Vilhelm Krag

Vilhelm Krag was a Norwegian writer, poet, journalist and cultural personality. He was born in Kristiansand in 1871, and belonged to a prominent family of officers and writers. He moved to Oslo to study law, but soon devoted himself to literature. He debuted with a collection of poems in 1891, and gained fame with his lyrical and romantic style. He also wrote novels, short stories, plays and essays, often inspired by the nature and culture of southern Norway. He coined the term Sørlandet to describe the region, and is regarded as its poet. He was also involved in theater, journalism and cultural preservation. He traveled extensively in Europe, especially in Italy and France, and wrote about his impressions. He was married to Beate Kielland, the daughter of the novelist Alexander Kielland, but they divorced in 1920. He had four children, two of whom became writers. He died of heart failure in Søgne in 1933, at the age of 61.