Inger Hagerup
Encyclopedia
Inger Hagerup was a Norwegian
author
, playwright
and poet
. She is considered one of the greatest Norwegian poets of the 20th century.
, Norway. Her father died when she was five years old. For several years, her family moved around, until they settled in Nordfjord
and later in Volda
. In 1931, she married Anders Askevold Hagerup (1904-1979), who was a teacher, translator and children's book author. They were the parents of two distinguished Norwegian authors, Klaus Hagerup
and Helge Hagerup. Her son, Klaus Hagerup wrote extensively about his mother in Alt er sa nær meg: Om Inger Hagerup.
Inger Hagerup is mostly known for her lyric poetry
, but has also been recognized for writing many important theatrical pieces. Hagerup published her first poetry collection, "Jeg gikk meg vill i skogene", in 1939.
Both Inger Hagerup and her husband Anders participated in illegal activities during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
and 1943 they fled to Sweden. She was known for opposing the German occupation, writing many aggressive lyrics against what she saw as a brutal and careless enemy, such as in "Aust Vågøy". The latter was inspired by the Telavåg tragedy
during World War II in the spring of 1942. (This is incorrect, the poem actually deals with an incident that occurred in 1941. The Nazis retaliated against locals after a successful British raid-attack in March 1941 in the island in Lofoten. Description of the event can be found in Kathleen Stokker, Folklore fights the Nazis: humor in occupied Norway, 1940-1945, (University of Wisconsin Press: 1997) 84-85.) Many Norwegians can recite from memory the first lines, De brente våre gårder. De drepte våre menn. La våre hjerter hamre det om og om igjen. ("They burned our houses. They killed our men. Let our hearts pounding it over and over again).
In 1944 she was awarded the Gyldendal's Endowment
, the Sarpsborg Prize in 1955 and in 1962 Inger Hagerup was recognized with the Dobloug Prize
.
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...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. She is considered one of the greatest Norwegian poets of the 20th century.
Biography
Inger Johanne Halsør was born in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway. Her father died when she was five years old. For several years, her family moved around, until they settled in Nordfjord
Nordfjord
Nordfjord is a fjord and a traditional district in the northern part of Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. The district comprises the municipalities of Selje, Vågsøy, Bremanger, Eid, Gloppen, Hornindal, and Stryn. Nordfjord covers an area of and is home to a population of approximately...
and later in Volda
Volda
Volda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Volda. The municipality is located about south of the city of Ålesund.-General information:...
. In 1931, she married Anders Askevold Hagerup (1904-1979), who was a teacher, translator and children's book author. They were the parents of two distinguished Norwegian authors, Klaus Hagerup
Klaus Hagerup
Klaus Hagerup is a Norwegian author, translator, screenwriter, actor and director.He is the youngest of three brothers. He debuted with the poem collection "Slik tenker jeg på dere" in 1969...
and Helge Hagerup. Her son, Klaus Hagerup wrote extensively about his mother in Alt er sa nær meg: Om Inger Hagerup.
Inger Hagerup is mostly known for her lyric poetry
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
, but has also been recognized for writing many important theatrical pieces. Hagerup published her first poetry collection, "Jeg gikk meg vill i skogene", in 1939.
Both Inger Hagerup and her husband Anders participated in illegal activities during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
and 1943 they fled to Sweden. She was known for opposing the German occupation, writing many aggressive lyrics against what she saw as a brutal and careless enemy, such as in "Aust Vågøy". The latter was inspired by the Telavåg tragedy
Telavåg
Telavåg is a small village in the municipality of Sund, located 39 km south west of Bergen, Norway, with a population of about 600.-Telavåg tragedy:...
during World War II in the spring of 1942. (This is incorrect, the poem actually deals with an incident that occurred in 1941. The Nazis retaliated against locals after a successful British raid-attack in March 1941 in the island in Lofoten. Description of the event can be found in Kathleen Stokker, Folklore fights the Nazis: humor in occupied Norway, 1940-1945, (University of Wisconsin Press: 1997) 84-85.) Many Norwegians can recite from memory the first lines, De brente våre gårder. De drepte våre menn. La våre hjerter hamre det om og om igjen. ("They burned our houses. They killed our men. Let our hearts pounding it over and over again).
In 1944 she was awarded the Gyldendal's Endowment
Gyldendal's Endowment
Gyldendal's Endowment was a literature prize which was awarded in the period 1934–1995 by the Norwegian publisher Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. The prize was awarded to significant authors, regardless of which publisher the author was associated with...
, the Sarpsborg Prize in 1955 and in 1962 Inger Hagerup was recognized with the Dobloug Prize
Dobloug Prize
The Dobloug Prize is a literature prize awarded for Swedish and Norwegian fiction. The prize is named after Norwegian businessman and philanthropist Birger Dobloug pursuant to his bequest. The prize sum is . The Dobloug Prize is awarded annually by the Swedish Academy.-Prize winners:...
.
Selected works
- Jeg gikk meg vill i skogene, 1939
- Flukten til Amerika, 1942
- Videre, StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
1944, OsloOsloOslo 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...
1945 - Den syvende natt, 1947
- Sånn vil du ha meg. 30 utvalgte dikt om kjærlighet, 1949
- Så rart (children's poetry), 1950
- Mitt skip seiler, 1951
- Hilsen fra Katarina, 1953
- Drømmeboken, 1955
- Den tredje utvei (drama), 1956
- Strofe med vinden, 1958
- Lille Persille (children's poetry), 1961
- Fra hjertets krater, 1964
- Dikt i utvalg, 1965
- Det kommer en pike gående, 1965
- Hva skal du her nede?, 1966
- Trekkfuglene og skjæra, 1967
- Ut og søke tjeneste, 1968
- Østenfor kjærlighet, vestenfor drøm (short stories), edited by Karin Beate Vold, 1977
- Samlede dikt, 1985
Other sources
- Hagerup, Klaus (1988) Alt er sa nær meg: Om Inger Hagerup (Oslo: Aschehoug) ISBN 978-8203154669
- Hagerup, Inger: Karin Beate Vold, and Jan Erik Vold (1990) Samlede Dikt (Oslo: Aschehoug) ISBN 978-8203086892