Bergljot Hobæk Haff (1 May 1925 – 12 February 2016) was a Norwegian educator andnovelist.^[1]

Haff was born inBotne Municipality (now part ofHolmestrand Municipality) inVestfold county, Norway. Her parents were Lars Hobæk (1883–1938) and Martha Aarvold (1895–1987). Both of her parents were educators. She graduated from the Sandefjord Gymnasium in 1943. In 1947, she graduated from Oslo lærerhøgskole (nowOslo University College) with a degree in education. Upon completing her education, she moved toDenmark and taught school for 24 years before returning toOslo in 1972.^[2]

She made her debut with the novelRaset in 1956. She has written both contemporary and historical novels. Her writing has been characterized by original narrative and often by poetical imagination. Her works have also featured both mythical and allegorical interpretation. Her novels have been translated into several languages including English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Swedish and Lithuanian.^[3][4]

She was married twice. In 1948, she married Jørgen Haff (1925–1977). Their marriage was dissolved in 1961. In 1964, she married Søren Christensen. Their marriage was dissolved in 1972. Her daughter Marianne Hobæk Haff is a professor of French linguistics at theUniversity of Oslo.^[5][6]

Haff was awarded theNorwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 1962 forBålet. She received theDobloug Prize (Doblougprisen) in 1985, theNorwegian Academy Prize in 1988 and theAschehoug Prize (Aschehougprisen) in 1989. She also was awarded theBrage Prize (Brageprisen) in 1996 forSkammen, theNorwegian Critics Prize for Literature 1996, forSkammen and theRiksmål Society Literature Prize in 1996. She was nominated twice for theNordic Council's Literature Prize, once forDen guddommelige tragedie and again forRenhetens pris.^[7][8][9]

She was awarded theAmalie Skram Prize in 1995.^[10]

• Raset – novel – published in English as “The Landslide” (1956)^{[citation needed]}
• Liv – novel (1958)
• Du finner ham aldri – novel (1960)
• Bålet – novel – published in English as “The Bonfire” (1962)^{[citation needed]}
• Skjøgens bok – novel (1965)
• Den sorte kappe – novel (1969)
• Sønnen – novel (1971)
• Heksen – novel (1974)
• Gudsmoren. En menneskelig komedie – novel (1977)
• Jeg, Bakunin – novel (1983)
• Den guddommelige tragedie – novel (1989)
• Renhetens pris – novel (1992)
• Skammen – novel – published in English as “Shame” (1996)
• Sigbrits bålferd – novel (1999)
• Den evige jøde – novel (2002)
• Attentatet – novel (2004)

• 1925 births
• 2016 deaths
• People from Holmestrand Municipality
• Oslo University College alumni
• Norwegian educators
• Norwegian women novelists
• 20th-century Norwegian novelists
• 21st-century Norwegian novelists
• 20th-century Norwegian women writers
• 21st-century Norwegian women writers
• Dobloug Prize winners
• Norwegian novelist stubs

• CS1 Norwegian-language sources (no)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
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• Articles with unsourced statements from March 2025
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