Sigbjørn Hølmebakk

Sigbjørn Hølmebakk (born 1922 in Flekkefjord, died 1981) was an Norwegian author.

He was brother of publisher and author Gordon Hølmebakk. Hølmebakk was active in the popular movement against atomic weapons in Norway and one of the initiators of the Sosialistisk Folkeparti. In 1961 he wrote his then famous article ‘’Brønnpisserne’’ about the suspicious activities and persecutions of communists and other radicals.

Hølmebakk's début in literature came in 1950 with the novel "Don't Talk About the Fall" ("Ikke snakk om høsten"). As an author he was a realist, who wrote of existential questions with force and skillfully explored social backgrounds. He was a much beloved author before he died at the relatively young age of 59.

Many of Hølmebakk’s works became the basis for films. “The Terrible Winter” ("Fimbulvinteren") (1964) about the German scorched earth policy in Finnmark [When Northern Norway was invaded by Allied Forces (primarily Russian) from Finland, in pursuit of the retreating German army in 1944, the Germans proceeded to destroy every building that could offer shelter, thus interposing a belt of "scorched earth" between themselves and the Russians.] [* cite book|author=Derry, T.K. |title=A History of Modern Norway: 1814—1972 |publisher=Clarendon Press, Oxford |year=1972|id=ISBN 19-822503-2] during the Second World War became the film “Burnt Earth” ("Brent jord") in 1969, starring Knut Andersen. "Hurra for Andersens" was filmed in 1966, starring Knut Andersen. "The Maiden's Leap” ("Jentespranget") (1970) was filmed in 1973, starring Knud Leif Thomsen. "The Carriage Stone" ("Karjolsteinen") (1975) was filmed in 1977, starring Knut Andersen.

Bibliography

*"Ikke snakk om høsten"– ("Don't Talk about the Fall") – novels (1950)
*"Det hvite fjellet" – ("The White Mountain") – novel, (1954)
*"Menneskefiskeren" – ("The Fisher of Men") – novel (1956)
*"Salve sauegjeter"– barnebok, (1959)
*"Emigranten" – ("The Emigrant") – novel, (1959)
*"Fimbulvinteren" – ("The Terrible Winter") – novel, (1964)
*"Hurra for Andersens" – novel, (1966)
*"Jentespranget" – ("The Maiden's Leap") – novel, (1970)
*"Tolv trøndere og to andre fortellinger" – ("The Twelve Men from Trøndelag and Two Other Stories") – novels, (1973) Winner: 1975 Norwegian Critics' Prize
*"Hundevakt, grålysning " – articles, (1974)
*"Karjolsteinen" – ("The Carriage Stone") – novel (1977) ISBN 0-8023-1309-4,
*"Sønnen" – ("The Son") – novel, (1978)
*"Fredlaustona" – ufullendt, posthumously published (1983)
*"Liljer i snøen" – novels and travel letters from the decades of 1950s and 1960s (1992)
*"13 noveller" – ("13 Novels") – collection of novels (2004)

Drama

*"Det siste kvarter" – hørespill, NRK (1960)
*"Et lite kapitel av en stor manns dagbok" – hørespill, NRK (1961)
*"Det siste kvarter" – NRK fjernsynsteateret (1962)
*"Heltedød til salgs" – Det Norske Teateret (1968)
*"Pappa er ikke glad i oss lenger" – NRK fjernsynsteateret (1971)

Prizes

*Gyldendals legat 1956
*Norwegian Literary Critics' prize ("Kritikerprisen") 1975, for "Karjolsteinen"
*Doblougprisen 1976

References and notes