author
Magdalene Thoresen
1819–1903
A vivid Danish-Norwegian writer of novels, stories, plays, and poetry, she helped bring Norwegian landscapes and emotional life into 19th-century literature. Her life also placed her close to the world of Henrik Ibsen, adding another layer of interest to her story.
1 Audiobook
Uusia kertomuksia
by Magdalene Thoresen
About the author
Born Anna Magdalene Kragh in Fredericia, Denmark, in 1819, she later became a Danish-Norwegian author whose work ranged across poetry, novels, short stories, plays, and travel writing. Reliable reference sources agree that she spent much of her life in Norway, and that her writing holds an important place in Nordic literary history.
She trained as a schoolteacher, worked as a governess, and married the clergyman Hans Conrad Thoresen, becoming stepmother to Suzannah Thoresen, who later married Henrik Ibsen. She was also connected to the cultural life of Bergen and is described in literary reference sources as an early contributor to Norwegian theater.
Her writing is often remembered for its strong feeling for nature, place, and everyday life, especially in Norwegian settings. Although she is sometimes mentioned because of her link to the Ibsen family, she was a significant and productive author in her own right, with a body of work that was widely noted in her time.