The 16th of November is the ‘Icelandic Language Day’. Each year, the Icelandic Government awards an individual the ‘Jonas Hallgrimsson Award’ for their outstanding contribution to the Icelandic language, through writing, research or education. This year, the author Arnaldur Indridason received the award. The panel said that Arnaldur has woven together the old and the [...]
The Girl by the Bridge by Arnaldur Indridason has been nominated for The Best Translated Crime Novel of 2021 in Sweden, by Svenska Deckarakademin (The Swedish Crime Academy). Arnaldur has previously won this award, also known as The Martin Beck Award, in 2005 for his novel Voices. The Girl by the Bridge is the second [...]
Olafur Gunnar Gudlaugsson has won the 2021 Icelandic Children’s Book Award for his novel Lightbringer, the first installment of The Last Warlock trilogy. Four young people set out to investigate the mysterious death of their mentor. All possess magical gifts but have mastered their powers to varying degrees. They soon discover that nothing in their [...]
Hurrah! Our new website is now up and running! This has been in the works for a while and we hope that it will be useful for all of our friends and colleagues. If you find anything missing or not working, please let us know and we'll sort it out immediately. Thora & Vala
We have made the difficult decision not to travel to Frankfurt in person this year. We have been looking forward to finally seeing all our friends and colleagues in the real world, but cannot justify travelling in these uncertain times. However, we would still love to hear from you! Please have a look at our [...]
Three of our authors are on the shortlist for the European Union Prize for Literature 2021 shortlist! ICELANDIC WINNER: Runaround by Sigrun Palsdottir A riveting story of a young Icelandic woman who takes fate into her own hands, steals a priceless historical artifact and somehow ends up in The Metropolitan Museum of New York. A genuinely [...]
Gerdur Kristny recently received the Icelandic Women's Literature Prize 2021 in the Children's Fiction category for her novel, Idunn and Grandpa Punk! The panel said that: „Gerdur Kristny writes with effortless humour, poetic rhythm and a contagious love for language.” When Idunn’s brand new bicycle disappears, it can mean only one thing – the sisters [...]
On Time and Water by Andri Snær Magnason is nominated for the 2021 Nordic Council Literature Prize! The prize has been awarded since 1962 and its purpose is to promote interest in the literature and language of the neighbouring Nordic countries. It is awarded annually along with the other Nordic Council prizes for music, film, and [...]
Elisabet Jokulsdottir has received the Icelandic Literary Prize for fiction in 2020 for her novel The Chill of the April Sun. The selection committee had this to say: "The Chill of the April Sun, Elisabet Jokulsdottir’s fourth novel, tells of love, grief, mental health and the loss of a father, in a poetic and soulful [...]
Andri Snær Magnson has received The Icelandic Broadcasting Service Writers Fund Award for 2020. This is the oldest literary prize in Iceland and is awarded to an individual for their whole authorship. The committee said: “Andri’s body of work might not be the largest when you count the pages, but the quality is incredible. Few [...]