Stig Dalager
Encyclopedia
Stig Dalager is a Danish
writer. He is the author of 51 literary works of all kinds, mostly novel
s and plays, of which several have been translated or staged internationally. His works include I Count the Hours, a monologue
for a woman in Sarajevo
(1993), staged in 12 countries; The Dream, play (premiered in New York
1999 starring Ingmar Bergman
actress Bibi Andersson
, since staged in Moscow
and Łódź); Two Days in July (a 2004 novel about the German officers' rebellion against the Nazi regime on July 20, 1944), Journey in Blue; a biographical novel
about Hans Christian Andersen
(published in 15 countries and languages and nominated for the IMPAC Award
2008); The Labyrinth (a 2006 novel situated in Vienna anno 1993-1994) Falling Shadows (a 2007 novel situated in New York on 9-11 on the World Trade Center
); and "Slowly Comes the Light" (a 2009 novel, situated in Baghdad
, New York and London
2004-2005). All in all published and staged in 24 countries, among them Great Britain, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Pakistan, China and Japan.
in the post-war period of the 1950s, a time of painful remembrances of the Second World War, continued economic restrictions, and a growing optimism about the future. His parents were grocers throughout the 1950s and 1960s, until his father was struck by Parkinson's disease
. He describes his radically changing family structure as he and his two younger brothers moved with their parents to the provincial town of Herning
in Jutland
, near to where his father had been raised. There he graduated from high school, after which he attended the University of Århus, where he received his Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in comparative literature. It was there also where he became involved in the student movement of the 1970s. With his then fiancée, Anne Marie Mai, he wrote several books on literature, including a two-volume study of Danish women writers from the Middle Ages to contemporary times.
In 1982 Dalager left the University of Copenhagen
to live as a writer, which he has continued to do since. He has written poetry, fiction, drama and essays. Several of his poems and novels have been translated into other languages, and he has seen his plays staged in Moscow
, New York
, Berlin
, and other cities around the world.
Dalager’s work concentrates on the existential conditions of both ordinary people and contemporary and historical known persons, with moments of psychological soul-searching expressed within a multitude of differing conditions. Dalager’s diverse gallery of characters ranges from the woman of his Sarajevo monologue, I Count the Hours, to Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen in the play Lord and Shadow and the novel "Journey in blue"; from the dissident Count Claus Stauffenberg and Adolf Hitler in his novel To dage i juli (Two Days in July)to dr. Simon Wiesenthal in his novel "Labyrinten" ("The Labyrinth"). the 11th of sept.
The poetry cycle Århaus-elegi (Aarhus eulogy) of 1986 represents his poetic breakthrough. His most recent collection, Himlen åbner sig (The Sky Opens), was published in 2000.
Dalager writes of his own poetry: "For me poetry gives room for a more intimate and personal reflection in an attempt to 'answer' some of the changes of our times. What has particularly been of interest for me as a poet is to try to find the words for the vanitas of things in the midst of our modern living. Having two daughters, 9 and 11 years of age, I have more and more come to see the emotions of love as the most important source of my writing."
Three of his latest prose-works were the novels Journey in blue published in 2004 (English 2006), The Labyrinth in 2006 and Falling Shadows in 2007. Dalager's 2009 novel Lyset kommer langsomt (Slowly comes the light) and his 2011 Den lange dag (The Long Day) are his most recent to have been published.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
writer. He is the author of 51 literary works of all kinds, mostly novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s and plays, of which several have been translated or staged internationally. His works include I Count the Hours, a monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
for a woman in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
(1993), staged in 12 countries; The Dream, play (premiered in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
1999 starring Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
actress Bibi Andersson
Bibi Andersson
Bibi Andersson is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Bibi Andersson was born as Berit Elisabeth Andersson in Kungsholmen, Stockholm, the daughter of Karin , a social worker, and Josef Andersson, a businessman...
, since staged in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Łódź); Two Days in July (a 2004 novel about the German officers' rebellion against the Nazi regime on July 20, 1944), Journey in Blue; a biographical novel
Biographical novel
The biographical novel is a genre of novel which provides a fictional and usually entertaining account of a person's life. This kind of novel concentrates on the experiences a person had during his lifetime, the people he met and the incidents which occurred are detailed and sometimes...
about Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
(published in 15 countries and languages and nominated for the IMPAC Award
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
2008); The Labyrinth (a 2006 novel situated in Vienna anno 1993-1994) Falling Shadows (a 2007 novel situated in New York on 9-11 on the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
); and "Slowly Comes the Light" (a 2009 novel, situated in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, New York and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2004-2005). All in all published and staged in 24 countries, among them Great Britain, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Pakistan, China and Japan.
Biography
Dalager was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in the post-war period of the 1950s, a time of painful remembrances of the Second World War, continued economic restrictions, and a growing optimism about the future. His parents were grocers throughout the 1950s and 1960s, until his father was struck by Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. He describes his radically changing family structure as he and his two younger brothers moved with their parents to the provincial town of Herning
Herning
Herning Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,336 km² and a total population of 84,208...
in Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, near to where his father had been raised. There he graduated from high school, after which he attended the University of Århus, where he received his Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in comparative literature. It was there also where he became involved in the student movement of the 1970s. With his then fiancée, Anne Marie Mai, he wrote several books on literature, including a two-volume study of Danish women writers from the Middle Ages to contemporary times.
In 1982 Dalager left the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
to live as a writer, which he has continued to do since. He has written poetry, fiction, drama and essays. Several of his poems and novels have been translated into other languages, and he has seen his plays staged in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and other cities around the world.
Dalager’s work concentrates on the existential conditions of both ordinary people and contemporary and historical known persons, with moments of psychological soul-searching expressed within a multitude of differing conditions. Dalager’s diverse gallery of characters ranges from the woman of his Sarajevo monologue, I Count the Hours, to Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen in the play Lord and Shadow and the novel "Journey in blue"; from the dissident Count Claus Stauffenberg and Adolf Hitler in his novel To dage i juli (Two Days in July)to dr. Simon Wiesenthal in his novel "Labyrinten" ("The Labyrinth"). the 11th of sept.
The poetry cycle Århaus-elegi (Aarhus eulogy) of 1986 represents his poetic breakthrough. His most recent collection, Himlen åbner sig (The Sky Opens), was published in 2000.
Dalager writes of his own poetry: "For me poetry gives room for a more intimate and personal reflection in an attempt to 'answer' some of the changes of our times. What has particularly been of interest for me as a poet is to try to find the words for the vanitas of things in the midst of our modern living. Having two daughters, 9 and 11 years of age, I have more and more come to see the emotions of love as the most important source of my writing."
Three of his latest prose-works were the novels Journey in blue published in 2004 (English 2006), The Labyrinth in 2006 and Falling Shadows in 2007. Dalager's 2009 novel Lyset kommer langsomt (Slowly comes the light) and his 2011 Den lange dag (The Long Day) are his most recent to have been published.
Prose works and plays
- Hærværksforeningen og andre noveller, 1980
- Monolog for ung mand, radio play/ monologue, 1982
- En aften i Hamburg, play (An Eve in Hamburg) 1983-85
- Bergomi, novel, 1984
- Jon, novel, 1986
- Nat i Venedig, play, 1987, trans. Night in Venice, Washington D.C., 1992
- Nat med sne og kærlighed, radio play, 1987
- Morgen i Århus, (Morning in Aarhus) radio play, 1988
- I fremmed havn,(In a Foreign Harbour) film, 1990
- Ved havet (At the sea), TV film, 1991
- Møde i natten,(Meeting in the night) TV film, 1991
- Mesteren og Margarita, play, (The Master and the Margarita) 1991
- Herre og skygge, play, 1992, trans. Lord and Shadow (staged in Washington D.C., CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and more) - En historie om forræderi, play, 1992. (A Story about treason)
- Glemsel og erindring, novel, 1992. (To forget and to remember)
- Jeg tæller timerne, monologue, (I count the hours) (staged in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and other cities) - Længsler og skygger, play, 1995.
- Davids bog, novel, 1995. David's Story (translated into RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and more) - Kærlighed og forræderi, opera libretto for Niels Marthinsen, 1997.
- Fanget, detective novel, 1998.
- Tilfældige forbindelser, stories, 1998. (Casual relations)
- Drømmen, play, trans. The Dream, 1999. (New York, Moscow, Łódź, Copenhagen and other cities)
- En dukkes historier, stories for children, 2000.
- Øvelser i ensomhed, novel, 2000. (Exercises in loneliness)
- En halv times kærlighed, play, 2001. (A half hour of love)
- To dage i juli, novel, 2002 , Two days in July (translated into 5 languages)
- Opgøret med det entydige, essays, 2002.
- Tilfældige forbindelser, Casual relations prose trilogy, 2002-03.
- Mørke og forsoning, documentary film from the West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, 2003. (Darkness and reconciliation) - Rejse i blåt, novel, 2004. Journey in Blue (translated into 15 languages)
- Family Night, play, 2005. (premiere in New York 2006 )
- Ansigter, Faces, dia-monologue for an Israeli and PalestinianPalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
woman, New York, Copenhagen, 2005. - Labyrinten, novel, 2005, The Labyrinth
- American Elektra, play, premiere in BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Copenhagen 2007. - Falling shadows, novel, 2007.
- Slowly comes the light, novel, 2009
- The Long Day, novel, 2011
Books of poetry
- Opløsningstiden (Denmark: Arkona, 1982)
- Lindholmen station (Valby, Denmark: Helka, 1985)
- Provinsidyl [with Peter Nielsen] (Valby, Denmark: Borgen, 1986)
- Århus-elegi (Valby, Denmark: Borgen, 1986)
- Vinter (Viby, Denmark: Centrum, 1987)
- Ansigt og årstid (Valby, Denmark: Borgen, 1988)
- Hjernen er en rød station (Copenhagen: Brøndum, 1989)
- Floden under huset (Valby, Denmark: Borgen, 1992)
- Wienerdage (Valby, Denmark: Borgen, 1994)
- Og du skal vågne igen (Copenhagen: Per Kofod, 1996)
- Himlen åbner sig (Copenhagen: Tiderne Skifter, 2000).