Kjersti Ericsson was born in Oslo, daughter of a switchboard operator and a journalist, has worked as a factory worker, teacher, and qualified psychologist and, finally, at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law at the University of Oslo. She is married with two children. From 1984 to 1988, she was the leader of Arbeidernes Kommunistiske Parti (Workers’ Communist Party of Norway).
Her debut work, published in 1968, was Fotnoter i rødt, and she subsequently published seven poetry collections, the most recent being Mosestille. Kjerringrokk, 1995. The poems often have a simple form, employ realist language, and have a direct message linked to a specific, collective context. Her writing has a socio- and feminist political slant and also incorporates motifs from nature and private life. Kjersti Ericsson has also published a number of non-fiction works and debate books, the most recent being Drift og dyd. Kontrollen av jenter på femtitallet, 1997.
Additions by the editorial team 2011:
The above biography was first published in 1998. Since then, Kjersti Ericsson has published a large number of both fiction and non-fiction books, including the poetry collection Alkekongeriket, 1997, the novels Hekketid, 2001, Hjemkomst, 2005, and Gunhild fra Vakkerøya, 2008, and the authobiographical work Alene, about the death of her husband of forty years.
In 2009, Kjersti Ericsson received the Språklig samling literature prize.