Jon Grepstad

Jon Grepstad (born 2 July 1944) is a Norwegian freelance journalist, photographer, peace activist and former head of information of the Norwegian Language Council.

Career

Jon Grepstad was born in Skien, Norway. He studied languages and literature at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, at the University of Tours, France, and at the University of Bergen, Norway. He also read philosophy. He graduated from the University of Bergen in 1974 and later pursued his studies of English at the University of Oslo.

For a few years he was a high school teacher, in 1972–73 chairperson and general secretary of the Norwegian chapter of War Resisters' International (WRI),[1] and in 1974–77 a research assistant at the Norwegian Council of Educational Research. From October 1979 until 1986 he worked for the Norwegian campaign against nuclear weapons, «Nei til atomvåpen», of which he was a co-founder.[2] In 1986 he became information officer of the Norwegian Council for Teacher Education under the Ministry of Education; and in 1994–2007 he was head of information of the Norwegian Language Council,[3] a council under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. He retired in September 2008.[4]

Photography

Since the late 1980s Jon Grepstad has worked extensively on photography. His main interest in photography is landscapes and pinhole photography. He has written a book in English on building large format cameras,[5] based on his own experience as a camera builder.[6] His lengthy and thorough online article, «Pinhole Photography – History, Images, Cameras, Formulas»,[7] first published in 1996, updated regularly,[8] is a staple source on the subject of lensless photography[9] and has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Polish. The article is used in photography courses in several colleges in the US and is a major resource for pinhole photographers participating in the Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day,[10] which takes place on the last Sunday of April every year.

Promoting the Nynorsk variety of Norwegian

In later years Jon Grepstad has been involved in activities aiming to reinforce the position of the Nynorsk variety of Norwegian, one of two official varieties of Norwegian, used by 10–15 percent of the Norwegian population. His main projects have been to promote computer software for this variety of Norwegian,[11] to supervise government offices with regard to the Norwegian Language Usage Act,[12] which requires that these offices to a certain extent use both varieties of Norwegian,[13][14] and to digitize for web publication early texts in Nynorsk.[15] In 2002 he was awarded a prize by the Norwegian Language Association [16] («Noregs Mållag») for his work related to the Norwegian Language Usage Act.

Involvement in the peace movement

Jon Grepstad is a conscientious objector and did his alternative service in 1969–70. In the 1970s he was heavily involved in the pacifist peace movement in Norway. He was also an executive member of War Resisters' International (WRI). His main projects at this time were to transform the alternative service into a peace service,[17] and promoting the idea of non-military defense[18] and non-violent strategies for social change. His basically Gandhian nonviolent position was influenced by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss and peace researcher Johan Galtung. In 1978 he organized an international research conference on non-military defense in Oslo.[19] In 1974–79 he was a member of a public commission appointed by the Norwegian government to evaluate and propose changes in the legislation on conscription and conscientious objection in Norway («Vernepliktsutvalget»).[20]

In 1978 Jon Grepstad was one of the leaders of the Norwegian campaign against the neutron bomb; and in 1979 one of the initiators of the Norwegian campaign against deployment of new nuclear missiles in Europe («Nei til atomvåpen»).[2][21] He later was information officer and international secretary of the campaign,[22] which became one of the largest popular movements in post-war history in Norway.[23] He was also one of the first Norwegian signatories of the European Nuclear Disarmament appeal[24][25] for a nuclear-free Europe and had close contacts to this movement.

Interest in languages

Jon Grepstad studied English and French, Latin and Italian at universities in the United States, Norway and France. As a student of English he also read Old English. In his teens he learned Esperanto, and in high school, German, in addition to English and French. In the 1980s he studied basic Russian and Greek. His interest in languages is deeply rooted, as is his interest in the relationship between language and cognition.

Family and personal life

Jon Grepstad is the son of teacher Andreas Grepstad (1903–1990) and his wife Ragna Veitebergsbakke (1909–2000). His grandparents were farmers in Jølster, Norway.

Publications

Jon Grepstad has published several books in Norwegian and English,[26] has contributed to Norwegian encyclopedias and reference works and has written articles for newspapers and for Norwegian and foreign language magazines.

Selected publications in English, Norwegian and French

Books:

Selected articles:

References

  1. ↑ WRI history and archives
  2. 1 2 Erik M. Alfsen: "Nei til atomvåpen. Et tilbakeblikk". In Erik M. Alfsen et al: Begynnelsen på slutten på atomvåpnene? Oslo 1997 ISBN 82-10-04213-0
  3. ↑ The Norwegian Language Council
  4. ↑ The Norwegian Language Council: Annual Report 2008
  5. ↑ Gary Alexander: Books on making cameras
  6. ↑ Jon Grepstad: Camera builders
  7. ↑ Photo.net: Pinhole Photography – History, Images, Cameras, Formulas
  8. ↑ Jon Grepstad's web site
  9. ↑ Jean-Michel Galley et Elisabeth Towns: Le sténopé. De la photographie sans objectif. Arles: Actes Sud 2007
  10. ↑ Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day
  11. ↑ Jon Grepstad: Software in Nynorsk Norwegian. Some milestones (The Norwegian Language Council)
  12. ↑ The Norwegian Language Usage Act
  13. ↑ Nationen: Interview with Jon Grepstad 2 October 2007
  14. ↑ Uniforum: Interview with Jon Grepstad 3 October 2000
  15. ↑ The Ivar Aasen Center
  16. ↑ Language prize (Målblome)
  17. ↑ Dialog eller sivil ulydighet? Sivilarbeiderne og forskolen. Oslo Pax forlag 1970
  18. ↑ Leksikon for det 21. århundrede
  19. ↑ Bulletin of Peace Proposals, 4, 1978
  20. ↑ Norges offentlige utredninger 1979:51, Oslo 1979
  21. ↑ Irene Valvik Vågen: Nei til atomvåpen 1979-1987, Master thesis, University of Bergen 2002 ISBN 82-8088-116-6
  22. ↑ NRK, The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation: Interview with Jon Grepstad, November 1979
  23. ↑ Lawrence S. Wittner: Towards Nuclear Abolition ISBN 0-8047-4862-4
  24. ↑ END appeal in German
  25. ↑ END appeal
  26. ↑ The Norwegian National Library: Jon Grepstad
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