is located on the mainland part of Norway, just across the Gisundet strait from the Senja (island), island of ...

High School in 1948. He graduated from Moldenæs University College in

Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...

in 1951. Hanssen became as a journalist in 1957. He became the editor of the newspaper ''Senjens Blad'' from 1957 to 1962. From 1963 he was editor of the magazine ''Midnattsol''. In 1972, Hanssen became a full-time author and song writer. His songs reached a wide audience through

Tove Karoline Knutsen Tove Karoline Knutsen (born 14 January 1951 in Torsken) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Troms in 2005. She graduated as cand.philol. in 1982, and spent large parts of her caree ...

's 1980 album ''Blå kveill'', which was based on Hanssen's lyrics. He received a number of prizes, including the Prøysen Prize in 1982, The

Fritt Ord Honorary Award Fritt Ord Award consists of two prizes awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation (''Stiftelsen Fritt Ord''). Two prizes are awarded in support of freedom of speech and freedom of expression; the Fritt Ord Award () and the Fritt Ord Honorary Award (). ...

in 1984, and the

Cappelen Prize The Cappelen Prize () is a Norwegian literary award that was established in 1979 by J.W. Cappelens Forlag, one of the oldest publishing houses of Norway, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the publishing house. It has not been awarded aft ...

in 1985. He was married in 1958 with Ingebjørg Langhaug. He was the father of freelance journalist Arne Ivar Hanssen and author Sigrid Merethe Hanssen. He died in

Dyrøy Municipality Dyrøy () is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Brøstadbotn. Other villages include Dyrøyhamn, Espenes, Holm, and Hundstrand. The municipality is the 270th largest by ...

in Troms.

Lenvik Municipality Lenvik () is a former municipality in Troms county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020. The municipality was partly situated on the mainland and partly on the island of Senja in what is now Senja Municipali ...

named a road ''Arvid Hanssens plass'' after him. A bust of the writer is located outside the cultural centre in

Bibliography

Children's books

* 1972 Han Johannes and I (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1973 Kampen om Veslevågen (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1975 Den vonde vinteren: forteljing fra Nord-Noreg i 1930-åra (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1976 Randi til rors (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1977 Langt nord i verda (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1977 Året har mange dagar (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1978 Kaldt hav (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1979 For en ferietur! (Norsk Barneblads forlag, Larvik) * 1980 Den store båra, a young adult novel (Cappelen, Oslo) * 1983 Busserull-tider (Cappelen, Oslo) * 1986 Topphuve-tider (Cappelen, Oslo) * 1988 Jente-tider (Cappelen, Oslo) * 1993 Trollmøte: tankebitar her og no (Cappelen, Oslo)

References

1932 births 1998 deaths People from Lenvik Norwegian newspaper editors 20th-century Norwegian poets Norwegian male poets Norwegian children's writers 20th-century Norwegian novelists Norwegian male novelists 20th-century Norwegian male writers {{Norway-novelist-stub