Thorbjørn Egner

Thorbjørn Egner
Thorbjørn Egner c. 1961. Photo: Oslo Museum
Born	(1912-12-12)12 December 1912 Oslo, Norway
Died	24 December 1990(1990-12-24) (aged 78) Oslo
Occupation	Artist, author, songwriter, playwright, musician, illustrator and translator
Genre	Children's literature, play, novels, songs, drawing

Thorbjørn Egner (12 December 1912 – 24 December 1990) was a Norwegian playwright, songwriter and illustrator known for his books, plays and musicals for children.

He grew up in the working-class neighbourhood Kampen in Oslo and his breakthrough was on the nationally broadcast children's radio show in the beginning of the 1950s.

Egner is particularly known for his books Karius og Baktus (1949), Thorbjørn Egners lesebøker (1950–1972), Klatremus og de andre dyrene i Hakkebakkeskogen (1953) and Folk og røvere i Kardemommeby (1955, translated 1976). The latter two were made into successful musicals. He also illustrated his own books.

Thorbjørn Egner received the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1972 and Cappelen Prize in 1979. He also won three Spellemann awards (Spellemannprisen): in 1975 for , in 1977 for the album and in 1982 for Beste Egnerviser, a collection of his songs.

In 1937, Thorbjørn Egner married Annie Eliassen (born in 1912 in Oslo). They had four children together. Egner died in the afternoon of Christmas Eve 1990 in Oslo of a massive heart attack.