SEEBERG, PETER

(1925-1999)

A Danish novelist, short story writer, and essayist, Seeberg came of age during the heyday ofmodernismin Denmark, and his work is marked by modernist concerns. His literary debut was the novelBipersonerne(1956; The Secondary Characters), which takes place in a youth labor camp in Berlin in the middle of WorldWarII. Young people from several countries have been brought together in order to produce a film in which they will serve as extras, but they are also secondary characters with regard to the events of the war, as well as minor characters in their own lives, which are marked by emptiness and meaninglessness.Such existential themes become central in Seeberg's next book, the novelFugls føde(1957; tr.The Impostor, 1990), in which the author Tom suffers from a major case of writer's block. Offered a large sum of money to simply write something real, he struggles to make the existential choices that would put him in touch with reality.

The absurd and fantastic short stories inEftersøgningen(1962; The Search) also deal with themes of identity and people's connection to the real world. In "Patienten" (The Patient) a man has gone through a series of transplants that have replaced all his organs and limbs, including his head. His identity stays the same, however, as recognized by his wife. Thus Seeberg states that people can maintain a sense of identity by allowing themselves to be embedded in a social fabric. Also, meaning is found in the process of searching for meaning. This is likewise the message of the novelHyrder(1970; Shepherds), in which the human community is shown to provide a sense of meaningful existence for its members.

At the core of Seeberg's oeuvre are three volumes that contain a variety of prose texts, ranging from therealistshort story to the fantastic tale.Dinosaurusens sene eftermiddag(1974; The Late Afternoon of the Dinosaur) was followed byArgumenter for benådning(1976; Arguments for a Pardon) andOm fjorten dage(1981; In Fourteen Days), which garnered Seeberg theNordic Literary Prizein 1983.

The novelVed havet(1978; By the Sea) tells about the different reactions people have to the ocean during a Sunday at the beach. The three novelsUden et navn(1985; Without a Name),Den sovende dreng(1988; The Sleeping Boy), andFrosten hjelper(1989; The Frost Helps) were all written for teenage readers. Seeberg's short story collections includeRejsen til Ribe(1990; The Journey to Ribe),Erindringer fra hundrede ar(1992; Recollections of a Hundred Years),Halvdelen afnatten(1997; Half the Night), and the posthumously publishedEn enkelt afbrydelse(2001; A Single Interruption). He also published the playFerai(1970) andPa selve dagen(1978; On the Day Itself), the memoirsHovedrengjøring: Stumper af erindring(1979; Thorough Cleaning: Fragments of Recollection), the essay collectionSla fritiden ihjel(1986; Kill Your Spare Time), and a number ofchildren's books.