Brantenberg, Gerd (1941–)

views updated

Brantenberg, Gerd (1941–)

Norwegian novelist and feminist. Born Oct 27, 1941, in Oslo, Norway; grew up in Fredrikstad in southeastern Norway; graduate of University of Oslo, 1970.

Taught history and English; a feminist, who writes about lesbian life and awakening, made literary debut with the coming-out story, Opp alle jordens homofile (1973), published in English as What Comes Naturally (1986); depicts lesbian love in Embraces (1983); published internationally successful feminist science-fiction novel Egalias dφtre (Egalia's Daughters, 1977), exposing absurdities of patriarchal society by inverting norms; focused on class and sex differences in realist trilogy The Song of St. Croix (1979), At the Ferry Crossing (1985), and To The Winds (1989); tackles prejudices with imagination and humor; was instrumental in the founding of the lesbian movement in Denmark (1974) and Norway (1975).