Gyrðir Elíasson

About the author

Gyrdir Elíasson was born in Reykjavík on April 4, 1961. His family comes from the East fjords but he grew up in the town of Sauðárkrókur in Northern Iceland and went to both elementary school and college there. He lived for a while in the western part of the country, in Borgarnes and Akranes, but later in Reykjavík.

Gyrðir has been a full time writer almost all his adult life, he has published a number of poetry books, novels and collections of short stories. He is one of Iceland's most acclaimed writers of his generation. Hirst published book is the poetry collectionSvarthvít axlabönd (Black-and-White Suspenders) from 1983. Gyrðir is also an avid translator, especially of books about and by American aborigines, and has translated four of Richard Brautigan's novels. In 2011, Gyrðir sent forward a large collection of translated poetry, with poems by thirty-six poets from fifteen countries.

Gyrðir has received various awards for his work, among them the Icelandic Literature Prize in 2000 for his short story collection Gula húsið (The Yellow House) and the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2011 for Milli trjánna (Between the Trees), also a collection of short stories.

Publisher: Uppheimar.

^{Photo: Kristinn Ingvarsson}

Related content:

Author of the month: Interview

Fiction

Novels:

Sandárbókin Pastoralsónata (The Sand-river book), 2007: Uppheimar

Germany, Am Sandfluss – Pastoralsonate, 2011: Walde+Graf

Gangandi íkorni (Wandering Squirrel),1987: Mál og Menning

Germany, Ein Eichhörnchen auf Wanderschaft, Herbst 2011: Walde+Graf

Svefnhjólið (The Wheel of Sleep), 1990: Mál og Menning

Denmark, Søvncyclen, 1995: Rosinante

Sweden, Sömnhojen, 1993: Bonniers

Norway, Søvnhjulet, 1993: Oktober

Germany, Das Schlafrad, 1996: Suhrkamp

Gangandi íkorni, 1987 and Næturluktin, 2001, published together in one volume 2006 (Wandering Squirrel and the Night Lantern): Mál og Menning

Næturluktin, 2001: Mál og Menning

Short Stories:

Steintré, 2005: Mál og Menning

UK, Stone Tree, 2008: Comma

Gula húsið (The yellow house), 2000

Denmark, 2000, Det gule hus: Mál og menning

Tregahornið (The Blues Horn), 1993, 2001: Mál og Menning

Germany, Das Blueshorn, 2000: Kleinheinrich

Bréfbátarigningin, 1988, 1991: Mál og menning

Denmark, 1991, Papirskibsregnen: Rosinante

Germany, 1996, Papierbooteregen: Kleinheinrich

Heykvísl og gúmmískór (Hayfork and Rubbershoes), 1991: Mál og Menning

Germany, Heugabel und Gummischue, 1997

Milli trjánna, 2010: Uppheimar

Trésmíði í eilífðinni og fleiri sögur (Carpentry in eternity and other stories), 1998: Mál og Menning

Kvöld í ljósturninum (Evening in the light tower),1995: Mál og Menning

Poetry:

Nokkur almenn orð um kulnun sólar, 2009: Uppheimar

Germany, Einige allgemeine Worte über die Erkaltung der Sonne, 2011: Kleinheinrich

Upplitað myrkur, 2005: Mál og menning

Tvífundnaland, 2003:  Mál og menning

Hugarfjallið, 1999: Mál og menning

Indíánasumar, 1996: Mál og menning

Mold í skuggadal, 1992: Mál og menning

Vetraráform um sumarferðalag, 1991: Mál og menning

Tvö tungl, 1989: Mál og menning

Haugrof, 1987: Mál og menning

Blindfugl/svartfugl, 1986: Norðan niður

Bak við maríuglerið, 1985: Author

Einskonar höfuð lausn, 1985: Mál og menning

Tvíbreitt (svig)rúm eða Póesíbók númer eitt komma tvö, 1984: Mál og menning

Svarthvít axlabönd, 1983:

Non-fiction

Non-fiction:

Undir leslampa, 2000: Bjartur