Yrsa Gylfadóttir, born in 1982, is an fresh voice in Icelandic literature, creating works for both children and adults.

Having lived extensively abroad in Canada, France, and Sweden, Yrsa pursued her studies in literature in France at the University of Bordeaux – Montaigne and at the Sorbonne – Paris IV. This educational journey allowed her to merge her love for literature with her studies in languages, particularly French. Yrsa has dedicated a significant portion of her academic and professional career to the French language, working as a teacher, translator-interpreter, and tour guide.

Yrsa is the author of four books for adults, with her most recent publication, Rambo is Missing (2023), receiving critical acclaim. Known for her rich and often witty writing style, she excels in crafting intricate, insightful characters and narratives. For early readers, Yrsa created the “My Classroom series”, which explores the lives of sixteen children, each book narrated from a different student’s perspective. Additionally, she has developed a series for beginning readers focusing on the same classroom characters. These two series are brought to life with illustrations by Iðunn Arna Björgvinsdóttir.

Yrsa was nominated for the EUPL in 2021 for her novel Prism.