Halldis Moren Vesaas

The recorded working language is Norwegian and Nynorsk. The field of work recorded is literature, poetry and translation from French. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are children's and essay. Positions recorded include deputy member of the Norwegian Broadcasting Council. Distinctions recorded are Dobloug Prize, Bastian Prize, Norwegian Arts Council's Translation Award and Mads Wiel Nygaard's Endowment.

• Name — Halldis Moren Vesaas • Birth Name — Halldis Moren • Born — 18 November 1907 • Birthplace — Trysil, Norway • Died — 8 September 1995 • Occupation — poet, translator and writer of children's books • Children — Olav Vesaas Guri Vesaas • Parents — Sven Moren • Awards — * Bastian Prize • Mads Wiel Nygaards Endowment • Norsk kulturråds ærespris • Order of St. Olav

• Illustration — Midtbø in Vinje, site of the home of novelist Tarjei Vesaas and poet Halldis Moren Vesaas She was born on a family farm in Trysil Municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. Her father was story writer, poet, and playwright, Sven Moren. (1871–1938). She was the eldest and only girl in a family of five children. Her brothers included philologist Sigmund Moren (1913–1996). She attended the teacher college in Elverum 1925-1928, and then held various jobs in Hamar and Oslo. In 1930 she moved to Switzerland, where she worked for three years as secretary. In April 1934, she married the Norwegian author, Tarjei Vesaas (1897-1970). They settled on the Midtbø farm in Vinje Municipality in Telemark County where her husband worked as a teacher (1941–43). She debuted in 1929 at 22 years old with a collection of poetry, Harp and Dagger (Harpe og dolk). Her more notable books of poetry would include Speech of Troubled Times (Tung tids tale), The Tree (Treet), In a Different Forest (I ein annan skog) and House of Life (Livshus). She composed and translated for the theater, especially Det Norske Teatret in Oslo, wrote articles on various topics and was an external publishing consultant. She sat on the board of the Riksteatret (1949-1969). In 1938, her first children's book translation was published. Her writing won great acclaim in Norway for her brave and personal expressions of women's life in its several stages: youth, marriage, motherhood, widowhood and second love in old age. Vesaas died on 8 September 1995.

• Harpe og dolk, 1929 • Morgonen, 1930 • Strender, 1933 • Lykkelege hender, 1936 • Tung tids tale, 1945 • Treet, 1947 • I ein annan skog, 1955 • Livshus, 1995

• Garton, Janet (2002) Norwegian Women's Writing 1850-1990. Women in Context (The Athlone Press)