# Thorkild Hansen

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Danish novelist (1927–1989)

**Thorkild Hansen** (9 January 1927 – 4 February 1989) was a Danish novelist most noted for his [historical fiction](/source/Historical_fiction). He is popularly known for his trilogy of novels about the Danish slave trade which is composed of *[Coast of Slaves](/source/Coast_of_Slaves)* (1967), *[Ships of Slaves](/source/Ships_of_Slaves)* (1968), and *[Islands of Slaves](/source/Islands_of_Slaves)* (1970; for which he received the [Nordic Council Literature Prize](/source/Nordic_Council_Literature_Prize) in 1971).[1][2]

## Biography

Hansen was born at [Ordrup](/source/Ordrup) in [Gentofte Municipality](/source/Gentofte_Municipality), Denmark. He attended [Holte Gymnasium](/source/Holte) and from 1945–47 studied literature at the [University of Copenhagen](/source/University_of_Copenhagen). In 1947, he moved to [Paris](/source/Paris) where he wrote dispatches for the Copenhagen-based *[Ekstra Bladet](/source/Ekstra_Bladet)*. After returning to Denmark in 1952, he devoted his efforts to a series of novels. Several featured aspects of the [Danish era of imperialism](/source/Danish_overseas_colonies). *Det Lykkelige Arabien: En Dansk Ekspedition* (1962) covered the [Danish Arabia expedition (1761–67)](/source/Danish_Arabia_expedition_(1761%E2%80%9367)), the members of which included [Carsten Niebuhr](/source/Carsten_Niebuhr).[3] His book *Jens Munk* (1965) was about Danish-Norwegian sea captain [Jens Munk](/source/Jens_Munk) and his attempt to locate the [Northwest Passage](/source/Northwest_Passage).[4][5]

He died prematurely during a voyage in the [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean).[6]

## Awards

- [Søren Gyldendal Prize](/source/S%C3%B8ren_Gyldendal_Prize) (1963)

- [De Gyldne Laurbær](/source/De_Gyldne_Laurb%C3%A6r) (1966)

- [Nordic Council Literature Prize](/source/Nordic_Council_Literature_Prize) (1971)

## Selected works

- *Resten er Stilhed* (1953)

- *Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767* (*Det Lykkelige Arabien: En Dansk Ekspedition, 1761-67*, 1962)

- *[Coast of Slaves](/source/Coast_of_Slaves)* (*Slavernes kyst*, 1967)

- *[Ships of Slaves](/source/Ships_of_Slaves)* (*Slavernes skibe*, 1968)

- *The Way to Hudson Bay: The Life and Times of Jens Munk*[7]

- *[Islands of Slaves](/source/Islands_of_Slaves)* (*Slavernes øer*, 1970)

- *Processen mod Hamsun*, (1978)[8]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Thorkild Hansen (1927–1989)"](https://www.nyrb.com/collections/thorkild-hansen). New York Review Books. Retrieved December 1, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Thorkild Hansen"](http://www.africanbookscollective.com/authors-editors/thorkild-hansen). African Books Collective. Retrieved December 1, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Colin Dwyer (17 June 2017). ["In The Refrains Of 'Arabia Felix,' A Reminder: Often The End Is Just A Start"](https://www.npr.org/2017/06/17/531929925/in-the-refrains-of-arabia-felix-a-reminder-often-the-end-is-just-a-start). *NPR*. National Public Radio. Retrieved December 1, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["1971 Thorkild Hansen, Denmark: Slavernes øer"](https://www.norden.org/en/nominee/1971-thorkild-hansen-denmark-slavernes-oer). Nordic Co-operation. Retrieved December 1, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Michigan State University author bio](http://msupress.msu.edu/authorbio.php?authorID=1862) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070513224118/http://msupress.msu.edu/authorbio.php?authorID=1862) 2007-05-13 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** F.J. Billeskov Jansen, Merete Harding: [Thorkild Hansen](http://denstoredanske.dk/Dansk_Biografisk_Leksikon/Kunst_og_kultur/Litteratur/Forfatter/Thorkild_Hansen) Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, Gyldendal

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Also published in English as *North West to Hudson's Bay: The Life and Times of Jens Munk* (1970)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Apparently never translated into English; adapted as a film (1996) with [Max von Sydow](/source/Max_von_Sydow) as Knut Hamsun

## External links

- [Thorkild Hansen](https://www.gyldendal.dk/forfattere/thorkild-hansen-f21070) Gyldendal

v t e Nordic Council Literature Prize winners 1960s 1962: The Days of His Grace – Eyvind Johnson 1963: Under the North Star 3: Reconciliation – Väinö Linna 1964: The Ice Palace – Tarjei Vesaas 1965: From Hell to Paradise – Olof Lagercrantz and The Good Hope – William Heinesen 1966: Diwan on the Prince of Emgion – Gunnar Ekelöf 1967: Nye noveller – Johan Borgen 1968: Flight of the Eagle – Per Olof Sundman 1969: The Legionnaires – Per Olov Enquist 1970s 1970: Anna, I, Anna – Klaus Rifbjerg 1971: Coast of Slaves, Ships of Slaves & Islands of Slaves – Thorkild Hansen 1972: Sju ord på tunnelbanan – Karl Vennberg 1973: Kersantin poika – Veijo Meri 1974: Uden mål – og med – Villy Sørensen 1975: Siinä näkijä missä tekijä – Hannu Salama 1976: Að laufferjum & Að brunnum – Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson 1977: I de mörka rummen, i de ljusa – Bo Carpelan 1978: Dalen Portland – Kjartan Fløgstad 1979: Pubertet – Ivar Lo-Johansson 1980s 1980: Vredens barn – Sara Lidman 1981: Hauströkkrið yfir mér – Snorri Hjartarson 1982: Samuels bok – Sven Delblanc 1983: Om fjorten dage – Peter Seeberg 1984: The Christmas Oratorio – Göran Tunström 1985: A Day in Ostrobothnia – Antti Tuuri 1986: Líkasum – Rói Patursson 1987: Hudløs himmel – Herbjørg Wassmo 1988: Justice Undone – Thor Vilhjálmsson 1989: Roman 1987 – Dag Solstad 1990s 1990: For the Living and the Dead – Tomas Tranströmer 1991: The Sun, My Father – Nils-Aslak Valkeapää 1992: Night Watch – Fríða Á. Sigurðardóttir 1993: Byen og verden – Peer Hultberg 1994: Blackwater – Kerstin Ekman 1995: Angels of the Universe – Einar Már Guðmundsson 1996: Hva skal vi gjøre i dag og andre noveller – Øystein Lønn 1997: Bang. En roman om Herman Bang – Dorrit Willumsen 1998: After Having Spent a Night Among Horses – Tua Forsström 1999: Queen's Gate – Pia Tafdrup 2000s 2000: Drømmebroer – Henrik Nordbrandt 2001: The Discoverer – Jan Kjærstad 2002: The Half Brother – Lars Saabye Christensen 2003: Revbensstäderna – Eva Ström 2004: Juoksuhaudantie – Kari Hotakainen 2005: The Blue Fox – Sjón 2006: The Ocean – Göran Sonnevi 2007: Drömfakulteten – Sara Stridsberg 2008: Baboon – Naja Marie Aidt 2009: I Curse the River of Time – Per Petterson 2010s 2010: Purge – Sofi Oksanen 2011: Between the Trees – Gyrðir Elíasson 2012: Days in the History of Silence – Merethe Lindstrøm 2013: The Prophets of Eternal Fjord – Kim Leine 2014: Mirage 38 – Kjell Westö 2015: Wakefulness, Olav's Dreams & Weariness – Jon Fosse 2016: Songs and Formulae – Katarina Frostenson 2017: Memories of Love – Kirsten Thorup 2018: Hotel Silence – Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir 2019: Efter Solen – Jonas Eika 2020s 2020: Who killed Bambi? – Monika Fagerholm 2021: Flower Valley – Niviaq Korneliussen 2022: Om udregning af rumfang – Solvej Balle 2023: Ihågkom oss till liv – Joanna Rubin Dranger List of Nordic Council's Literature Prize winners and nominees

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