Sögueyjan Ísland - Author of the Month

Olaf Olafsson

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 15:37:00 +0000

Despite enjoying phenomenal success in Iceland as well as abroad, Olaf Olafsson remains oddly disassociated with the rest of Iceland's literary scene. His eighth novel, Restoration, will be published by HarperCollins in early 2012.

Arnaldur Indriðason

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 14:54:00 +0000

“It ought not to be possible to write crime fiction in Iceland because nothing happens here. And it's extremely difficult to convince readers of anything else. This is the challenge you're faced with,” says crime-writer Arnaldur Indriðason.

Pétur Gunnarsson

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:23:00 +0000

“The relationship between authors and their previous works is perhaps best compared to our relationship with dreams. They just disappear into another dimension,” says the author Pétur Gunnarsson, who has two books coming out in Germany this year.

Óskar Árni Óskarsson

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:35:00 +0000

Óskar Árni Óskarsson is an acknowledged master of short prose, with a gift for bringing out the surreal in the most quotidian of circumstances.

Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:01:00 +0000

Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir is one of the most prominent Icelandic poets of her generation. We spoke with her about the art of poetry, and the possibilities of sneaking it to unsuspecting crime fiction buffs.

Kristín Steinsdóttir

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:56:00 +0000

“I was reaching for things that were simply gone,” says author Kristín Steinsdóttir of her latest novel, Ljósa, which is based on the life of her grandmother. Mental illness, Kristín tells us, was not something people used to discuss. “Perhaps people felt that, just by talking of it, they put themselves at risk of falling ill.”

Sjón

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:51:00 +0000

"Stories don't go out of date,” Sjón told us over the telephone. Starting out as a prominent advocate of the avant-garde, the ever-busy author never expected he'd write a novel about 17th century Iceland. But here he is. From the Mouth of the Whale is due out in the UK in May 2011.

Gyrðir Elíasson

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:40:00 +0000

The works of Gyrðir Elíasson, one of Iceland's most renowned authors, reflect the dictum that “real humor needs a tragic sinker.”

Óttar M. Norðfjörð

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:34:00 +0000

“I think that my ingenuousness keeps me from understanding evil. And precisely because I don't understand it, evil keeps turning up in my work,” says novelist Óttar M. Norðfjörð. He has a new thriller out this Christmas.

Gerður Kristný

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:15:00 +0000

According to Gerður Kristný – poet, novelist and children's book author – fear was an early settler in her poetry. “It's stayed there ever since, so I don't think I'll be evicting it by now,” she told us. Also discussed: Uganda, tattoo artists and the new book.

Áslaug Jónsdóttir

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:55:00 +0000

“Each picture book needs to strike the right temperature, the right mood,” says author and artist Áslaug Jónsdóttir, whose visually striking and atmospheric books have enthralled children and adults alike for the past decade.

Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:32:00 +0000

“Equal rights were at the top of my mind when I began writing novels,” claims author Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir. Her works highlight a mostly neglected part of Icelandic history: The lives of its women, and the disparity between their aspirations on one hand, and their predestined roles on the other.

Kristín Eiríksdóttir

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 16:55:00 +0000

“I don't know how I could be an artist without being brutal,” says poet and writer Kristín Eiríksdóttir, who will release a short story-collection in October. “Where would I find inspiration for that?”

Auður A. Ólafsdóttir

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:52:00 +0000

“Beautiful, like a painting out of the golden age,” was a critic's verdict on Auður A. Ólafsdóttir's novel Afleggjarinn (The Offspring), the story of a young man who sets out to restore a dilapidated monastic garden to its former beauty.

Sölvi Björn Sigurðsson

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 14:52:00 +0000

“Anybody, anything can inspire you: a museum brochure, a shampoo bottle, even a TV show about an Englishman's armpit,” says author Sölvi Björn Sigurðsson, whose next novel will provide a fresh take on greed, heartbreak, domesticated pigs and much besides.

Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson

Tue, 18 May 2010 10:18:00 +0000

Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson has long been renowned for his landscape photography. At the moment, he has two works underway: a book on the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull, due in late June, and a book of aerial photographs of Iceland, which will be called Earthward.

Ragna Sigurðardóttir

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:18:00 +0000

Prose constantly wormed its way into her visual art, until she channeled it into full-blown novels. Ragna Sigurðardóttir, with her unique visual style and willingness to experiment, has struck a new note in Icelandic literature.

Hallgrímur Helgason

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 11:34:00 +0000

"Icelandic paper is in some cases not completely worthless" says author Hallgrímur Helgason. His latest novel, The Hitman's Guide to House Cleaning, has just been published in German translation.

Guðmundur Óskarsson

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:55:00 +0000

"It usually takes less than an economic crisis to cause a blow to the lives of ordinary people" says Guðmundur Óskarsson. His latest novel, Bankster, won the Icelandic Literary Prize 2009.

Steinar Sigurjónsson

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:12:00 +0000

Steinar Sigurjónsson went his own way in his writing, which broke away from the conventions of narrative and form. He has been hailed as one of the leaders of Icelandic modernist literature.

Kristín Helga Gunnarsdóttir

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Kristín Helga Gunnarsdóttir is a multiple award winning children’s book author. She has cemented her status as one of Iceland’s foremost contemporary author with books that bridge the gap between generations.

Þórarinn Eldjárn

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:08:00 +0000

Þórarinn Eldjárn's novel The Blue Tower has recently been published in Denmark.

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:32:00 +0000

From We want Christmas in July to Last Rituals, from Iceland to the world (most recently the Arab world) Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s crime novels are on an international roll.

Álfrún Gunnlaugsdóttir

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Álfrún Gunnlaugsdóttir has earned a place among Iceland's leading authors. She has been praised by critics and received awards for her work.