9 6 0 – 1 9 6 7 , ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁breaks , ▁he ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Fac ulty ▁of ▁Building ▁Engineering ▁of ▁the ▁Slov ak ▁University ▁of ▁Technology ▁in ▁Br atis lava . ▁He ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁Norway ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁A part ▁from ▁other ▁jobs , ▁he ▁worked ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁as ▁a ▁factory ▁and ▁port ▁labour er , ▁a ▁wait er , ▁a ▁clean ing ▁man , ▁a ▁night ▁guard , ▁an ▁interpreter ▁and ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁journalist . ▁In ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 9 7 0 – 1 9 7 5 ▁he ▁studied ▁Russian , ▁English ▁and ▁Theatre ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Os lo . ▁After ▁that ▁he ▁taught ▁at ▁an ▁elementary ▁school ▁in ▁Os lo ▁for ▁ 2 1 ▁years . ▁▁ ▁He ▁started ▁his ▁literary ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁– ▁as ▁an ▁author ▁and ▁transl ator , ▁publishing ▁in ▁Norwegian , ▁Slov ak ▁and ▁other ▁period ical s . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁active ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁Slov ak ▁and ▁Czech ▁ex ile ▁period ical s ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁C ze cho - S lov ak ▁broadcast ▁of ▁Radio ▁Free ▁Europe . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁established ▁Norwegian – S lov ak ▁Society ▁based ▁in ▁Os lo . ▁Currently ▁he ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁P EN ▁Centre , ▁of ▁the ▁Club ▁of