# Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris

Tarjei Vesaas's debutantpris is a prize awarded annually for the best first literary work in Norwegian. It is awarded by the Norwegian Authors' Union, and the organisation's 9-member Literary Caucus constitutes the jury for the prize. They choose the winner based on a free and independent evaluation on aesthetic criteria.
In accordance with an agreement between the Authors' Union and the Norwegian Publishers' Association, all newly published Norwegian literature is sent to all members of the Literary Caucus. The members thus choose the year's winner without there being any direct application for the prize. The winner is chosen at the Literary Caucus' annual 3-day January meeting, at which the caucus performs most of the tasks within its mandate, concerning stipends, guaranteed income and prizes. The prize is usually awarded in March.
The prize was instituted in 1964 by Tarjei Vesaas with the money he received as winner of the Nordic Council's Literature Prize that year. Reflecting his intent, the literary merit of the work is the most important criterion, but if possible the prize is awarded to a young writer, 35 at the most. Vesaas and his wife Halldis Moren Vesaas (who were not themselves involved in the judging) were delighted that in its second year the prize went to Jan Erik Vold, who had been their lodger in summer 1964 at the 'writer's hut' Juvstøyl.

## Winners

| Year | Author | Work |
| 2022 | Svisdal M. Seppola Simonsen | Hjerteskog // Syđänmettä |
| 2021 | Svisdal Kristin Vego | Se en siste gang på alt vakkert |
| 2020 | Svisdal Karoline Brændjord | Jeg vil våkne til verden |
| 2019 | Svisdal Hanna Stoltenberg | Nada |
| 2018 | Svisdal Lars Svisdal | Seg til inkjes |
| 2017 | Shakar Zeshan Shakar | Tante Ulrikkes vei |
| 2016 | Dale Jan Kristoffer Dale | Arbeidsnever |
| 2015 | Moe Kenneth Moe | Rastløs |
| 2014 | Lerstang Amalie Kasin Lerstang | Europa |
| 2013 | Pedersen Gine Cornelia Pedersen | Null |
| 2012 | Strassegger Peter Franziskus Strassegger | Stasia |
| 2011 | Mariussen Lina Undrum Mariussen | Finne deg der inne og hente deg ut |
| 2010 | Flatland Helga Flatland | Bli hvis du kan. Reis hvis du må |
| 2009 | Evjemo/Skomsvold Eivind Hofstad Evjemo Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold | Vekk meg hvis jeg sovner Jo fortere jeg går, jo mindre er jeg |
| 2008 | Sveen Lars Petter Sveen | Køyre frå Fræna |
| 2007 | Smith Nils Henrik Smith | Manhattan Skyline |
| 2006 | Blatt Thomas Marco Blatt | Slik vil jeg måle opp verden |
| 2005 | Karlsvik Mette Karlsvik | Vindauga i matsalen vender mot fjorden |
| 2004 | Ness Ole Asbjørn Ness | Det er natt |
| 2003 | Løvåsen Sigmund Løvåsen | Nyryddinga |
| 2002 | Kriznik Heidi Marie Kriznik | Applaus |
| 2001 | Tiller Carl Frode Tiller | Skråninga |
| 2000 | Kristensen Mirjam Kristensen | Dagene er gjennomsiktige |
| 1999 | Wærness Gunnar Wærness | Kongesplint |
| 1998 | Marstein Trude Marstein | Sterk sult, plutselig kvalme |
| 1997 | Ramslie Lars Ramslie | Biopsi |
| 1996 | Opstad Steinar Opstad | Tavler og bud |
| 1995 | Eeg Harald Rosenløw Eeg | Glasskår |
| 1995 | Renberg Tore Renberg | Sovende floke |
| 1994 | Grøndahl Cathrine Grøndahl | Riv ruskende rytmer |
| 1993 | Besigye Bertrand Besigye | Og du dør så langsomt at du tror du lever |
| 1992 | Lund Thure Erik Lund | Tanger |
| 1991 | Vatle Sylvelin Vatle | Alle kjenner vel presten? |
| 1990 | Versto Stein Versto | Ho blei borte i trappene |
| 1989 | Hollup Anne Grete Hollup | Maria og knivmakeren |
| 1988 | Lian Torun Lian | Tre skuespill |
| 1987 | Vinterbo-Hohr Aagot Vinterbo-Hohr | Palimpsest |
| 1986 | Lie Sissel Lie | Tigersmil |
| 1985 | Olsen Morten Harry Olsen | For alt vi er verdt |
| 1984 | Bøe Anne Bøe | Silkestein |
| 1983 | Gjerseth Kjell Gjerseth | Chakoo |
| 1982 | Jacobsen Roy Jacobsen | Fangeliv |
| 1981 | Jenssen Frank A. Jenssen | Saltbingen |
| 1980 | Eggen Jo Eggen | Ting og tings skygger |
| 1979 | Herbjørnsrud Hans Herbjørnsrud | Vitner |
| 1978 | Bjugn Sissel Solbjørg Bjugn | Den første avisa på Lofotveggen |
| 1977 | Rønning Bjarne Rønning | Bjarne Huldasons sjøreise |
| 1976 | Christensen Lars Saabye Christensen | Historien om Gly |
| 1975 | Moe Ingvar Moe | Løktastolpefrø |
| 1974 | Mathisen Karin Mathisen (Karin Fossum) | Kanskje i morgen |
| 1973 | Lem Steinar Lem | Signaler |
| 1972 | Pedersen Erling Pedersen | Rottenes konge |
| 1971 | Reinertsen Eivind Reinertsen | Lukk opp dørene, krigen er over |
| 1970 | Aremk Joachim Aremk (Karl Halvor Teigen) | Tapetdører |
| 1969 | Sande Hans Sande | Strime |
| 1968 | Sagen Rolf Sagen | Dørklinker |
| 1967 | Grøgaard Johan Fredrik Grøgaard | Dyvekes grav |
| 1966 | Obrestad Tor Obrestad | Kollisjon (poem), Vind (novellas) |
| 1965 | Vold Jan Erik Vold | Mellom speil og speil |
| 1964 | Jakobsen Sigmund Jakobsen | Gjennom brend by |