Alter og disk

Brev og annen prosa #2

by Agnar Mykle

263 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Agnar Mykle was a Norwegian author.
He became one of the most controversial figures in Norwegian literature in the 20th century after the publication of «Sangen om den Røde Rubin» («The Song of the Red Ruby») in 1957 which ignited what became one of the most famous court cases in Norwegian history.
Mykle and his publisher Harald Grieg were accused of writing and publishing immoral, pornographic, and obscene material. Mykle's defense attorney was Johan Bernhard Hjort. Mykle and Grieg were both acquitted, but the remaining copies of the book were ordered withdrawn from the market. The Norwegian Supreme Court overturned the ruling on the confiscation in 1958.

The translations of The Song of the Red Ruby gathered tremendous attention outside of Norway, especially in the USA. Huge sales followed, but Mykle nevertheless had financial difficulties for the rest of his life.