Carsten Jensen is a Danish author and political columnist born on 24 July 1952. He first earned recognition as a literary critic for the Copenhagen daily, Politiken. His books, including I Have Seen the World Begin (1996), explore knowledge of the world. For this novel, he won the Danish booksellers award De Gyldne Laurbær (The Golden Laurel) in 1996.

In 2006, he published his novel Vi, de druknede (We, the Drowned), a chronicle about the birth of modern Denmark, seen through the history of his hometown Marstal.

In 2009, he was awarded the Olof Palme Prize, and in 2012, he received the Søren Gyldendal Prize.

His 2015 novel, Den første sten (The First Stone), presents a wide and disturbing panorama of the war in Afghanistan through the experiences of a group of Danish soldiers.

He is married to English novelist Liz Jensen, and his stepson was actor Raphaël Coleman.