Hans E. Kinck

Hans E. Kinck
Hans E. Kinck, painting from 1912 by Harald Brun

Hans Ernst Kinck (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈçɪŋk]) (11 October 1865 – 13 October 1926) was a Norwegian author and philologist who wrote novels, short stories, dramas, and essays. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times.

He was born in Øksfjord in Loppa, Finnmark, where his father was the local health inspector. He died in Oslo.

Kinck wrote Novels, short stories and plays as well as a number of essays on historical and political subjects. He travelled extensively and lived in Italy for long periods. Half of his literary production is related to Italian topics.

Kinck often explores the workings of love and tenderness, and the difference between the mass of humanity and individuals. In his more political works, he warns against fascism, a trend that grows stronger in his later writings.

Kinck also wrote about struggling artists, the misunderstandings they met with, and their reactions towards them.

He died two days after his 61st birthday.

Kinck's plays are very lengthy and are often regarded as pieces for reading, not for performing. When played in full, some of his plays last for seven hours or more. They are often closely connected to his essays; expanding on and dramatizing their ideas. His great historical play Mot Karneval (Towards Carnival), based on the life of Niccolò Machiavelli is a prime example; also, a play based on the life of Pietro Aretino called Den Sidste Gjæst/The Last Guest).

His other Italian pieces are based on stories by Boccaccio, and are rooted in medieval tradition, exploring the ways of love and passion.

Kinck also wrote four "Norwegian" plays, with a contemporary setting. They take place in small western valleys, exploring class warfare and the approach of modernity. His greatest play is generally considered to be Driftekaren (The Herdsman) (with references to Peer Gynt). It tells of a man who is a "trader and a poet", and how "humanity grows forth" in him (as Kinck puts it). His last play was a sequel to this, written in 1925.