Johannes Vilhelm Jensen (20 January 1873 – 25 November 1950) was a renowned Danish author, celebrated as one of the great Danish writers of the first half of the 20th century. He was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the rare strength and fertility of his poetic imagination with which is combined an intellectual curiosity of wide scope and a bold, freshly creative style."

He was born in Farsø, Himmerland, in a household with anti-religious parents. Jensen initially pursued medical studies at the University of Copenhagen while working as a journalist to finance his education. However, after three years, he shifted his focus entirely to literature. By that time, he had already published 12 novels.

Jensen's writing is noted for its imaginative power and intellectual breadth. One of his sisters, Thit Jensen, was also a well-known writer and a vocal early feminist.