Vera Margrethe Henriksen, is a Norwegian novelist, playwright and non-fiction writer
Background
Vera Margrethe Roscher Lund was born in Oslo and lived there until 1940, when she moved to Arendal. Her father was military officer, later Colonel Ragnvald Alfred Roscher Lund (1899–1975), the first commander of the Norwegian Military Intelligence Service, head of the Norwegian High Command"s office FO II in exile in London during World World War World War II
Education
She continued her secondary education at the Norwegian gymnasium in Uppsala, Sweden, and graduated in 1945. She studied architecture at Yale University from 1946 to 1948. From 1948 to 1949, she studied art history and journalism at Columbia University.
Career
She is particularly known for her historical novels and plays set in the Middle Ages. In 1944, she had to flee Norway during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. The following year she traveled to the United States where her family lived in New Jersey.
In total, she lived in the United States from 1946 to 1963.
Her first novel, Sølvhammeren (Silver Hammer) was published in 1961. This novel was followed by Jærtegn (Miracle) in 1962, and Helgenkongen (The Saint King) in 1963.
The trilogy is about Olaf II of Norway and his time. Among her historical plays are Asbjørn Selsbane from 1972, and Sverdet, first staged in 1974.
She has also written books for children and young adults.
Vera Henriksen has an unusually broad and extensive writings behind her. She has written or delivered contributions to nearly fifty books Central is a series of historical novels, some in several volumes, but she has also written contemporary novels, plays and nonfiction.
Inspired by her father she developed an early interest in history, especially Norse saga literature.
In addition to her fiction writing, Henriksen has written several non-fiction books Among these are two volumes of the history of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, covering the period from 1912 until 1945.
She was awarded the Norwegian Booksellers" Prize in 1962, and the Mads Wiel Nygaard"s Endowment in 1978.