Hrafnhildur Valgarðsdóttir

About the author

Hrafnhildur Valgarðsdóttir was born in Reykjavík on 11 January 1948. She graduated as a teacher in 1971 and worked mainly in teaching until 1987. She then started working for a publishing house, first as a typesetter and proof-reader, then as editor of the children's magazine abc and as a writer. Valgarðsdóttir started writing young – her first short story was published in a magazine when she was 18 years old. In spite of teaching and other jobs she always continued to write, and her stories continued to be published in magazines or broadcast on the radio.

Her first book, the children's book Kóngar í ríki sínu (Kings of the Castle) was published in 1986 and gained the The National Centre for Educational Materials award. In 1987 she won first prize in a teenage fiction competition for her story Leðurjakkar og spariskór (Leather Jackets and Smart Shoes) and in the same year was honoured by the Reykjavík Arts Festival for her short story Himnabrúður (Heaven's Bride). She continued to write books for children and young people, but also published her short story collection Í rangri veröld (In the Wrong World) and wrote serials and short stories for magazines and radio.

In 1996 Valgarðsdóttir went to Italy to receive first prize in an international competition. Her winning submission, the short story Jólagjöf heilagrar Maríu (Holy Mary's Christmas Present), was subsequently included, along with the pick of Valgarðsdóttir's stories – some new, some previously published – in the collection Olnbogabörn (Outcasts).

Valgarðsdóttir now runs her own publishing company, KRASS Ltd, which has published the puzzle magazine Hrafnaspark (Squiggle) among other things.

Fiction

Short stories:

Germany, „Das Weihnachtsgeschenk der heiligen Maria”, 2005: Goldmann Verlag

Germany, „Die drei Schwestern“, í Tödliche Bescherung, 2006: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag

Olnbogabörn , 1996: HV-útgáfan

Í rangri veröld , 1987: Frjálst framtak

Children's books

Children's books:

Kóngar í ríki sínu og krumminn á skjánum, 1997: Krass

Danish, Konger i deres eget rige og ravnen, 2001: Krass

Kóngar í ríki sínu og prinsessan Petra, 1988: Frjálst framtak

Danish, Konger i deres eget rige og prinsessen Petra, 2001: Krass

Kóngar í ríki sínu, 1986: Mál og menning

Danish, Konger i deres eget rige, 2001: Krass

Í heimavist, 1991: Æskan

Dýrið gengur laust, 1990: Æskan

Unglingar í frumskógi, 1989: Æskan

Púsluspil, 1988: Frjálst framtak

Leðurjakkar og spariskór, 1987: Æskan