Gunvor Hofmo
Encyclopedia
Gunvor Hofmo was a Norwegian
writer
, often considered one of Norway's most influential modernist
poets.
and weekly magazines such as Hjemmet
. One of her first published poems was dedicated to her close friend Ruth Maier
and was published in Magasinet for Alle
, opening with the lines:
During the Holocaust, Maier was arrested, deported, and murdered in Auschwitz
, and this became by all accounts the central tragedy in Hofmo's life. She was hospitalized in 1943 for depression, starting a lifelong struggle with mental illness.
Following the war, Hofmo traveled extensively and wrote essays for publication, primarily in the daily newspaper Dagbladet
. The topics included travel, Nordic poetry, and philosophical topics. Among her most noted contributions are a lengthy debate on the minimal daily cost of living a life barely out of penury in Paris
and a treatise in defense of her poet colleague Olav Kaste.
In 1953, she stopped publishing essays and instead concentrated on her poetry. Dagbladet published seven of her poems between 1952 and 1956. She published five poetry collections between 1946 and 1955.
She was institutionalized at Gaustad Hospital
, suffering from mental illness, characterized as schizophrenia
, paranoid type, from 1955 to 1971, leading to what was known as her "16 years of silence." Following her discharge, she went into a period of considerable productivity, publishing fifteen poetry collections between 1971 and 1994. From 1977 to her death she never left her apartment in the Nordstrand
section of Oslo.
both characterized their relationship as unusually close and intimate, there is no indication that it was romantic or sexual.
In 1947, Hofmo moved in with another writer, Astrid Tollefsen
and became one of the first Norwegians living in an openly lesbian
relationship. They continued to live and travel together until Hofmo was incapacitated and committed for her mental illness.
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...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, often considered one of Norway's most influential modernist
Modernist poetry
Modernist poetry refers to poetry written between 1890 and 1950 in the tradition of modernist literature in the English language, but the dates of the term depend upon a number of factors, including the nation of origin, the particular school in question, and the biases of the critic setting the...
poets.
Literary career
Hofmo started her literary career submitting poems for publication to a wide variety of presses, including the communist newspaper FrihetenFriheten
Friheten is a biweekly newspaper, published by the Norwegian Communist Party .It was founded illegally in 1941, during the German occupation of Norway due to World War II. After the liberation in 1945, it emerged as the official party newspaper....
and weekly magazines such as Hjemmet
Hjemmet
Hjemmet, pronounced "yemmet" is a Norwegian weekly magazine, founded in 1911. Its target group is women 40 years and older . The magazine contains features, articles on food and interior decoration, and crosswords. Its circulation was 228,313 in 2004. The editor is Lise Hansen. It is owned by...
. One of her first published poems was dedicated to her close friend Ruth Maier
Ruth Maier
Ruth Maier was an Austrian woman whose diaries describing her experiences of the Holocaust in Austria and Norway were published in 2007 to generally favorable reviews, leading her to be described as "Norway's Anne Frank."Ruth Maier was born in Vienna to a largely assimilated Jewish family...
and was published in Magasinet for Alle
Arbeidermagasinet
Arbeidermagasinet was a Norwegian weekly magazine established in 1927. It changed its name to Magasinet For Alle in 1953, and ceased publication in 1970. The magazine is especially noted for its literary quality and its promotion of the short story.-Editors:Arbeidermagasinet's first editor from...
, opening with the lines:
During the Holocaust, Maier was arrested, deported, and murdered in Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
, and this became by all accounts the central tragedy in Hofmo's life. She was hospitalized in 1943 for depression, starting a lifelong struggle with mental illness.
Following the war, Hofmo traveled extensively and wrote essays for publication, primarily in the daily newspaper Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
. The topics included travel, Nordic poetry, and philosophical topics. Among her most noted contributions are a lengthy debate on the minimal daily cost of living a life barely out of penury in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and a treatise in defense of her poet colleague Olav Kaste.
In 1953, she stopped publishing essays and instead concentrated on her poetry. Dagbladet published seven of her poems between 1952 and 1956. She published five poetry collections between 1946 and 1955.
She was institutionalized at Gaustad Hospital
Gaustad Hospital
Gaustad Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located at Gaustad in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1855, it is part of Aker University Hospital. Since 1 January 2009, Aker University Hospital has been part of Oslo University Hospital, a subsidiary of the Southern and Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority....
, suffering from mental illness, characterized as schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, paranoid type, from 1955 to 1971, leading to what was known as her "16 years of silence." Following her discharge, she went into a period of considerable productivity, publishing fifteen poetry collections between 1971 and 1994. From 1977 to her death she never left her apartment in the Nordstrand
Nordstrand, Norway
Nordstrand is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The borough is located in the southern part of the city and is the second most populated district of Oslo with over 40,000 inhabitants...
section of Oslo.
Personal life
Although Gunvor Hofmo and Ruth MaierRuth Maier
Ruth Maier was an Austrian woman whose diaries describing her experiences of the Holocaust in Austria and Norway were published in 2007 to generally favorable reviews, leading her to be described as "Norway's Anne Frank."Ruth Maier was born in Vienna to a largely assimilated Jewish family...
both characterized their relationship as unusually close and intimate, there is no indication that it was romantic or sexual.
In 1947, Hofmo moved in with another writer, Astrid Tollefsen
Astrid Tollefsen
Astrid Tollefsen was a Norwegian lyricist. She made her literary debut with the poetry collection Portrett i speil . She lived in a long-term relationship with the lyricist Gunvor Hofmo....
and became one of the first Norwegians living in an openly lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
relationship. They continued to live and travel together until Hofmo was incapacitated and committed for her mental illness.
Works
- Jeg vil hjem til menneskene – (1946) ("I want to go home to the humans")
- Fra en annen virkelighet – (1948) ("From another reality")
- Blinde nattergaler – (1951) ("Blind nightingales")
- I en våkenatt – (1954) ("In a waking night")
- Testamente til en evighet – (1955) ("A will to an eternity")
- Treklang – dikt i utvalg (1963) (published with Astrid Hjertenæs AndersenAstrid Hjertenæs AndersenAstrid Hjertenæs Andersen was a Norwegian poet and travel-writer.-Biography:Astrid Hjertenæs was born in Horten , in Vestfold County, Norway. She attended a secretary and journalist school for women...
and Astrid TollefsenAstrid TollefsenAstrid Tollefsen was a Norwegian lyricist. She made her literary debut with the poetry collection Portrett i speil . She lived in a long-term relationship with the lyricist Gunvor Hofmo....
) ("Triad") - Gjest på jorden – (1971) ("Guest on Earth")
- November – (1972)
- Veisperringer – (1973) ("Road barriers")
- Mellomspill – (1974) ("Interlude")
- Hva fanger natten – (1976) ("What the night captures")
- Det er sent – (1978) ("It is late")
- Nå har hendene rørt meg – (1981) ("Now the hands have touched me")
- Gi meg til berget – (1984) ("Give me to the mountain")
- Stjernene og barndommen – (1986) ("The stars and the childhood")
- Nabot – (1987)
- Ord til bilder – (1989) ("Words to pictures")
- Fuglen – (1990) ("The bird")
- Epilog – (1994) ("Epilogue")
- Samlede dikt – collected poems(1996)
- Etterlatte dikt – poems (1997) (posthumously, edited by Jan Erik Vold)
- Jeg glemmer ingen – poems (1999) (edited by Jan Erik Vold, illustrated with water color paintings by Ruth Maier) ("I forget no one")
Prizes and awards
- Gyldendal's EndowmentGyldendal's EndowmentGyldendal'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...
1951 - Kritikerprisen 1971, for Gjest på jorden
- Gyldendal's EndowmentGyldendal's EndowmentGyldendal'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...
1974 - Dobloug PrizeDobloug PrizeThe 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:...
1982 - Riksmålsforbundets litteraturprisRiksmål Society Literature PrizeThe Riksmål Society Literature Prize is awarded annually by the Riksmålsforbundet for the outstanding publication in riksmål...
1989