Alf Prøysen

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Lore & Background

Alf Prøysen was a Norwegian author, poet, playwright, songwriter, and musician, regarded as one of the most important cultural figures in Norway during the second half of the 20th century. He was born at Rudshøgda in Ringsaker Municipality, Hedmark county, and grew up on the croft farm Prøysen, named after the Kingdom of Prussia. He was the youngest of four children in a rural farm family. Prøysen worked across multiple media, including books, newspapers, and records, and contributed significantly to music, television, and radio. He wrote for the Arbeiderbladet from 1954 until his death. His songs, such as Husmannspolka, Tango for to, and Julekveldsvis, made him extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Most of his stories and songs were set in environments similar to the rural village where he grew up. He debuted in 1945 with a collection of short stories, and his only novel, *Trost i taklampa*, was successful as both a book and a play. Prøysen is especially noted for his series of children's books featuring Mrs. Pepperpot, first published in 1956 and in English in 1959. The character became an international success, later adapted into a Swedish television series and a Japanese cartoon. He was awarded the Norwegian Cultural Council Honorary Prize in 1970. Prøysen married Else Storhaug in 1948, and they had two children. He died of cancer at age 56 and was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund in Oslo.

Reader's Guide

Alf Prøysen was a central figure in Norwegian culture during the mid-20th century, working across books, newspapers, records, television, and radio. His songs, including *Husmannspolka*, *Tango for to*, and *Musevisa*, made him extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Most of his stories and songs were set in rural environments similar to the village where he grew up. His only novel, *Trost i taklampa* (1950), succeeded both as a book and as a play. He wrote for the newspaper *Arbeiderbladet* from 1954 until his death. A large part of his writing consisted of short stories, with much of his production aimed at children. The first stories about the character Mrs. Pepperpot appeared in the magazine *Kooperatøren*, and the first book in the series was published in 1956. The series later became an international success, appearing in the Penguin Books classic series, and inspired a Swedish television series and a Japanese cartoon series of 130 episodes. Prøysen received the Norwegian Cultural Council Honorary Prize in 1970. His personal life included a marriage to Else Storhaug in 1948, with whom he had two children. After his death from cancer at age 56, several biographies were written, including one by his daughter. Discussions about his bisexuality, confirmed by sources and by activist Karen-Christine Friele, emerged in later biographical works and public debate.

Did You Know?

• Alf Prøysen's *Little Old Mrs Pepperpot* was published in 1956 as the first in a long series of Mrs Pepperpot books.
• The Mrs Pepperpot series is also known by its Norwegian title Teskjekjerringa.
• The source lists Prøysen's book under 'Children and young people' for the year 1956.