The Aschehoug Prize is published annually by the Norwegian publishing house

Aschehoug H. Aschehoug & Co. (W. Nygaard), commonly known as Aschehoug,() is one of the largest independent publishing companies in Norway, founded in 1872. Headquartered in Oslo, the publishing house has 480 employees. The Aschehoug group also comprises o ...

. The Aschehoug Prize is awarded to Norwegian authors on the basis of the merit of a recent publication. It is awarded on merit, irrespective of the publisher, based on a binding recommendation from the Norwegian Critics Organization. The prize consists of a statuette of sculptor

Ørnulf Bast Ørnulf Bast (25 January 1907 – 28 October 1974) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter particularly known for his public monuments. Biography Ørnulf Bjarne Bast was born in Oslo. His parents were Halsten Andersen Bast Birklund (1870–1952 ...

and 100,000 kroner (2018). The monumental sculpture ''Evig Liv'' (=''Eternal Life'') which is the reference of the miniature statuette is to be found at ''Sehesteds plass'' in front of the publisher's main building in Oslo.

Recipients of the Aschehoug Prize

* 1973 –

Stein Mehren Stein Mehren (16 May 1935 – 28 July 2017) was a Norwegian poet, essayist and playwright. He made his literary debut as poet with ''Gjennom stillheten en natt'' (1960). He wrote more than fifty books, mainly poetry.

* 1974 –

Bjørg Vik Bjørg Vik (11 September 1935 – 7 January 2018) was a Norwegian novelist, short story writer, playwright, and journalist. Biography Bjørg Turid Vik was born in Oslo, Norway. Her parents were Sverre Thorbjørn Johansen (1903–1958) and Anna ...

* 1975 –

Kjartan Fløgstad Kjartan Fløgstad (born 7 June 1944) is a Norwegian author. Fløgstad was born in the industrial city of Sauda in Ryfylke, Rogaland. He studied literature and linguistics at the University of Bergen. Subsequently, he worked for a period as an ...

* 1976 – Karin Bang * 1977 – Knut Hauge * 1978 – Olav H. Hauge * 1979 –

Ernst Orvil Ernst Orvil (née Ernst Richard Nilsen; 12 April 1898 – 16 June 1985) was a Norwegian novelist, short story writer, poet and playwright. Biography Ernst Richard Orvil was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. His parents Johan Nilsen (R ...

and Tor Åge Bringsværd * 1980 –

Idar Kristiansen Idar Kristiansen (26 May 1932, Honningsvåg – 10 January 1985) was a Norwegian poet, novelist, short story writer and non-fiction writer. He made his literary debut in 1957 with the poetry collection ''Sanger fra en tundra''. His main work ...

* 1981 –

Jan Erik Vold Jan Erik Vold (born 18 October 1939) is a Norwegian lyric poet, reciter, translator and author. He was a member of the so-called "''Profil'' generation", the circle attached to the literary magazine '' Profil''. Throughout his career, he has con ...

* 1982 – Kjell Erik Vindtorn * 1983 –

Arnold Eidslott Arnold Olav Eidslott (10 June 1926 – 19 April 2018) was a Norwegian poet. He was born in Ålesund, and worked as a telegraphic engineer for the whole of his working life. From 1986 to 2018 he was the poet laureate. Eidslott's Christian religio ...

* 1984 –

Cecilie Løveid Cecilie Løveid (born 21 August 1951) is a Norwegian novelist, poet, playwright, and writer of children's books. Personal life Løveid was born in Mysen to ship's captain Erik Løveid and actress Ingrid Cecilie Meyer. She had a cohabiting relat ...

* 1985 –

Edvard Hoem Edvard Hoem (born 10 March 1949) is a Norwegian novelist, dramatist, lyricist, psalmist and government scholar. He made his literary debut in 1969, with the poetry collection ''Som grønne musikantar''. He was awarded the Norwegian Critics Priz ...

* 1986 – Rolf Jacobsen * 1987 – Finn Carling * 1988 –

Einar Økland Einar Økland (born 17 January 1940) is a Norwegian poet, playwright, essayist and children's writer. He was born in Sveio, and educated psychologist. He made his literary debut in 1963, with the poetry collection ''Ein gul dag''. He was awar ...

* 1989 –

Bergljot Hobæk Haff Bergljot Hobæk Haff (1 May 1925 – 12 February 2016) was a Norwegian educator and novelist. Biography Haff was born in Botne Municipality (now part of Holmestrand Municipality) in Vestfold county, Norway. Her parents were Lars Hobæk (1883–1 ...

* 1990 –

Erling Kittelsen Erling Kittelsen (born 10 April 1946, Vennesla) is a Norwegian poet, novelist, children's writer, playwright and translator. He made his literary debut in 1970 with the poetry collection ''Ville fugler''. Kittelsen was part of the poetic action ...

* 1991 – Kjell Askildsen * 1992 –

Eldrid Lunden Eldrid Lunden (born 5 October 1940) is a Norwegian poet, and 1996 became Norway's first professor in creative writing, at Telemark University College. She was awarded the Dobloug Prize in 1989, and the Brage Prize honorary award in 2000. She ...

* 1993 –

Jan Kjærstad Jan Kjærstad (born 6 March 1953 in Oslo) is a Norwegian author.Jan Kjærstad
in

Inger Elisabeth Hansen Inger Elisabeth Hansen (born 20 April 1950) is a Norwegian poet and translator. She has been awarded the Dobloug Prize, the Brage Prize, and the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature. She was president of the Norwegian Writers' Union from 1997 ...

* 1995 –

Lars Amund Vaage Lars Amund Vaage was born in 1952 at Sunde, Kvinnherad on the west coast of Norway, and studied classical piano at the Bergen Music Conservatory. He made his literary debut in 1979 with the novel ''Exercise Cold Winter'', and has since published ...

* 1996 –

Tor Fretheim Tor Fretheim (13 May 1946 – 9 December 2018) was a Norwegian journalist and author of children's literature. Biography Fretheim was born at Asker in Akershus and grew up in Sandefjord. After graduating in 1965, he began studying at the Unive ...

* 1997 –

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (; born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author, translator, and playwright. In 2023, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable." Fosse's work spans over se ...

* 1998 –

Gro Dahle Gro Dahle (born 15 May 1962) is a Norwegian poet and writer. Early life Dahle was born in Oslo, and is the daughter of businessman Øystein Dahle. She grew up in Tønsberg, Aruba and New Jersey. She began studying psychology and English lite ...

* 1999 –

Øyvind Berg Øyvind Berg (born March 10, 1971, in Løken) is a Norway, Norwegian former ski jumping, ski jumper who competed from 1983 to 1996. He won a gold medal in the team large hill at the 1993 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and finished 22n ...

* 2000 – Laila Stien * 2001 – Ole Robert Sunde * 2002 – Ellen Einan * 2003 – Steinar Opstad * 2004 –

Dag Solstad Dag Solstad (16 July 1941 – 14 March 2025) was a Norwegian novelist, short-story writer and dramatist whose work has been translated into 20 languages. Solstad wrote nearly 30 books and was the only author to have received the Norwegian L ...

* 2005 – Hans Herbjørnsrud * 2006 – Espen Haavardsholm * 2007 –

Hanne Ørstavik Hanne Ørstavik (born 28 November 1969) is a Norwegian writer. She has published sixteen novels and her works have been translated into eighteen languages. She is best known for ''Kjærlighet'' (''Love''), the English translation of which won the ...

* 2008 – Paal-Helge Haugen * 2009 – Thure Erik Lund * 2010 – Anne Oterholm * 2011 –

Bjørn Sortland Bjørn Sortland (born 1 May 1968) is a Norwegian writer for children and young adults. Biography Sortland made his literary debut in 1992 with ''Det er ikkje natta'', a book for young adults. His next book, ''Raudt, blått og litt gult'' (1993), ...

* 2012 – Ragnar Hovland * 2013 –

Erlend Loe Erlend Loe (24 May 1969, Trondheim) is a Norwegian novelist, screenwriter and film critic. Loe writes both children's and adult literature. He has gained popularity in Scandinavia with his humorous and sometimes naïve novels, although his storie ...

* 2014 – Geir Gulliksen * 2015 –

Vigdis Hjorth Vigdis Hjorth (born 19 July 1959) is a Norwegian novelist best known for English translations of '' Long Live the Post Horn'' (2012) and ''Will and Testament''. She was longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2019 f ...

* 2016 –

Per Petterson Per Petterson (born 18 July 1952 in Oslo) is a Norwegian novelist. His debut book was ''Aske i munnen, sand i skoa'' (1987), a collection of short stories. He has since published a number of novels with good reviews. ''To Siberia'' (1996), set i ...

* 2017 –

Øyvind Rimbereid Øyvind Rimbereid (born 2 May 1966 in Stavanger) is a Norway, Norwegian author and composer of lyric poetry. He has worked as an instructor at ''Skrivekunstakademiet'' in Bergen. Rimbereid holds a cand. philol. degree from the University of Bergen ...

* 2018 – Liv Køltzow * 2019 –

Johan Harstad Johan Harstad (born 10 February 1979) is a Norwegian novelist, short story writer, playwright and graphic designer. He lives in Oslo. __TOC__ Writing career Fiction Harstad was born in Stavanger. He made his literary debut in 2001, with a colle ...

* 2020 – no award * 2021 - Karin Haugane * 2022 -

Linn Ullmann Karin Beate "Linn" Ullmann (born 9 August 1966) is a Norwegian author and journalist. A prominent literary critic, she also writes a column for Norway's leading morning newspaper and has published seven novels. Early life Ullmann was born in Os ...

* 2023 -

Ingvar Ambjørnsen Ingvar Even Ambjørnsen-Haefs (born 20 May 1956) is a Norwegian writer. He is best known for his "Elling" tetralogy: ''Utsikt til paradiset'' (1993), ''Fugledansen'' (1995), ''Brødre i blodet'' (1996), and ''Elsk meg i morgen'' (1999). ''Brø ...

References

{{Clear Norwegian literary awards Awards established in 1973