Tor Obrestad (12 February 1938 – 25 January 2020) was a Norwegian novelist, poet and documentary writer.

Early and personal life

Obrestad was born in Hå on 12 February 1938. His parents were farmer Jon R. Obrestad and Sophie Riise. He studied at the teacher's college in Elverum and worked as a schoolteacher, and then studied at the University of Oslo. He eventually became a full-time writer, and was also assigned as journalist for the newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad. He died on 25 January 2020.

Literary career

Obrestad made his literary debut in 1966 with two books, the poetry collection Kollisjon and a collection of short stories, Vind, and received Tarjei Vesaas' debutantpris for these two books. He was a member of the so-called Profil generation in 1968, the circle attached to the literary magazine Profil. He wrote biographies on Arne Garborg, Hulda Garborg, Alexander Kielland and Einar Førde. His novel ''Sauda! Streik!'' from 1972 was adapted for a film directed by Oddvar Bull Tuhus in 1975.

Selected works

Awards