Author Jon Michelet is dead

Author Jon MicheletAuthor Jon Michelet was very fond of football, especially Brazil. Photo: Morten Holm, NTB SCANPIX

Literate Norway in sorrow after the death of Jon Michelet

The author Jon Michelet is dead, 73 years old. For decades, Michelet has been one of Norway’s best-selling authors.

 

The author passed away on Saturday night. According to Michelet’s publisher, October, he died peacefully, surrounded by his nearest and dearest.

-He was very much loved and he will be sorely missed his wife, Toril Brekke, states on behalf of the family.

The author has suffered from cancer In recent years and last summer he suffered a relapse.

Wrote until the end

Michelet worked to the last with the final book in the series “The Hero of the Sea”. The final book, “The Return of the Warrior”, is published in the autumn.

– Jon made a tremendous effort towards the end to finish the last volume of the sailors at war, and he was very proud and relieved that he made it, Toril Brekke says.

– It is a big loss for Norwegian literature. Jon has a great authorship behind him and wrote until the end, says publishing director in the Oktober publishing house, Ingeri Engelstad, to NTB.

– He was an incredibly generous person who was full of stories and knowledge. Jon had a commitment unparrallelled by anybody else, she sys.

The condolences have poured in from all parts of Norwegian public life, including the Government.

– It’s really sad. Not in the least because he was a very productive writer regarding the Norwegian sailors during WWII in recent years, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg (Conservatives) to VG.

– He is one of the most important authors we have experienced and he died too young, says Minister of Culture, Trine Skei Grande (Liberals).

Comprehensive life

For several decades, Jon Michelet has been one of Norway’s most critically acclaimed and best-selling authors. He was born in 1944 and made his debut as an author in 1975 with the novel ” The One to be Hanged, is not to Drown”.

With the novels featuring Wilhelm Thygesen, he renewed Norwegian literature, and was awarded the Riverton Prize for Best Norwegian Crime novel twice, both for “White as Snow” (1980) and “The Frozen Woman” (2001). In 2009, “White as Snow” was voted the third best crime novel of all times by Dagbladet.

In his professional life, Michelet was a sailor, brewer, journalist, publisher in October and chief editor in the nespaper Klassekampen.

He had an extraordinary broad authorship, ranging from crime novels featuring Wilhelm Thygesen through books on soccer (mainly about his favourite team, Brazil) written together with Dag Solstad, to the recent monumental series about Norwegian naval contribution during World War II.

– Michelet was one of Norway’s most popular writers. “A Hero of the Sea” is of enormous importance. Jon has written a national epos, says fellow author, Dag Solstad, to Aftenposten.

Sorrow among colleagues

– For our colleagues in the crime genre in Norway, a pillar has now passed away. Together with Gunnar Staalesen, Michelet in the 1970s paved the way for the current Norwegian wave of Crime Novels. But Jon was much more than merely a crime novelist. He was also a socially engaged person and politically busy. I remember him as a warm and good colleague as well, says author Tom Egeland to NTB.

Author Tove Nilsen was a close friend of Michelet. She describes him as a big, warmhearted and generous person.

– We worked together ever since we were young. I’m gonna miss him so much, she says to Bergens Tidende.

Michelet was previously the responsible editor in Klassekampen and worked closely with the current chief editor, Bjørgulv Braanen.

– He was an incredibly warm and generous person, I hardly think I’ve met anyone who was more caring towards people than him. Jon meant a lot to the editorial staff and for me as well, says Braanen.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today