Astrid Hjertenæs Andersen

Astrid Hjertenæs Andersen (5 September 1915 – 21 April 1985) was a Norwegian poet and travel-writer.

Biography

Astrid Hjertenæs was born in Horten (now Borre), in Vestfold County, Norway. She attended a secretary and journalist school for women (Hallings sekretær- og journalistskole for damer). She later worked as a typist and journalist for the Aftenposten, Norway's largest newspaper. In 1939, she married the painter Snorre Andersen (1914–1979), who later illustrated several of her poetry collections. Her work contained nature poems written to her husband's watercolors.

Dating from 1942, she devoted herself entirely writing. Her poems appeared often in both Aftenposten and Dagbladet. Andersen wrote early in the modernist direction in the Norwegian post-war poetry. The poems show a clear connection to the symbolism of the past century and were often inspired by music and visual art. A strong personal artistic style, often with the use of free forms, together with the suggestive use of images and symbols, characterize her writings.

Partial bibliography

• De ville traner – poems (1945)
• De unge søylene – poems (1948)
• Skilpaddehagen – poems (1950)
• Strandens kvinner – poems (1955)
• Vandrersken – poems (1957)
• Pastoraler – poems (1960)
• Frokost i det grønne – poems (1964)
• Dr. Gnomen – poems (1967)
• Hyrdefløyten – epistler fra Algerie – travel writing 1968)
• Rosenbusken – poems (1972)
• Svaner og nåtid – epistler fra Island – travel writing (1973)
• Et våroffer – poems (1976)
• De tyve landskaper – poems (1980)
• Samlede dikt – poems (1985)

Awards

• 1964 Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature
• 1976 Riksmål Society Literature Prize
• 1984 Dobloug Prize
• 1984 Norwegian Academy Prize in memory of Thorleif Dahl