Jostein Gaarder

Jostein Gaarder was born in 1952 in Oslo, Norway. He studied Scandinavian languages and theology at the University of Oslo and subsequently spent years teaching philosophy and literature in high schools and higher education institutions. His teaching experiences and his passion for popularizing profound human concepts paved his way toward professional writing.

Gaarder's global fame was sealed in 1991 with the publication of the novel Sophie's World; a book that tells the story of a teenage girl named Sophie who receives mysterious letters containing philosophical questions and lessons. In addition to becoming one of the world's best-selling books, this novel played a significant role in simplifying and making the history of thought accessible to different generations. Among his other important works are The Solitaire Mystery, The Orange Girl, Through a Glass, Darkly, and Hello? Is Anybody There?

The central theme of Gaarder's thought and works is arousing a sense of wonder and questioning about existence. He believes that children naturally possess wonder and curiosity about the world, but this sense dulls with growth and adulthood; therefore, his novels are an attempt to keep alive the sense of philosophical thinking and fundamental questions about the meaning of life, cosmology, and the knowledge humans have of themselves.