Mikkjel Fønhus

Born in Sør-Aurdal on March 14, 1894, Mikkjel Fønhus became one of Norway’s best-known nature writers. Reliable reference sources describe him as a journalist, novelist, and short-story writer whose work is closely tied to wilderness settings and animal life.

He made his literary debut with Skoggangsmand in 1917, and his breakthrough followed with Der vildmarken suser in 1919. Store norske leksikon notes that he drew heavily on the landscapes of Valdres, and that Troll-Elgen became one of his major successes.

Fønhus wrote with unusual attention to the lives and behavior of animals, which helped give his stories their distinctive feel. He died on October 28, 1973, but he is still remembered as a central voice in Norwegian nature literature.