Oskar Braaten

Biography

Oskar Alexander Braaten was born in Sagene, a borough of the city of Oslo. Sagene was one of Norway's oldest industrial areas dating to the mid-19th century. Oskar Braaten attended school in Sagene until he was 15 years old. In 1899, he was hired by antiquarian bookstore Bertrand Jensen, where he remained until 1910.

Though born and raised in Oslo, Braaten joined the mostly rural landsmal-movement. Braaten is best known for his popular plays and novels depicting the life of factory workers alongside Akerselva in Oslo. He published seven novels between 1917 and 1925. Braaten convey a new image of the Oslo not seen before in literature. Braaten was able to provide vivid and richly nuanced images of working-class life on the east side of Oslo during a historical period of industrialization. Criticism of injustice and inequality arises, but there is relatively little political tendency in his literary works. .

He served as an advisor and theater manager at the Det Norske Teatret in Oslo from its start in 1915 until his death. He was a consultant for the theater 1915-25, served as its theater director (Teatersjef) from 1934 to 1936 and dramatic performance manager from 1937 until his death. He was editor of For Bygd og By in 1912 and co-editor of the St. Hallvard from 1933. Braaten was the chairman of the Norwegian writer association (Den norske forfatterforening) at the end of 1921/22 and again 1933.

Personal life

Oskar Braaten and Nanna Thorvaldsen were married in 1910. Oskar and Nanna had a son Bjorn in 1912, daughter Berit in 1918. In 1921, the family moved to Ulleval Hageby, a residential area in the Nordre Aker borough of Oslo.

Selected works