# Simon Flem Devold

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{{Short description|Norwegian author and musician (1929–2015)}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Simon Flem Devold
| image           =
| caption         =
| image_size      =
| alias           =
| birth_name      = Helge Flem Devold
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1929|03|17|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [Namsos](/source/Namsos_(town))
| death_date      = {{death date and age|df=y|2015|05|20|1929|03|17}}
| death_place     = [Oslo](/source/Oslo)
| origin          = [Norway](/source/Norway)
| instrument      = [Clarinet](/source/Clarinet)
| genre           = [Jazz](/source/Jazz)
| occupation      = Musician, writer
| years_active    =
| label           =
| past_member_of = [Tord Gustavsen](/source/Tord_Gustavsen) <br/>S.F.D. Quartet
| website         = 
}}

'''Simon Flem Devold''' birthname '''Helge Flem Devold''' (17 March 1929 – 20 May 2015)<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.smp.no/kultur/article10985504.ece | title=Simon Flem Devold er død | first=Solfrid | last=Vartdal | language=no | newspaper=[Sunnmørsposten](/source/Sunnm%C3%B8rsposten) | date=21 May 2015 | accessdate=8 March 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> born in [Namsos](/source/Namsos_(town)), Norway, was a Norwegian author, journalist and [jazz](/source/jazz) [clarinet](/source/clarinet)ist.

When he was three years of age he and his family moved to [Ålesund](/source/%C3%85lesund_(town)), where he was raised. His change of name from Helge to Simon occurred in connection with his affiliation with [Subud](/source/Subud), a worldwide association with Indonesian Indonesian roots where «the desire for the individual is to find the person you want to be here on earth».<ref>.{{cite news | url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/innenriks/simon-flem-devold-er-dod-1.359828| title=Simon Flem Devold er død | first=Hans | last=Cosson-Eide | language=no | newspaper=[Dagsavisen](/source/Dagsavisen) | date=21 May 2015  | accessdate=8 March 2018}}</ref>

In 2012, Devold received the [Fritt Ord Honorary Award](/source/Fritt_Ord_Honorary_Award) for his «groundbreaking commitment as a facilitator of children's voices, life experiences and rights»  through the column  «På skråss» in ''Aftenposten'', often based on taboo themes.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.frittord.no/aktuelt/fritt-ords-honnr-2012-til-simon-flem-devold | title=Fritt Ords Honnør 2012 til Simon Flem Devold | language=no| date=24 August 2012 | accessdate=8 March 2018}}</ref>

== Author and writer ==
Devold is perhaps best known as a representative and defender for the children, including through his regular column in ''[Aftenposten](/source/Aftenposten)'', «På skråss».

Devold's debuted as author with the book ''Gutta og jeg'' in 1973, a collection of portraits of city originals. He has written 17 books, equally distributed between books on children's understanding of life and rights, and books on urban originals. His perhaps most famous book, ''Morten, 11 år'', has been translated into Swedish, German, Dutch and Japanese.

He also worked as a journalist at ''[Sunnmørsposten](/source/Sunnm%C3%B8rsposten)'', where he was particularly noted with his sharp pen – and the figure Maskemakk, which featured in Sunnmørsposten in the 1970s and was known for its quaint English: «The fast-window went on reason» (Hurtigruta ran aground).

== The musician ==
Devold led the S.F.D. Quartet, and in recent years he played a lot with [Tord Gustavsen](/source/Tord_Gustavsen). Devold's quartet played swing jazz à la [Benny Goodman](/source/Benny_Goodman), and from the mid-1950s he was one of the most famous jazz groups in Norway, especially in his genre. The quartet originally consisted of Devold (Clarinet and Saxophone), Ivar Skuseth (Vibraphone), Kåre Halvorsen (Piano) and Leif Hessen (Drums). The quartet was periodically expanded to quintet with additional guitar accompaniment.

Devold contributed to Turid Lisbeth Nygård's children's jazz record ''Trollhalen'' (Musico, 2001). Together with Marit Carlsen he released the album ''Swingende Barnetro'' ([KKV](/source/Kirkelig_Kulturverksted), 1989), and with Jon Kirkebø Rosslund and Pål Are Bakksjø he provided jazz kindergarten at Hemnesjazz (1999).

== Children of the Earth ==
In 1987, Devold got the idea that [Nordkapp](/source/North_Cape_(Norway)) could be used for something of positive importance far beyond Norway's borders. In collaboration with, among others, Nordkapps Vel, seven children from different parts of the earth gathered at Nordkapp. Hence the name of the ''Barn av Jorden'' (Children of the Eart). The project has been transformed into an award given to a person or project that has shown care and ability to help distressed children. Barn av Jorden's Prize are worth NOK 100,000 and are awarded each year in June at Nordkapp.

== Honors ==
* Hirschfeldtprisen 1965
* ''Name of the Year'' at [Dagbladet](/source/Dagbladet) 1984
* ''TV profile of the year'' at [Se og Hør](/source/Se_og_H%C3%B8r) 1985
* Paul Robesonprisen 1988
* Brobyggerprisen 1996
* Brummprisen 1996
* Wandaprisen 1998
* Tulipanprisen 2000
* [King's Medal of Merit](/source/King's_Medal_of_Merit) in gold 2002
* Åpenhetsprisen 2006
* Barnehelseprisen 2011
* [Fritt Ord Honorary Award](/source/Fritt_Ord_Honorary_Award) 2012

== References ==
{{Portal|Norway|Jazz}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060814165614/http://www.tordg.no/simon/ Tordg.no/simon] om duoen med [Tord Gustavsen](/source/Tord_Gustavsen)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928140518/http://www.barnavjorden.org/ www.barnavjorden.org – Barn av Jorden]
* [http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/Alle-barns-Simon-takker-for-seg-6967464.html Alle barns «Simon» takker for seg]
* [https://archive.today/20130703141429/http://www.fritt-ord.no/no/hjem/mer/fritt_ords_honnr_til_simon_flem_devold/ Fritt Ords Honnør]

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{{s-bef | before= [Knut Bjørnsen](/source/Knut_Bj%C3%B8rnsen)}}
{{s-ttl | title = ''[Se og Hør](/source/Se_og_H%C3%B8r_(Norway))''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s TV Personality of the Year | years = 1984<br>(with [Kari Storækre](/source/Kari_Stor%C3%A6kre)) }}
{{s-aft | after = [Jarl Goli](/source/Jarl_Goli) and<br>[Gunvor Hals](/source/Gunvor_Hals)}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devold, Simon Flem}}
Category:2015 deaths
Category:1929 births
Category:Norwegian jazz clarinetists
Category:Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold
Category:Norwegian non-fiction writers
Category:People from Namsos Municipality
Category:People from Ålesund Municipality
Category:Aftenposten people
Category:20th-century Norwegian writers
Category:21st-century Norwegian writers
Category:20th-century Norwegian clarinetists
Category:21st-century Norwegian clarinetists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Simon Flem Devold](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Flem_Devold) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Flem_Devold?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.