Norwegian author Ingvar Ambjørnsen has died, aged 69. The news was confirmed by Tone Hansen, Head of Communications at the publishing house Cappelen Damm, in a statement.
“It is with great sorrow that we have received the message of Ingvar Ambjørnsen’s passing. He is an author who has meant — and still means — an enormous amount to Norwegian literature and to all of us at Cappelen Damm,” the publisher said in a written statement to NRK.
The death was first reported by VG.
Born in Larvik on 20 May 1956, Ingvar Even Ambjørnsen Haefs made his literary debut in 1976 with Pepsikyss. Over the following decades, he published a wide range of novels, short stories, and collections, and rose to national prominence with the breakthrough novel Hvite niggere in 1986.
Ambjørnsen became a household name in Norway, especially among younger readers. His stories left a lasting mark on several generations, whether through hard-hitting books like Døden på Oslo S or the widely loved Elling series, which reached large audiences not only in print, but also through film adaptations and theatre productions. The Pelle og Proffen detective series further cemented his reputation as a literary voice that captured youth culture and social outsiders with sharpness, humour, and compassion.
In recent years, Ambjørnsen lived in Hamburg, Germany, where he continued to write and reflect on his career and legacy.
Norwegian literature has lost one of its most distinctive and cherished voices.
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