Peter Wessel Zapffe

Other interests and works Zapffe was a prolific mountaineer and took a very early interest in environmentalism; this form of nature conservationism sprung from the intent, not of protecting nature, but to avoid human culturalization of nature.

Zapffe was the author of many humorous short stories about climbing and other adventures in nature.

Personal life Son of the apothecary Fritz Gottlieb Zapffe and Gudrun Wessel, Zapffe was related on his maternal side to the Danish-Norwegian vice-admiral Peter Tordenskjold. Zapffe remained childless by choice. He was lifelong friends with the Norwegian philosopher, and fellow mountaineer, Arne Næss.

Selected works Om det tragiske, Oslo, 1941 and 1983. On the Tragic, translated by Ryan L. Showler (2024). Den fortapte sønn. En dramatisk gjenfortælling (En: The Prodigal Son: A Dramatic Renarration), Oslo, 1951. Indføring i litterær dramaturgi (En: Introduction to Literary Dramaturgy), Oslo, 1961. Den logiske sandkasse. Elementær logikk for universitet og selvstudium (En: The Logical Sandpit: Elementary Logic for University and Individual Study), Oslo, 1965. Lyksalig pinsefest. Fire samtaler med Jørgen (En: Blissful Pentecost: Four Dialogues with Jørgen), Oslo, 1972. Hos doktor Wangel. En alvorlig spøk i fem akter (En: With Doctor Wangel: An Earnest Jest in Five Acts), by Ib Henriksen (pseudonym.), Oslo, 1974. Play. Rikets hemmelighet. En kortfattet Jesus-biografi (En: The Secret of the Kingdom: A Short Biography of Jesus), Oslo, 1985.

Collections of his shorter writings Essays og epistler (En: Essays and epistles), Oslo, 1967. Barske glæder og andre temaer fra et liv under åpen himmel (En: Rough Joys, and other themes from a life lived under the open sky), Oslo 1969. Spøk og alvor. Epistler og leilighetsvers (En: Jest and Earnest: epistles and occasional verse), Oslo, 1977. Jeg velger sannheten: en dialog mellom Peter Wessel Zapffe og Herman Tønnessen (En: I choose the truth: a dialogue between Peter Wessel Zapffe and Herman Tonnesen), Oslo, 1983. Hvordan jeg blev så flink og andre tekster (En: How I Became So Clever, and other texts), Oslo, 1986. Vett og uvett. Stubber fra Troms og Nordland (En: Sense and Nonsense: Short Stories from Troms and Nordland) by Einar K. Aas and P. W. Zapffe, Trondheim 1942. Illustrated by Kaare Espolin Johnson.

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