Mari Osmundsen was born on Østlandet. Since her debut novel Vi klarer det!, published in 1978, Mari Osmundsen has been seen as a socially committed writer conscious of women’s issues, although she has gradually shifted in the direction of fantasy, borrowing from myths and tales.
Her breakthrough came with the novel Gode gjerninger (N), 1984, the ironic title being an allusion to Bjørnson. The novel, which has been translated into Danish, German, and Russian, was followed by works such as her collection of fables, Drageegget, 1986, which incorporates Eastern mysticism, and her novels Gutten der slo tida ihjel, 1990, and Absolvo te, 1992, the first about xenophobia and the second about the right to commit a crime in the name of good. Mari Osmundsen published Sju sannferdige fortellinger in 1995.
In 1988 her novel Arv won the novel competition hosted by Cappelen publishing house. The same year, she was awarded the Språklig Samling’s Literary Prize.
Additions by the editorial team 2011:
The above biography was first published in 1998. Since then, Mari Osmundsen has published the novel Jentungen, 1999, as well as a children’s book.
