• Nynorsk Literature Prize (1988)
• Aschehoug Prize (1997 )
• Dobloug Prize (1999 )
• Norsk kulturråds ærespris (2003)
• Nynorsk Literature Prize (2003)
• Brage Prize (2005)
• Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (2005)
• The Swedish Academy's nordiska pris (2007)
• The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs' Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (2007)
• Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite of France (2007)
• Ibsen Awards 2010

Plays

• Og aldri skal vi skiljast (And Never we'll be Parted) (1994)
• Namnet (The Name) (1995)
• Nokon kjem til å komme (Someone Is Going To Come) (1996)
• Barnet (The Child) (1996 )
• Mor og barn (Mother and Child) (1997)
• Sonen (The Son) (1997)
• Natta syng sine songar (Night Sings its Songs) (1997)
• Gitarmannen (The Guitar Man) Monolog (1999)
• Ein sommars dag (A Summer's Day) (1999)
• Draum om hausten (Autumn Dream) (1999)
• Sov du vesle barnet mitt (Sleep you little Child of mine) (2000)
• Besøk (Visits) (2000
• Vinter (Winter) (2000)
• Ettermiddag (Afternoon) (2000)
• Vakkert (Beauftiful) (2001)
• Dødsvariasjonar (Deathvariations) (2001)
• Jenta i sofaen (The Girl on the Sofa) (2002)
• Lilla (Lilac) (2003)
• Suzannah (2004)
• Dei døde hundane (The Dead Dogs) (2004)
• Sa ka la (2004)
• Varmt (Warm) (2005)
• Svevn (Sleep) (2005)
• Rambuku (2006)
• Skuggar (Shadows) (2006)
• Eg er vinden (I Am the Wind) (2007)

Prose

• Raudt, svart (Red, black) Novel (1983)
• Stengd gitar (Closed Guitar) Novel (1985, 1992, 1997)
• Blod. Steinen er (Blood. The stone is) Novella (1987)
• Naustet (The boat-house) Novel (1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001)
• Flaskesamlaren (The Bottle-collector) Novel (1991)
• Bly og vatn (Lead and water) Novel (1992)
• To forteljingar (Two Tales) Novellas (1993)
• Prosa frå ein oppvekst (Prose from a Growing-up). Short prose (1994)
• Melancholia I. Novel (1995, 1997, 1999 (English translation: Melancholy)
• Melancholia II. Novel (1996, 1997, 1999)
• Eldre kortare prosa med 7 bilete av Camilla Wærenskjold (Older shorter prose with 7 pictures of Camilla Wærenskjold) Short prose (1998)
• Morgon og kveld (Morning and Evening) Novel (2000, 2001)
• Det er Ales (This is Ales) Novel (2004, 2005)
• Andvake (Sleepless) Novella (2007)

Poetry

• Engel med vatn i augene (1986)
• Hundens bevegelsar (1990)
• Hund og engel (1992)
• Dikt (1986—1992) Revidert samleutgåve (1995)
• Nye dikt (1991—1994 (1997)
• Dikt (1986—2001. Samla dikt. Lyrikklubben (2001)
• Auge i vind (2003)

Essays

• Frå telling via showing til writing (1989)
• Gnostiske essay (1999)