Johan Falkberget

Johan Falkberget, born Johan Petter Lillebakken, (September 30, 1879 – April 5, 1967) was a Norwegian author.

Life and career

Johan Falkberget was born on the Falkberget farm in the Rugldal valley in the Norwegian copper mining municipality of Røros.

In 1891 he began to write his Christianus Sextus trilogy, although it was not published until later. He formally changed his surname for writing purposes in 1893 from Lillebakken to Falkberget - the name of the farm upon which he then lived (this was a normal practice in those days). His first work was published in 1902. In 1906 he quit his job as a miner and found a job as editor of the newspaper «"Nybrott"» in Ålesund. In 1908 he traveled to Fredrikstad and edited «"Smaalenes Socialdemokrat"». He then received a state stipend and traveled to Kirkenes. From 1909 till 1922 his primary residence and workplace was in Kristiania (now Oslo).

In 1922 he returned to Røros and lived on the Ratvolden farm, less than 1 km from the Falkberget farm. His Ratvolden house is now a museum. While living there, he represented the Norwegian Labour Party ("Arbeiderpartiet") for Sør-Trøndelag in the Storting from 1931 to 1933.

Since he grew up in a mining area and began his career as a miner, his works drew extensively on his experiences with the people, the country culture and mining. His breakthrough work in 1923 was a novel titled «Den fjerde nattevakt» or "The Fourth Night Watch", a historic novel set in the first half of the 19th century in and around the mines. This was followed by his «Christianus Sextus» trilogy, set in the 1720s, in which the mining culture is also a central motif.

After a long and productive life, he died on April 15, 1967 and is buried in the family plot in the upper churchyard at Røros.

Important works

::"Many of his works are not available in English translation. Those which are, are noted with the English equivalent title next to the Norwegian title."
*1902 "Når livskvelden kjem - Forteljing"
*1903 "Bjarne - Et billede fra en fjellbygd"
*1905 "Vaarsus - Fortælling"
*1905 "Moseflyer - Skitser og sagn fra Dovrefjeld"
*1906 "Hauk Uglevatn - Fortælling fra Dovrefjeld"
*1907 "Svarte Fjelde - Fortælling"
*1908 "Mineskud"
*1908 "Ved den evige sne - Fortælling I"
*1909 "Fakkelbrand"
*1909 "Urtidsnat"
*1910 "Vargfjeldet - Smaa fortællinger"
*1910 "Nord i haugene - Eventyr"
*1911 "Fimbulvinter"
*1912 "En finnejentes kjærlighetshistorie"
*1912 "Jutul-historier - Fortalt av 'n Soplim-Tosten sjøl"
*1913 "Eli Sjursdotter"
*1913 "Eventyr. Nord i Haugene og Jutulhistorier"
*1914 "Simen Mustrøen. Karikaturkomedie"
*1914 "Av Jarleæt"
*1915 "Lisbet paa Jarnfjeld"
*1916 "Eventyrfjeld. Historier for barn"
*1916 "Helleristninger. Historier fra fjeldet og jagten"
*1917 "Brændoffer"
*1918 "Rott jer sammen"
*1918 "Sol. En historie fra 1600 tallet"
*1919 "Barkebrødstider - Nye fortællinger"
*1919 "Vidden - Fortællinger"
*1919 "Bjørneskytteren"
*1920 "Bør Børson - Olderdalens største sønn"
*1920 "Byd lykken haanden eller da Johannes Mo løste rebusen"
*1920 "Bør Børson jr."
*1921 "Naglerne. Eller jernet fra Norden og andre fortellinger"
*1923 "Den fjerde nattevakt" (The Fourth Night Watch)
*1924 "I Nordenvindens land"
*1925 "Vers fra Rugelsjøen"
*1926 "Anders Reitan. Liv og virke 1826-1926"
*1927 "Den nye Bør Børson jr."
*1927 "Christianus Sextus. De første geseller" (CHRISTIANUS SEXTUS - trilogy: The First Journeyman)
*1928 "Det høie fjeld"
*1928 "Solfrid i Bjørnstu og de syv svende"
*1929 "I forbifarten"
*1931 "Christianus Sextus. I hammerens tegn" (CHRISTIANUS SEXTUS - trilogy: The Sign of the Hammer)
*1933 "Der stenene taler"
*1935 "Christianus Sextus. Tårnvekteren"(CHRISTIANUS SEXTUS - trilogy: The Tower Watch)
*1936 "I vakttårnet"
*1940 "Nattens Brød. An-Magritt"
*1944 "Runer på fjellveggen. Sagn og fortellinger"
*1946 "Nattens Brød. Plogjernet" (The Plough)
*1948 "I lyset fra min bergmannslampe"
*1952 "Nattens Brød. Johannes"
*1959 "Nattens Brød. Kjærlighets veier" (Love's Way)
*1963 "Jeg så dem --"
*1964 "Vers fra Rugelsjøen og andre dikt"

External links

* [http://www.nrk.no/programmer/stemmer_fra_arkivet/stemmer_fra_litteraturen/2330326.html NRK: Johan Falkberget]