Hunger / Sult

Knut Hamsun (August 4, 1859 - February 19, 1952), born in Lom under the name of Knut Pedersen) was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to the subject, perspective and environment. He published more than 20 novels, a collection of poetry, some short stories and plays, a travelogue, and some essays.He first received acclaim for his 1890 novel Sult, translated as Hunger. The work, which is semi-autobiographical, described a young writer's descent into near madness as a result of hunger and poverty. In many ways, the novel presages the writings of Franz Kafka and other twentieth-century novelists, who explored the madness of the contemporary human condition.Other important works by Hamsun include Pan [1894] and The Growth of the Soil [1917], for which he received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1920.On August 4, 2009, the Knut Hamsun Centre was opened in Hamar�y.Since 1916, several of Hamsun's works have been adapted into motion pictures.