As a young woman Asta Sigurdardottir (1930-1971) displayed great talent in the fields of creative writing and visual arts. She graduated as a teacher in 1950, and in the following year attracted considerable attention when her short story Sunnudagskvöld til mánudagsmorguns (Sunday Night to Monday Morning) was published in the magazine Líf og list (Life and Art). In the years that followed, one story after another became focus points for attention; the collection that was published in 1961 became an instant classic. Sigurdardottir’s stories were considered unique, exhibiting the writer’s singular vision of people and the environment.

As well as being a writer and an artist, Sigurðardóttir also made and decorated pottery, and was a moving force amongst the society of modernist poets.

Still today, Sigurdardottir’s short stories remain fresh, challenging and laden with strong emotions. They are modern Icelandic classics.