Toralf Øksnevad

Toralv Øksnevad
Toralv Øksnevad in 1956
Born	1891
Died	1975
Occupation	Journalist, newspaper editor, radio personality
Agent	Dagbladet, Romsdalsposten, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, BBC
Relatives	Reidar Øksnevad (brother) Arne Skouen (son-in-law) Synne Skouen (granddaughter)

Toralv Øksnevad (13 January 1891 – 31 July 1975) was a Norwegian politician, journalist, newspaper editor and radio personality. He was known as the "voice from London" during World War II, when listening to foreign radio in Norway was illegal, and from October 1942 implied risk of death penalty.

Øksnevad was born in Høyland, a son of teacher Arnt Øksnevad and Kirsten Torine Folkvord, and was a brother of librarian Reidar Øksnevad. His daughter married journalist and film director Arne Skouen, and he was a grandfather of composer Synne Skouen. He died in Oslo in 1975.

Øksnevad was a journalist for Dagbladet from 1912 to 1920, was press attaché in Paris 1920–1924, and again journalist for Dagbladet 1924–1927. He was editor-in-chief for the regional newspaper Romsdalsposten 1927–1933.

He started working for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) in 1933, and became the leader for the news department in 1938. In April 1940 he fled from occupied Norway to neutral Sweden, and traveled to London in August 1940, to negotiate with BBC. In London he participated in the BBC's broadcasting in the Norwegian language until 1945. Øksnevad was the program director of NRK-in-exile, except for brief periods. Before Øksnevad travelled from Sweden to London, Aake Anker Ording was acting director, and from July to October 1941 Øksnevad visited his family in the United States, during which time Olav Rytter was acting director. Øksnevad's regular Sunday evening speeches had a significant influence on the Norwegian war resistance. The book Det lå i luften from 1946 contains about 160 of his London radio speeches.