Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832–1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the first Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to a Norwegian in 1903 for his noble, magnificent, and versatile poetry. He is celebrated for his peasant novels like Synnøve Solbakken and Arne, national dramas, and the lyrics to Norway's national anthem "Ja, vi elsker dette landet." A prolific polemicist and influential figure in Norwegian public life, he advanced national theater, politics, and cultural debate.