Kolbjørn Hauge

Kolbjørn Hauge (2 April 1926 – 15 August 2007) was a Norwegian schoolteacher, crime fiction and non-fiction writer.^[1] He was awarded the Riverton Prize for 1995 for the crime novel Død mann i boks.

Hauge was born at Kyrkjøy on Finnøy in Ryfylke. He was the son of Kolbein Andersson Hauge (1889–1972) and Marianne Rasmusdotter Auglænd (1893–1967). His brother was journalist, novelist, poet and historian Alfred Hauge (1915–1986).^[2] Hauge grew up in a pietistic rural environment. He had a versatile career including a gardener, fisherman, roadworker, clerk and sailor before embarking on a career in education. He obtained a teacher's degree at Stord/Haugesund University College which he attended from 1947-51.^[3]

His non-fiction books include the textbooks in pedagogy Barn og historie (1984) and Ungdom og historie (1986). Further the political history Fra protest til parti (1987), and the linguistic books Historien om hvordan lydene fikk bokstaver (1986), and Stor norsk rimordbok from 1990. He made his crime fiction debut in 1991 with the novel Kofferten, and his literary breakthrough was Heit juice in 1993 for which he was awarded the Sunnmørsprisen.^[3] He won the Riverton Prize for Død mann i boks in 1995.^[4] Later books are the crime novels Til jord skal du bli from 1997, Over mitt lik from 1999, and Nord og ned from 2003. In 2004 he published the short story collection To perfekte mord og andre kriminelle historier.^[3]

He published the novel for young adults, Onsdagsranaren, in 1991, and his children's book Hitlers labyrint was published in 1998.^[3]