Olaug Nilssen (1977) made her literary breakthrough with Turn me on, Dammit in 2005. The book had a defining significance for an entire generation. Since then she has written books in different genres and made her mark as a unique and important voice in Norwegian literature. In her novel l A Tale of Terrible Times, for which she was awarded the Brage Prize, she writes with unusual openness about the experience of being a mother of a child with disabilities. In her novel The One Needful Thing, published in 2020, she continues to explore the themes of A Tale of Terrible Times.
In 2021, Nilssen received The Fritt Ord’s Prize, along with Bjørn Hatterud and Jan Grue. They were awarded the prize in recognition of their important critical contribution to illuminating the impact of cultural stigmas on the situation of persons with disabilities in Norway.
Her new novel Undesirable Behaviour was published in 2023.
I 2024, she received the prestigious Amalie Skram Prize for her authorship.
The 2024 Amalie Skram Prize has been awarded to Olaug Nilssen. The award ceremony took place on August 22, during the annual celebration of Amalie Skram’s birthday at the Literature House in Bergen.
Praise for Unwanted Behaviour - Olaug Nilssen’s new novel
New novel by Olaug Nilssen: Unwanted Behaviour
Olaug Nilssen winner of the P2 Audience Novel Award 2020
The One Needful Thing is among the best novels of the year!
