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Thorkild Hansen

トーキルド・ハンセン

Thorkild Hansen

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1927-01-09 （Ordrup, Gentofte Municipality, Denmark）
Died
1989-02-04 （Caribbean） age 62
Nationality
Denmark
Languages
Danish
Residence History
Paris (1947–1952) → Copenhagen (after return)

Career

Occupations
novelist, journalist
Active Years
1945-1989

Education

Holte Gymnasium
Period: 〜1945
Country: Denmark
Secondary education (gymnasium)
University of Copenhagen
Faculty of Humanities / Literature
Period: 1945-1947
Year of Graduation: 1947
Country: Denmark
Studied literature; moved to Paris and worked in journalism

Awards

Søren Gyldendal Prize
1963
Organization: Gyldendal
Result: 受賞
De Gyldne Laurbær
1966
Organization: Danish literary community
Result: 受賞
Nordic Council Literature Prize
1971
Work: Islands of Slaves (part of trilogy)
Organization: Nordic Council
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Resten er Stilhed

1953 Novel

An early novel; detailed summary not available.

human relationsexistence

Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767

1962 Historical non-fiction / historical reconstruction

Reconstructs the Danish Arabia expedition (1761–1767), focusing on the expedition and its records.

explorationhistory of sciencecolonialism
Translations
  • Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767

Coast of Slaves

1967 Historical fiction

First novel in a trilogy about the Danish slave trade, portraying colonialism and slavery.

slaverycolonialismhuman nature
Translations
  • Coast of Slaves

Ships of Slaves

1968 Historical fiction

Second book of the trilogy depicting ships, voyages and the harsh realities of the slave trade.

sea voyagesslave tradeviolence and economics
Translations
  • Ships of Slaves

Islands of Slaves

1970 Historical fiction

Final volume of the trilogy addressing Danish colonies and the fate of slavery; won the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 1971.

colonial societieslived experience of slaveshistorical accountability
Translations
  • Islands of Slaves

Jens Munk / The Way to Hudson Bay

1965 Biographical historical

A study of Danish-Norwegian sea captain Jens Munk and his attempt to find the Northwest Passage.

explorationmaritime historybiography
Translations
  • The Way to Hudson Bay: The Life and Times of Jens Munk

Processen mod Hamsun

1978 Historical biography / non-fiction

Deals with the trial of Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun and its historical context. Adapted into a film in 1996 (starring Max von Sydow).

war and responsibilitytrial of a famous figurereexamination of history
Adaptations
  • [Film] (1996)

Bibliography

  • Resten er Stilhed (1953)
  • Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767 (1962)
  • Coast of Slaves (1967)
  • Ships of Slaves (1968)
  • Jens Munk / The Way to Hudson Bay (1965)
  • Islands of Slaves (1970)
  • Processen mod Hamsun (1978)

Adaptations

  • Film adaptation (1996) of Processen mod Hamsun, starring Max von Sydow

Translations of Works

  • English translations of the slave-trade trilogy (Coast of Slaves; Ships of Slaves; Islands of Slaves)
  • North West to Hudson's Bay: The Life and Times of Jens Munk (English translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
fact-based historical reconstructiondocumentary-like style blending records and fiction
Recurring Motifs
colonialismslaveryvoyages and explorationhistorical responsibility

Legacy

A Danish writer internationally recognized for works on historical subjects. His trilogy on the slave trade won the 1971 Nordic Council Literature Prize and contributed to reexamination of Denmark's modern history and colonial past.

In Popular Culture

  • Film adaptation of Processen mod Hamsun (1996) referenced in cinema circles

Trivia

  • Worked as a correspondent in Paris (1947–1952).
  • Best known for a trilogy on the slave trade (1967–1970); won the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 1971.
  • Died while on a voyage in the Caribbean (1989).