Jon Olav Fosse | Height, Age, Profession, Net Worth, Family, Biography & More

Jon Olav Fosse is a Norwegian author, translator, and playwright born on September 29, 1959. In 2023, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his innovative plays and prose that express the inexpressible.

Job Olav Fosse

• Name: Jon Olav Fosse
• Born: 29 September 1956
• Mother: Wigdis Nanna Erland
• Father: Kristoffer Fosse
• Profession: Playwright Novelist Poet
• Spouse: Bjorg Sissel (m. 1980 div. 1992), Grethe Fatima Syed (m. 1993 div. 2009), Anna Fosse (m. 2011)
• Children: 6

Fosse has an extensive body of work, including over seventy novels, poems, children's books, essays, and theatre plays. His creations have been translated into more than fifty languages. Renowned as the most performed Norwegian playwright since Henrik Ibsen, Fosse's works are showcased on over a thousand stages globally. His plays are characterized by minimalism and deep introspection, often using language that borders on lyrical prose and poetry. Critics have observed that his works carry on the dramatic tradition initiated by Henrik Ibsen in the 19th century.

Fosse's contributions to theatre are often associated with post-dramatic theatre, and some of his notable novels are categorized as post-modernist and avant-garde literature. This classification is due to their minimalist style, lyrical quality, and unconventional use of syntax.

Early Life

Jon Fosse was born in 1959 in Haugesund, Norway, and grew up in Strandebarm. He came from a Quaker and Pietist family, which greatly influenced his spiritual beliefs. A significant accident at the age of seven, bringing him close to death, had a profound impact on his later writing. Despite not being initially interested in books, Fosse began writing around the age of twelve. As a teenager, he aspired to be a rock guitarist but shifted his focus to writing when he abandoned his musical ambitions. He also played the fiddle and often wrote his own lyrics during his teenage years.

In his youth, Fosse was influenced by communism and anarchism and identified as a "hippie." He attended the University of Bergen, studying comparative literature and writing in Nynorsk. His debut novel, "Raudt, svart" (Red, Black), was published in 1983 and was inspired by the Nynorsk writer Tarjei Vesaas. Departing from the prevailing social realist fiction in Norway, Fosse's novel emphasized linguistic expression over plot. He earned a master's degree in comparative literature in 1987 and published his third novel, "Blod. Steinen er" (Blood. The Stone Is).

Following a separation from his wife in 1989, Fosse published a novel and his first collection of essays. In the early 1990s, he continued to publish novels and collaborated with his second wife, Grethe Fatima Syéd, on translations. Fosse's first play, "Og aldri skal vi skiljast" (And We'll Never Be Parted), was performed and published in 1994. Throughout his career, Fosse has explored various literary forms, including novels, short stories, poetry, children's books, essays, and plays. His works have been translated into over forty languages, and in addition to his own writing, he works as a translator for other authors.

Early Prose

During the 1980s, Jon Fosse made significant strides in his literary career. He published his first novels, starting with "Raudt, svart" (1983), which explores the theme of suicide. Following this, he released "Stengd gitar" (1985), a narrative about a mother facing a dilemma after locking herself out of her house with her baby inside. These early works already exhibited the stripped-down prose that would later become characteristic of Fosse's writing style.

In addition to novels, Fosse ventured into poetry with his first collection, "Engel med vatn i augene" (1986), meaning "Angel with Water in His Eyes." He also delved into essays with his inaugural collection, "Frå telling via showing til writing" (1989), translating to "From Telling via Showing to Writing." During this period, Fosse took on the role of an instructor at the Academy of Writing in Hordaland to support himself.

Fosse began to gain recognition in Norway with the publication of his novel "Naustet" (1989), translated as "Boathouse." This novel tells the story of a 30-year-old man living as a recluse in his mother's house. A chance encounter with a former bandmate disrupts the friend's marriage, adding depth to the narrative. This period marked the emergence of Fosse as a notable literary figure in his home country.

Prose from the 2000's

Plays

Jon Fosse did not initially plan to become a dramatist and initially resisted writing plays when approached. However, in 1992, facing financial constraints, he changed his mind and began writing the dialogue for "Nokon kjem til å komme" (1996; Someone Is Going to Come). Surprisingly, he found writing plays to be easy and later described it as "the biggest revelation in my writing career." The first play to be staged was "Og aldri skal vi skiljast" ("And Never Shall We Part"), performed at the National Theater in Bergen in 1994. This marked the beginning of many plays, including "Namnet" (1995; The Name), depicting a pregnant woman waiting for the father of her child, and "Natta syng sine songar" (1998; Nightsongs), exploring a woman's indecision about leaving her husband for another man. Fosse's breakthrough in Europe came with French director Claude Régy's 1999 staging of "Someone Is Going to Come" in Paris. Subsequently, Fosse focused primarily on playwriting. His stage works, like his prose, often dwell in moments of hope and doubt, creating a sense of purgatory for the characters. At the turn of the 21st century, productions of his plays included "Ein sommars dag" (1999; A Summer’s Day), portraying a woman anticipating her husband's return from a boat trip; "Dødsvariasjonar" (2002; Death Variations), a one-act play in reverse about a girl questioning her decision to commit suicide; and "Eg er vinden" (2008; I Am the Wind), which explores existential crises experienced by two men on a fishing boat.

Trilogy

Towards the end of the 2010s, Jon Fosse embarked on writing "Trilogien" (2014; Trilogy), consisting of "Andvake" (2007; Wakefulness), "Olavs Draumar" (2012; Olav's Dreams), and "Kveldsvævd" (2014; Weariness). This trilogy unfolds the narrative of a couple, Asle and Alida, spanning centuries and told through their descendants. The epic work earned Fosse the prestigious 2015 Nordic Council Literature Prize, recognizing the outstanding contribution of "Trilogien" to Nordic literature.

Recognization

Jon Fosse is recognized as the most performed Norwegian playwright after Henrik Ibsen, with his works considered a modern continuation of Ibsen's 19th-century tradition. Fosse cites Samuel Beckett, Georg Trakl, and Thomas Bernhard as his elective relatives. Influential authors and books in his life and work include Olav H. Hauge, Franz Kafka, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, and the Bible.

In 2003, Fosse was honored as a chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite in France and ranked 83 on The Daily Telegraph's list of the Top 100 living geniuses. Since 2011, he has been granted the Grotten, an honorary residence in Oslo, recognizing his contributions to Norwegian arts and culture. Fosse served as a literary consultant for Bibel 2011, a Norwegian Bible translation, and received the 2015 Nordic Council's Literature Prize for the trilogy Andvake (Wakefulness), Olavs draumar (Olav's Dreams), and Kveldsvævd (Weariness).

Several of Fosse's works have been translated into Persian and performed in Tehran. In the United States, six of his plays were translated into American-English by Sarah Cameron Sunde and premiered in New York City and Pittsburgh.

In April 2022, Fosse's novel "A New Name: Septology VI-VII" was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and named a finalist for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Award in Fiction. In October 2023, he became the first Nynorsk writer and the fourth Norwegian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, following Sigrid Undset in 1928.

Later Works

In the 2020s, Jon Fosse made a return to playwriting with works such as "Slik var det" (2020; This Is How It Was), "Sterk vind" (2021; Strong Wind), and "I svarte skogen inne" (2023; In the Black Forest). These plays were performed at the Norwegian Theater in Oslo.

Additionally, Fosse continued his literary exploration in prose with "Kvitleik" (2023; A Shining). This work narrates the story of a driver who loses himself in the Norwegian woods and encounters an unknown creature. Fosse's writings in this decade showcase his ongoing creativity and engagement with various forms of storytelling.

Personal Life

Jon Fosse has had three marriages. His first marriage was to Bjørg Sissel, a nurse, from 1980 to 1992, and they have a son together. In the following year, he married Grethe Fatima Syéd, an Indian-Norwegian translator and author, with whom he later separated. They have two daughters. Fosse is currently married to his third wife, Anna, since 2011, who is Slovak. They spend time together in Hainburg an der Donau in Austria. Fosse owns homes in Bergen and two more in other parts of western Norway.

Originally a member of the Church of Norway, Fosse described himself as an atheist before 2012. In 2012–2013, he joined the Catholic Church and voluntarily sought rehabilitation to address his long-term issues with alcohol consumption.

-Jon Olav Fosse