Sonja Henie (1913-69): An Olympic and World Champion figure skater, Henie helped increase the popularity of competitive figure skating. She won the gold medal for her sport at three consecutive Winter Olympics (1928, 1932, and 1936). Later had a career in Hollywood, where she featured in a number of successful films.

Gro Harlem Brundtland (b. 1939): A Labour Party politician, Brundtland is the only woman to have occupied the post of prime minister in Norway. She is also the former Director General of the WHO (World Health Organization).

Liv Ullmann (b.1939): An internationally known actress, who has also worked as a director. Ullmann was one of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s many muses. Some of the films she appeared in include Shame, Scenes from a Marriage, Face to Face and Autumn Sonata. Ullmann received the Golden Globe for her part as Kristina Nilsson in The Emigrants in 1973. She has also been nominated twice for the Academy Award.

Marit Bjørgen (b. 1980): The undisputed queen of cross-country skiing, Bjørgen won an amazing four gold and one silver medals at the Ski VM in Oslo in March 2011, which came on top of three gold, one silver and one bronze medals she won at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver last year. She is the only athlete to have won so many medals in the history of cross-country skiing.

Sissel Kyrkjebø (b. 1969): Famous soprano whose combined solo record sales amount to 10 million albums, most of them sold in Norway. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Årets Spelleman, the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy Award. More about her at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/11/sissel-kyrkjeb%C3%B8/

Grete Waitz (b.1953): A champion long-distance runner, Waitz won the NYC marathon no fewer than nine times between 1978 and 1988 – more than any other runner in history. She also won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, and a gold medal at the World Championships in Helsinki the year before that.

Karin Fossum (b. 1954): Popular Norwegian crime writer who started her career writing poetry, before changing genre and finding international success with her inspector Konrad Sejer series. Her books have been translated into 16 languages. Among her best are Don’t Look Back, He Who Fears the Wolf, and Calling Out For You (American translation – The Indian Bride).

Sigrid Undset (1882-1949), Norwegian novelist, awarded the Nobel Prize in 1928. Her most famous work is Kristin Lavransdatter.

Harriet Backer (1845-1932), artist famed for her colourful interiors. A pioneer among female artists not just in Norway but also in the rest of Europe, she was influenced by the impressionists. Her most famous paintings include Christening in Tanum Church and Blue Interior, among many others. Another famous Norwegian female artist is landscape painter Kitty Kielland (1843-1914)