Ari Behn

Ari Behn (Aarhus, 1972 - Lommedalen, 2019) was a Norwegian writer, playwright and, in the last years of his life, painter. Born Ari Mikael Bjørshol, he became better known for his marriage to Princess Märtha Louise of Norway than for his books. The couple married in 2002 and divorced in 2017. Behn held no title or royal status during the marriage and remained a private citizen.

He grew up among teachers who followed the Waldorf method, moving between Denmark, England, northern Norway and finally Moss. He studied history and religion at the University of Oslo. In 1996 he took the surname Behn, his maternal grandmother's maiden name. His first short story collection, Trist som faen (1999), brought him early literary success and has sold close to 100,000 copies. His later novels received more mixed reviews. In 2002 he wrote a book about his wedding with his wife. His collection Talent for lykke (2011) focused on men who struggle desperately for luck.

In 2011 he made his debut as a playwright with Treningstimen, and from 2013 he worked as a painter in a neo-expressionist style inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat. During the 2000s his public image was often mocked in Norway, and critics became more forgiving in later years. After his divorce he went through a period of depression; in 2018 he published Inferno, in which he described his personal difficulties. He died on 25 December 2019 at Lommedalen, aged 47, and the Norwegian royal family announced that he had taken his own life. His legacy rests mainly on his debut collection and on work that invites readers to separate the writer from the public figure.