Kjartan Fløgstad (7.06.44) is a Norwegian author born in the industrial city of Sauda (Ryfylke, Rogaland). He studied literature and linguistics at the University of Bergen. Subsequently, he worked for a period as an industrial worker and as a sailor before he debuted as a poet with his collection of poems titled ‘Valfart’ (Pilgrimage) in 1968. He received the ‘Nordic Council Literature Prize‘ for his 1977 novel ‘Dalen Portland‘ (Dollar Road). Other major works include ‘Fyr og flamme‘ (Fire and Flame), ‘Kron og mynt‘, ‘Grand Manila’ and ‘Grense Jakobselv’. Fløgstad initial prose work, ‘Den hemmelege jubel’ (The Secret Exultation), was published in 1970 and in 1972 he published the short story collection ‘Fangliner’ (Ropes), in which he encourages seamen, and shift workers in heavy industry, to make themselves heard in their own language: the author’s Marxist viewpoint became evident. During the 1970s he also wrote two crime novels under the two pseudonyms ‘K. Villun’ and ‘K. Villum’. His major breakthrough came in 1977 with the novel ‘Dalen Portland’ (Dollar Road) which was awarded the ‘Nordic Council Literature Prize’: the subsequent ‘Fyr og flamme’ (Fire and Flame, 1980) and ‘Det 7. klima’ (The Seventh Climate, 1986) are among his most recognized works. In his major novels he mixes realistic precision with an understanding of sociology: Fløgstad’s work depicts the economic and social transitions as Norway was shifting from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and then to a post-industrial society. As demonstrated in both fiction and non-fiction, Fløgstad’s style of writing is very characteristic: many puns, allusions to other texts and to films and a mix of sociolects. He is also one of the best-known authors associated with magic realism in Norway, and his overall realistic plots often feature many fantastic twists.

Bibliography
Valfart (Pilgrimage) – collection of poetry (1968)
Sememoniar (Ceremonies) – collection of poetry (1969)
Den hemmelege jubel (The Secret Exultation) – Prose (1970)
Fangliner (Ropes) – Short Stories (1972)
Dikt i utval av Pablo Neruda (Translation of a selection of poetry by Pablo Neruda) (1973)
Litteratur i revolusjonen. Dikt frå Cuba (Literature in the Revolution. Poetry from Cuba) – translated poetry (1973)
Rasmus (Rasmus) – novel (1974)
Døden ikke heller (Death without end) – Crime Novel (1975) – under the pseudonym K. Villum
Ein for alle (One for all) – Crime Novel (1976) – under the pseudonym K. Villun
Dalen Portland (Dollar Road) – novel (1977)
Fyr og flamme (Fire and flame) – novel (1980)
Loven vest for Pecos (The Law West of Pecos) – essays (1981)
U 3 – novel (1983)
Ordlyden (The Wording) – essays (1983)
Det 7. klima (The Seventh Climate) – novel (1986)
Tyrannosaurus Text (Tyrannosaurus Text) – essays (1988)
Portrett av eit magisk liv. Poeten Claes Gill (Portrait of a Magic Life: The Poet Claes Gill) – biography (1988)
Arbeidets lys. Tungindustrien in Sauda through 75 år (Heavy Industry in Sauda through 75 years) – (1990)
Kniven på strupen – novel (1991)
Fimbul (Fimbul) – novel (1994)
Dikt og spelmannsmusikk 1968-1993 (Poetry and Fiddlers’ Music) – (1993)
Pampa Union. Latinamerikanske reiser (Pampa union. Latin American Journeys) – Travelography (1994)
Ved Roma port ( ) – pamphlet (1994)
Antipoder (Antipodes) – essays (1996)
Kron og mynt (Heads or Tails) – novel 1998)
Dei ytterste ting. Nødvendighetsartiklar (The Ultimate Questions) – essays (1998)
Eld og vatn. Nordmenn i Sør-Amerika (Fire and Water. Norwegians in South America) – Prose (1999)
Evig varer lengst (Where have all the lovers gone?) – Play (2000)
Sudamericana (South America) – Travelography (2000)
Osloprosessen (The Oslo Process) – (2000)
Sudamericana. Latinamerikanske reiser (South America. Latin America travels) – Travelography (2000)
Shanghai Ekspress (Shanghai Express) – Travelography (2001)
Paradis på jord ( Paradise on Earth) – novel (2002)
Hotell Tropical (Tropical Hotel) – Travelography (2003)
Pablo Neruda: Kapteinens vers (Pablo Neruda: Captain’s Verse) – translated Poetry (2003)
Brennbart (Combustibles) – Prose (2004)
Snøhetta: hus som vil meg hysa – Non-fiction on the Norwegian architects (2004)
Grand Manila – novel (2006)
Pyramiden, portrett av ein forlaten utopi – essays (2007)
Gi lyd. Tekstar 1968-2008. Selected works by Agnes Ravatn and Trygve Åslund (2008)
Nordaustpassasjen1 – (2012)