Anne-Cath. Vestly, 1920-2008

She died last night. How sad. Not that she didn't live a full life - I'd say hers was fuller than most ;-) - and being as ill as she was there are bound to be elements of relief mixed in with the grief as well (don't I know it) ... but it's so sad to think that she isn't among us anymore. She truly was a unique woman. I mean, everybody's special and all that shit ... but some people really are more special than others. And Anne-Cath. was one of them. Her imagination was like no one else's. And she will live in the imagination of Norwegian children - through her creations and through her talent - forever.

Anne-Cath. may be gone, but Knerten lives!! :-D

Anne-Cath. Vestly, who died at 3am this morning, was a Norwegian children's book author, actress, and all-around renaissance woman beloved by generations of Norwegian children. She wrote so many wonderful books; more than 50 of them. In her work she focused on the imagination of children and their creative abilities, and on the value of childhood in and of itself. She had a very distinctive voice and her radio readings of her novels have been very popular for decades. She suffered from Alzheimer's for the past few years, had not been able to write for several years - although she did dearly wish to write more novels, before she became ill - and most recently lost even the power of speech. This must be a hard day for her family for so many reasons. But she will always be remembered.