Tor Obrestad
Tor Obrestad (12 February 1938 – 25 January 2020) was a Norwegian novelist, poet and documentary writer.
Tor Obrestad

Jarvin · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Tor Obrestad
- Born
- 12 February 1938
- Birthplace
- Hå, Norway
- Died
- 25 January 2020
- Place of death
- Nærbø, Norway
- Occupation
- Novelist, poet and documentary writer
- Nationality
- Norway
- Honours
- Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris · Gyldendal's Endowment · Sarpsborgprisen · Stavanger Aftenblads kulturpris
- Languages
- Norwegian · Nynorsk
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Tor Obrestad (12 February 1938 – 25 January 2020) was a Norwegian novelist, poet and documentary writer.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
Tor Obrestad (1938–2020) was a biographer, poet and writer, of Norwegian nationality. The biographer was born in Hå Municipality and died in Nærbø.
Languages used include Norwegian and Nynorsk. Honours include Gyldendal's Endowment, Sarpsborgprisen and Stavanger Aftenblads kulturpris, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q3357270 · wikipedia · Tor Obrestad
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Tor Obrestad • Born — 12 February 1938 • Birthplace — Hå, Norway • Died — 25 January 2020 • Place of death — Nærbø, Norway • Occupation — Novelist, poet and documentary writer • Genre — Poetry, short stories, biography • Period — 1966–2020
Early and personal life
Early and personal life
Obrestad was born in Hå Municipality on 12 February 1938. His parents were farmer Jon R. Obrestad and Sophie Riise. He studied at the teacher's college in Elverum and worked as a schoolteacher, and then studied at the University of Oslo. He eventually became a full-time writer, and was also assigned as journalist for the newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad. He died on 25 January 2020.
Literary career
Literary career
Obrestad made his literary debut in 1966 with two books, the poetry collection Kollisjon and a collection of short stories, Vind, and received Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris for these two books. He was a member of the so-called Profil generation in 1968, the circle attached to the literary magazine Profil. He wrote biographies on Arne Garborg, Hulda Garborg, Alexander Kielland and Einar Førde. His novel Sauda! Streik! from 1972 was adapted for the film Streik!, directed by Oddvar Bull Tuhus in 1975.
Selected works
Selected works
• Kollisjon, poetry, 1966 • Vind, short stories, 1966 • Vårt daglige brød, poetry, 1968 • Marionettar, novel, 1969 • Den norske løve, poetry, 1970 • Sauda! Streik!, novel, 1972 • Sauda og Shanghai, poetry, 1973 • Stå saman, poetry, 1974 • Tolken, short stories, 1975 • Baba Anastasia og andre tekster, short stories, 1976 • Stå på! Roman om ein arbeidskonflikt, novel, 1976 • Vinterdikt, poetry, 1979 • Reisa til bestemor, children's book, 1980 • Ein gong må du seie adjø, novel, 1981 • Sjå Jæren, gamle Jæren, short stories, 1982 • Kamelen i Jomarskogen, children's book, 1985 • Misteltein, poetry, 1987 • Seks netter, seks dagar, novel, 1989 • Arne Garborg, biography, 1991 • Hulda, biography of Hulda Garborg, 1992 • Forsøk på å halde fast tida, short stories, 1993 • Mimosa, myosotis, rosmarin, poetry, 1994 • Sannhetens pris. Alexander Kielland, biography, 1996 • Jæren. Eld or blått. Ei samling poesi i ord og bilete, poetry, 1997 • Bernhards mor. En drøm, novel, 1998 • Kvinnene i Casablanca og andre historier, short stories, 2002 • Krokodillen Alexander og navigator emeritus, Reinert i Sjøhusgaten. Ei oppbyggeleg fortelling frå ein liten by, children's book, 2002 • Einar Førde, biography, 2007
Identity
Identity
Tor Obrestad is recorded with the occupation biographer. Recorded with the occupation writer. Recorded with the occupation poet. Recorded as writer, biographer and poet.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1938
Tor Obrestad was born on 12 February 1938.
2020
Tor Obrestad died on 25 January 2020.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Hå Municipality.
Birth place
Nærbø.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3357270: Tor Obrestad
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Tor Obrestad”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Awards
• Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris 1966 • Gyldendal's Endowment 1971
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,427 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Tor Åge BringsværdAuthor
- Tor Edvin DahlAuthor
- Tor JonssonAuthor
- Tor NørretrandersAuthor
- Tor UlvenAuthor
- Torahiko TeradaAuthor
- Torborg NedreaasAuthor
- TorcafolAuthor
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