Gunnar Bull Gundersen
Encyclopedia
Gunnar Bull Gundersen was a Norwegian
sailor, novelist, playwright and lyricist.
Gunnar Bull Gundersen was born in Stavanger
, in Rogaland
, Norway. Gundersen grew up with changing foster parents and at different boarding schools. He referred to his young years as a very itinerant childhood and said he had visited 10 schools and been expelled from three of them. Shortly after World War II
, he went to sea. He was welfare secretary in the State Welfare Office for the merchant navy (Statens Velferdskontor for Handelsflåten), where he was stationed in Antwerp, Rotterdam
and Liverpool
. He took the exam officer and later captain examinations at Oslo Public Seamen's School (Oslo Offentlige Sjømannsskole) in 1953 and sailed for some years as an officer in foreign trade. At one time he was also captain of the ferry between Nesodden
and Oslo
. As a newly qualified officer was hired as stage manager at the Radio Theatre for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
Gundersen was active in many fields. He was a theater director, novelist, playwright, emcee of radio and television, and wrote lyrics with jazz musicians or in concert with his friend and colleague, lyricist Harald Sverdrup (1923–1992). He also made an important contribution as an enthusiastic jazz communicates through a long series of radio programs in 1960 - 1970. In addition, he was a frequent contributor to the press.
In 1956, he made his literary debut with the novel Om natten – en bakgårdsfantasi. He was soon noticed for his sure sense of language and fanciful imagination, which would become his trademarks. Gundersen published twelve novels receiving positive reviews and earning four awards. Gundersen was awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 1959 for the novel Martin. For the stage, he wrote several plays and in collaboration with Jon Michelet
created a distinct tendency theater.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
sailor, novelist, playwright and lyricist.
Gunnar Bull Gundersen was born in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, in Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
, Norway. Gundersen grew up with changing foster parents and at different boarding schools. He referred to his young years as a very itinerant childhood and said he had visited 10 schools and been expelled from three of them. Shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he went to sea. He was welfare secretary in the State Welfare Office for the merchant navy (Statens Velferdskontor for Handelsflåten), where he was stationed in Antwerp, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. He took the exam officer and later captain examinations at Oslo Public Seamen's School (Oslo Offentlige Sjømannsskole) in 1953 and sailed for some years as an officer in foreign trade. At one time he was also captain of the ferry between Nesodden
Nesodden
Nesodden is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Follo. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesoddtangen. The parish of Næsodden was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. As a newly qualified officer was hired as stage manager at the Radio Theatre for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
Gundersen was active in many fields. He was a theater director, novelist, playwright, emcee of radio and television, and wrote lyrics with jazz musicians or in concert with his friend and colleague, lyricist Harald Sverdrup (1923–1992). He also made an important contribution as an enthusiastic jazz communicates through a long series of radio programs in 1960 - 1970. In addition, he was a frequent contributor to the press.
In 1956, he made his literary debut with the novel Om natten – en bakgårdsfantasi. He was soon noticed for his sure sense of language and fanciful imagination, which would become his trademarks. Gundersen published twelve novels receiving positive reviews and earning four awards. Gundersen was awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 1959 for the novel Martin. For the stage, he wrote several plays and in collaboration with Jon Michelet
Jon Michelet
Jon Michelet is a Norwegian novelist.He was the editor-in-chief of the Norwegian far-left daily Klassekampen from 1997 to 2002...
created a distinct tendency theater.
Selected works
- Om natten – en bakgårdsfantasi (novel) 1956
- Martin (novel) 1959
- Judith; blader fra en kystskippers dagbok (novel) 1963
- En dagdrivers opptegnelser (short stories) 1966
- Han som ville male havet (novel) 1968
- De hjemløse (novel) 1977
- Matros Tore Solem og hans skip (play, with Jon Michelet) 1979
Awards
- Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature 1959
- Riksmål Society Literature PrizeRiksmål Society Literature PrizeThe Riksmål Society Literature Prize is awarded annually by the Riksmålsforbundet for the outstanding publication in riksmål...
1961