Icelandic Authors

Gerður Kristný is the author of more than 30 books and has received numerous prizes and accolades for her work, which has been translated into many languages. She proved herself as one of Iceland‘s most interesting poets with her first book and has since then published several books of poetry, as well as short stories, novels and children‘s books. Awards for her work include the Icelandic Literature Prize and a nomination for the Nordic Council Literary Prize, the Icelandic Journalist Award, the Icelandic Children‘s Book Award and The Halldor Laxness Literary Award. Her poetry and short stories have been included in school textbooks at the elementary and secondary level, as well as in anthologies published in Iceland and overseas.

Works in translation

• Sálumessa (Reykjavik Requiem) 2018

Denmark (Forlaget Vandkunsten) transl. Erik Skyum-Nielsen, Norway (Nordsjøforlaget) transl. Oskar Vistdal, UK (Arch Publications) transl. Rory McTurk

• Smartís (Smarties) 2017 

Denmark (Vandkunsten) transl. Erik Skyum-Nielsen

• Hestvík (The Lake Hestvík) 2016 

Norway (Aschehoug) transl. Tone Myklebost; Denmark (Vandkunsten) transl. Erik Skyum Nielsen

• Ljóðasafn 2014

Serbia (Treći Trg) transl. Casper Sare

• Drápa 2014

Denmark (Forlaget Vandkunsten) transl. Erik Skyum-Nielsen, Norway (Nordsjøforlaget), UK (Arch Publications) transl. Rory McTurk

• Strandir 2012

Norway (Nordsjøforlaget) transl. Oskar Vistdal

• Blóðhófnir 2010

Denmark (Forlaget Vandkunsten) transl. Erik Skyum-Nielsen, Finland (Savukeidas Publishing) transl. Tapio Kauvukari, Norway (Nordsjøforlaget) transl. Knut Ødegård, Spain (Ediciones Torremozas S.L) transl. Rafael García Perez; Sweden (Ariel Förlag) transl. John Swedenmark, UK (Arch Publications) transl. Rory McTurk

• Garðurinn (The Garden) 2008

Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Bloomsbury / Saga Verlag) transl. Karl-Ludwig Wetzig; Norway (Bokvennen); Denmark (Vandkunsten); Finland (Enostone)

• Bátur með segli og allt (A Boat with Sails and All) 2004 

Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Ullstein) transl. Tina Flecken

Contact

Lani Yamamoto has written and illustrated six philosophical children's books, including the Albert series. Her most recent book, Egill spámaður, was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize, the Icelandic Literature Prize, and the Reykjavik Children's Book Award. Her previous book, Stína stórasæng, was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize and the Italian Scelte di Classe Award. It was awarded the Icelandic Women's Literature Prize and the Dimmalimm Illustration Award.

Lani holds a BA in psychology from Bryn Mawr College, a diploma in filmmaking from the London Film School, and master's degrees in both creative writing and the study of religions from the University of Oxford. In 2017, she was a Benediktson Fellow at the Leighton Artists Colony at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Her first novel, Ours and Others', is currently shortlisted for the 2020 Novel Prize from Fitzcarraldo Editions, New Directions Publishing, and Giramondo Publishing.

Originally from Boston, Lani has lived in Reykjavík for the past 25 years.

Works in translation

• Albert – four books. Frances Lincoln, 2004-2006

Brazil (Difusão Cultural do Livro, 2011); China (King-in Culture, 2012); Denmark (Hr. Ferdinand, 2007) Hr. Ferdinand; Italy (Ape Junior 2005); Japan (Kodansha 2008); Korea (Bear Books, 2016, 2008); Norway (Hr. Ferdinand); Spain (Art Blume, 2006, 2005); UK, Electronic rights, (Mimic Books, 2009); US/Canada (Sleeping Bear Press, 2007, 2005, 2004)

• Stína stórasæng, V & A Publishing, 2015

Denmark (Turbine Forlaget); Italy (Terre di mezzo editore); Spain (Nórdica libros); Catalan (Babulinka Books); UK (Victoria & Albert Museum, 2015); US/Canada (Abrams Books); Switzerland: French and German (Helvetiq, 2018); Slovenia (Knizana Dielna)

Contact

Hildur Knútsdóttir has garnered widespread attention and awards with her books Winter Dark and Winter Frost, which have been translated into several languages and are being turned into a television series. The Witch is the sequel to The Lion, which won the Reykjavik Children's Literature Prize and was nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize. Knútsdottir has written many popular books for young adults and garnered much critical praise.

Works in translation

• Vetrarhörkur (Winter Frost) 2016 

France (Thierry Magnier); Czech Republic (Práh); TV Rights sold to RVK Studios

• Vetrarfrí (Winter Dark) 2015

France (Thierry Magnier); Czech Republic (Práh); Macedonia (Publisher); TV Rights sold to RVK Studios

Contact

 Hjörleifur Hjartarson holds a B.Ed. in education and has worked as a writer, publisher, translator, playwright and musician alongside his job as a music teacher. He's written a variety of exhibition notes and explanatory texts, for both museums and theatres. Along with all that he operates a two men music theatre, which political satires have been extremely well received and broadcasted on national television.

Works in translation

• Fuglar (Birds) Angústúra 2017

Italy (Quinto Quarto Edizioni, 2021) transl. Silvia Cosimini

Contact

Rán Flygenring is an Icelandic/Norwegian creative, working the field of storytelling and illustration. Her name rhymes with brown and is borrowed from the goddess of the sea in Norse mythology. In daily spoken Icelandic it is more commonly used for robbery. Rán graduated with a degree from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2009 and has since then worked on a vast variety of projects including picture books and published pieces, live scribing at conferences and weddings, art installations and wall murals. She has received numerous prestigious awards and nominations for her work.

Works in translation

• Vigdís. Bókin um fyrsta konuforsetann, Angústúra, 2019

Faroe Islands (Bókadeild Føroya Lærarafelags, 2020) transl. Sanna Dahl; Korea (Yellow Brick Books, 2020) transl. Hye Joung Park; Israel (Lesa Press, 2021) transl. Shai Sendik 

• Fuglar (Birds) Angústúra, 2017

Italy (Quinto Quarto Edizioni, 2021) transl. Silvia Cosimini

Contact

After a long career in publishing, both in Denmark and Iceland, Snæbjörn Arngrímsson sat down to write a story for children and adolescents. It was his dream to create a mystery adventure for kids, a story that would keep its readers so totally spellbound, drawing them in with such irresistible force, that their minds would have space for nothing else in the whole universe apart from the world of the story.

Works in translation

• Rannsóknin á leyndardómum Eyðihússins (The Secrets of the Abandoned House) 2019

Denmark (ABC forlag) transl. Susanne Torpe; Sweden (ABC forlag) transl. Jenny Nilsson

Contact

Þórdís Gísladóttir has written seventeen books and translated over twenty books from Swedish to Icelandic. She writes for all ages; Poetry, Novels and Children's Books, and she has also written a play for the National Radio. Þórdís studied Icelandic and literature and has a degree in Scandinavian linguistics from Uppsala University in Sweden. Her first book of Poetry, Leyndarmál annarra (Other People's Secrets), got the Tómas Guðmundsson Poetry Prize, and her first book for children, Randalín og Mundi (Randalín and Mundi), got the Icelandic Women's Literature Prize. Þórdís has been nominated three times to The Icelandic Literature Prize as well as the Maístjarnan Prize for the best book of poetry published 2016. The novel Horfið ekki í ljósið (Don't look into the flash, 2018) garnered critical acclaim and her poetry has been translated to Swedish, German, Russian, English and Finnish.

Works in translation

• Randalín og Mundi (Randalín és Mundi)

Hungary (Pongrác Kiadó) 2015

TV Rights for Randalín og Mundi (four books) sold to Glassriver Production Company.

Contact

Brynhildur Þórarinsdóttir (b.1970) is a prolific and multi-award winning author of books for children and teens. She has written both modern stories as well as popular transcriptions of the Icelandic sagas, for which she won the Nordic Children's Book Prize in 2007. She received the Icelandic Children's Literature Prize for the mystery story The Lion's Secret in 2004. Þórarinsdóttir lectures at the Faculty of Education at the University of Akureyri and is the head of the Children's Literature Centre.

Works in translation

• Njálssaga (The Saga of Njáll) Mál og menning, 2002

Norway (N. W. Damm og Sön, 2005), transl. Jon Sveinbjörn Jónsson; Sweden (Berghs, 2004), transl. John Swedenmark

Contact

Kristín Helga Gunnarsdóttir has written 25 children's books, all of which have been popular among Icelandic children and have received multiple awards. Kristín Helga is the mother of three daughters, living with her family in a small township of the Reykjavik area. She has a degree in journalism and Spanish language and literature. Fiasol has been adapted to theatre, and will now also become a TV series. Fíasól, a series of six books for children, has been translated into Russian (Gorodets, translated by Boris Zharov)) and rights for a TV series are sold (Ursus Parvis and Juna Film).

Further information

Works in translation

• Fíasól (series) 

Russian (Gorodets) transl. boris Zharov; TV rights (Ursus Parvis and Juna Film).

Contact

Sigrún Eldjárn has written and illustrated high on fifty children's books. She was the first author to receive the IBBY Iceland Prize Sögusteinn for her literary career in 2007, having received up to that point several awards and recognition for her work, among others the Reykjavik Children's Literature Prize three times and nominations to the H.C. Andersen Award and The Nordic Council Children's Literature Prize. Sigrún Eldjárn received the Cross of the Order of the Falcon for her contribution to culture for children in Iceland.

Works in translation

• Sigurfljóð í grænum hvelli (Victoria in a Jiffy) 2019

Sweden (pionier press)

• Silfurlykillinn (The Silver Key) 2018

Film rights: Bergmyndir

• Týndu augun (The Lost Eyes) 2003

Hungary (People Team Millenium) transl. Patat Bence

Contact

Gunnar Helgason is a popular actor and well known for all kinds of entertaining material for children which has enjoyed great popularity for some years. In the past few years Helgason has published several extremely popular children‘s books, including the five-book series The Great Football Saga and the four-part series about Stella and her family. My Bonkers Mum! won him the Icelandic Literature Prize and the Children's Choice Book Prize has been bestowed upon him six times. In this book, Helgason creates a brand new, exciting literary world in which it is easy to get lost.

Further information

Works in translation

• Mamma klikk (My Bonkers Mum) 2015

Denmark (Turbine) transl. Nanna Kalkar; Italy (Uovonero); South Korea (WooriSchool); Macedonia (Antolog Books) transl. Natasha Spirova Serafimova; Film rights: Saga Film

Contact

Huginn Þór Grétarsson was born in 1978 in the town of Akureyri, North of Iceland. As a young boy, he lived two years in Denmark until returning to Iceland and settling in the capital of Reykjavik. He studied economics at the University of Reykjavik and later worked at financial management at Lund University in Sweden. He published his first book in 2006, a travel journal from his trip to South America. Since then, he has written and translated more than 100 books, mostly for children and teenagers. He has also written a successful series of light-reading books. Every year, they reprint some of his children's books to meet demand, and several of them are published abroad.

Works in translation

• Kanínan sem fékk ALDREI nóg, Óðinsauga 2010

Canada (les malins, 2017) Le lapin trop gourmand; Lithuania (Jūsų Flintas, 2019) Kiškis kuriam niekada nebuvo gana; Romania and Moldova (Prut, 2019) Povestea iepurelui pofticios

• Fjörugt ímyndunarafl, Óðinsauga 2011

Slovenia (KUD Sodobnost International, 2015) Norčije domišljije

• Myrkfælna tröllið, Óðinsauga útgáfa, 2012 

Serbia (Pčelica 2015) Strah od Mraka 

• Fiðrildavængir, Óðinsauga 2013

Serbia (Pčelica,  2015) Krila leptira,

• Herra T og kjúklingurinn hans sem heitir Asni, 2015 Óðinsauga

Finland (Myllylahti Oy, 2016) Herra T ja kana nimeltä Aasi 

• Herra T og dularfulla eggið, Óðinsauga

• Teljum kindur, Óðinsauga 

USA, Canada (DCCED, 2023)

•  Alata á alvöru ísbjörn, Óðinsauga
  Grænland ( Iperaq, 2023)

Contact

Ævar Þór Benediktsson has become popular for his entertaining children’s books and programmes, on television and radio. He has won awards for scripts and stage plays as well as a recognition for his work in science and education. His book Your Very Own Fable won the Icelandic Bookseller Prize and the Children’s Book Prize as the best children’s book of the year. In 2017 he was selected for the Hay Festival’s Aarhus 39 List – A Collection of the 39 Best Emerging Writers for Young People from Across Europe.

Further information 

Works in translation

• Piparkökuhúsið (The Gingerbread House) 2019

Serbia (Propolis) transl. Casper Sare

• Þitt eigið ævintýri (Your Very Own Fairytale) 2017

Russia (Meshcheryakov)

• Þín eigin hrollvekja (Your Very Own Spooky Story) 2016

Russia (Meshcheryakov)

• Risaeðlur í Reykjavík (Attack of the Dinosaurs) 2015

UAE (AlFulk)

• Þín eigin goðsaga (Your Very Own Nordic Mythology) 2015

Russia (Meshcheryakov)

•  Þín eigin þjóðsaga (Your Very Own Fable) 2014

Russia (Meshcheryakov)

Contact 

Áslaug Jónsdóttir received The Reykjavik Children's Literature Prize for her work as illustrator in 2000, and was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award the same year. Her illustrations have been selected for the IBBY Honor List: Children's Verses with text by Bodvar Gudmundsson in 2004 and The Story of the Blue Planet with text by Andri Snaer Magnason in 2002, for which she received the West-Nordic Children's Book Prize and the UKLA Award 2014 along with the author. She was nominated to the 2015 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for her work.

Further information

Works in translation

• Skrímsli í vanda (Monsters in Trouble) 2017  

Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); Sweden (Opal); Norway (Skald)

• Ég vil fisk (I Want Fish) 2015 

Denmark (Milik); Sweden (Kabusa); Faroe Islands (BFL); Greenland (Milik); AbuDhabi (AlFulk); Galician (Editora Alvarellos)

• Skrímslakisi (Monster Kitty) 2014 

Sweden (Kabusa); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); China (Maitian Culture); United Arab Emirates (Hudhud)

• Skrímslaerjur (Monster Squabbles) 2012  

Sweden (Kabusa); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); China (Maitian Culture); Norway (Skald)

• Skrímsli á toppnum (Monster at the Top) 2010  

Sweden (Kabusa); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); China (Maitian Culture)

• Skrímsli í heimsókn (Monster Visit) 2009  

Sweden (Kabusa); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); Denmark (Torgard); China (Maitian Culture); United Arab Emirates (Hudhud); Norway (Skald)

• Skrímslapest (Monster Flu) 2008 

Sweden (Kabusa); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); Denmark (Torgard); France (Circonf lexe/Millepages); Norway (Skald); Spain/Galicia (Sushi Books)

• Skrímsli í myrkrinu (Monster in the Dark) 2007

Sweden (Bonnier Carlsen); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); Denmark (Torgard); France (Circonf lexe/Millepages); China (Maitian Culture); Norway (Skald); United Arab Emirates (Hudhud); Spain/ Galicia (Sushi Books); Russia (Mescheryakov)

• Stór skrímsli gráta ekki (Big Monsters Don't Cry) 2006

Sweden (Bonnier Carlsen); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); Denmark (Torgard); Spain/Catalonia/Galicia/Basque Country (Sushi Books); France (Circonf lexe/Millepages); Norway (Skald); China (Maitian Culture); Lithuania (Burokelis); United Arab Emirates (Hudhud); Czech Republic (Argo); Russia (Mescheryakov)

• Nei! Sagði litla skrímslið (No! Said the Little Monster) 2004  

Sweden (Bonnier Carlsen); Faroe Islands (Bókadeildin); Denmark (Carlsen); Finland (Pieni Karhu); Spain/Catalonia/Galicia/Basque Country (Sushi Books); France (Circonf lexe/Millepages); Finland (Pieni Karhu); Norway (Skald); China (Maitian Culture); Lithuania (Burokelis); United Arab Emirates (Hudhud); Czech Republic (Argo); Latvia (Liels un Mazs); Russia (Mescheryakov)

Contact

Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson was born in Húsavík, Iceland, in 1955. After attending the Commercial College of Iceland in Reykjavík, he studied Icelandic language, music and acting. In 1977 he made his literary debut with a book of poetry, Ósánar lendur (Virgin Soil). Since then he has published over 20 books of poetry and translated poetry, one novel and 15 children´s books. He has won several Icelandic literary prizes for his works. His poems are translated to a dozen of languages and he has been participating in many literature festivals. He is also a leading translator into Icelandic of poetry and lyrics for music.

Apart from the literary scene Sigurðsson is also a prolific songwriter and has been working with various artists for a long time. From 1998-2006 he was the president of the Writer´s Union of Iceland. His prestigious independent publishing house DIMMA is well known for both original editions and important editions of world literature, poetry and music. 

Works in translation

• Dvergasteinn, Almenna bókafélagið, 1991

Denmark (CDR forlag, 2000) Dværgstenen, transl. Mette Fanø; Finland (Bokförlaget Idun, 2010) Haltia joka kadotti hohtokivensä, transl. Päivi Kumpulainen; Estonia (Nynorden, 2010) Kääbusekivi, transl. Toomas Lapp; Swedish (Bokförlaget Idun, Finland, 2011) Dvärgstenen, transl. Inge Knutsson; Lebanon (Khayyatsaghir, 2015) The Dwarf Stone, transl. Mazen Maarouf

• Brúin yfir Dimmu, Mál og menning, 2000

Finland (Bokförlaget Idun, 2006) Silta Tumman yli, transl. Marjakaisa Matthíasson

• Ljósin í Dimmuborg, Mál og menning, 2002

Finland (Bokförlaget Idun, 2008) Tummalinnan valot, transl. Marjakaisa Matthíasson

• Hús eru aldrei ein (Black Sky), Uppheimar, 2011

Bilingual edition, transl. Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson/Bernard Scudder

• Selection of poems 1985-2015

Ukraine (Krok Publishing, 2015) Aposhni koler leta (The Last Colour of Summer), transl. Maria Pushkina

Contact

Þórarinn Eldjárn (b.1949) is one of Iceland's most admired authors and the recipient of many awards. A superb poet, he has tackled almost every genre since his debut in 1974. He has published numerous collections of poetry and children's verse, short-story collections and novels as well as translating fiction for adults and children from English and the Scandinavian languages. Among them are works by Strindberg, Ibsen, HC Andersen and Göran Tunström; Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland as well as Shakespeare's King Lear, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet for the National Theatre.

Þórarinn's novel Brotahofud (The Blue Tower) was shortlisted for the Aristeion 1998 – the European literature and translation prize, nominated to the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 1999 and to the IMPAC Dublin award in 2001. Brotahofud has been published in English, Finnish, French, Danish and German translations.

For further information

Works in translation

NOVELS

• Brotahöfuð (The Blue Tower), historical novel, Vaka-Helgafell, 1996

Denmark (Poul Kristensens Forlag, 2008), transl. Björn Sigurbjörnsson; Finland (Like, 1999), transl. Tapio Koivukari; France (Le Cavalier Bleu, 2003,) transl. Régis Boyer; Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Conte Verlag, 2011) transl. Coletta Bürling; UK (Mare's Nest, 1999), transl. Bernard Scudder

SHORT STORIES

• Die glücklichste Nation unter der Sonne. Geschichten von Island, short story collection, 13 stories: Der Klang der Wörter, Die Zauberformel, Die Taschenkrise, Der Besitzer, Eine kleine Flötenschule, Lachen erwünscht, Die Geisterstadt, Lulli und das Leitknäuel, Eines jeden Traum, Höhenflug, Urinium, Die Saga von den Siedlern in der Knüppelbucht, Die Hohnstange.Transl. Coletta Bürling

Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Conte Verlag, 2011)

• Des perles et du pain, short story collection, 10 stories: Le bruissement de l'aigle, Les perles de chez Hermann Kjögx sont les meilleures, Deux petites femmes de l'Est, T'es sûr que ça y est?, Tilbury, J'ai vécu, Simples malentendus, Le communiant qui n'en avait pas rien à faire, Quand les rêves se réalisent, Le bonhomme de pain, transl. Séverine Daucourt-Fridriksson

• Aðsókn (Incursion), from the short story collection Ó fyrir framan (1992)

UK (Comma Press) anthology, 2021, transl. Phil Roughton

• Níðstöng (Scorn Pole), transl. Lytton Smith. In the book Out of the Blue: New Short Fiction from Iceland.

US (University of Minnesota Press, 2017) Editor: Helen Mitsios

• Í svip (Anblick) and Flökkusaga (Eine Wandergeschichte), transl. Anna Papke. In the book Gaben des Himmels, Neue Erzählungen zeitgenössischer isländischer Autoren. Editors: Hubert Seelow and Kolbrún Haraldsdóttir

Germany (Steidl, 2011)

• Ókvæða við (Rester interdit), from the short story collection Margsaga, 1985, transl. Régis Boyer

France (Les Belles Lettres, 2009), in the collection Trésor de la nouvelle de la littérature scandinave

• Arnsúgur (A Rush of Wings), transl. Martin Regal

US (McSweeney's. 15, editor: Dave Eggers, 2004)

• Í draumi sérhvers manns (Eines jeden Traum) and Die Taschenkrise, short stories, transl. Coletta Bürling

Germany, edition die horen (anthology: Wortlaut Island, 2000)

POEMS

• 7 poems: (Angelica Versallica, Excelsior, Great Beginning, Nails, Fairy Tale, Imagine, Sneaky), transl. Sola Bjarnadottir O'Connell, Anthology: Beneath the Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary Icelandic Poetry, editor: Helen Mitsios

US (Talismann House) 2014

• Góður gestur á Bakka (Guter Gast auf Bakki), Jakkaföt frá Gefjun (Jedermanns Anzug), from Ydd (1984), transl. Richard Kölbl, anthology: Isländische Lyrik

Germany (Insel Verlag) 2011

• Grannmeti og átvextir, a poem for children from Grannmeti og átvextir (Froots and Vegedibles) (2001): transl. Olga Holownia

UK (Walker) 2011, anthology (Pumpkin Grumpkin – Nonsense Poems From Around the World)  

Contact

Bergrún Íris Sævarsdóttir (b. 1984) is a writer and illustrator, specialising in children's books. She graduated from the University of Iceland in 2009 and the Reykjavík School of Visual Arts in 2012. Bergrún Íris also studied children's books illustration at the Cambridge School of Arts in the summer of 2012. Bergrún Íris has illustrated over 50 children's books and written ten books of her own. Her books have been extremely well received, both among critics and young readers.

Works in translation

• Vinur minn vindurinn
• Sjáðu mig sumar! 
• Viltu vera vinur minn

China (Himmer-Winco)

• Langelstur í bekknum
• Langelstur í leynifélaginu
• Langelstur að eilífu 

Faroe Iceland (Bókadeild Føroya lærarafelags)

Contact

Kristín Ragna Gunnarsdóttir (b. 1968) is an Icelandic author, illustrator and curator. She has a master’s degree in creative writing, has written 10 children’s books, created children’s exhibitions and illustrated innumerable books. Kristín has received the Icelandic illustrator’s award twice and been nominated for many literary prizes. Her illustrations secured her a place on the IBBY honorary list in 2014 and IBBY in Iceland gave her an award for her work in the field of children’s culture. She is currently working on a play for the National Theatre from one of her books.

Works in translation

• Úlfur og Edda: Dýrgripurinn, 2016

Czech Republic (Barrister & Principal), Translator: Martina Kasparová

Contact

Kristín Steinsdóttir is the highly acclaimed and award-winning author of 40 books for both adults and children. Her novels have earned great praise both in Iceland and abroad, including The Icelandic Women's Literature Prize for high quality innovative works by women, which she received for the novel By Herself. The book was also nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize. Her first book, published in 1987, received the Icelandic Children’s Literature Prize that year. Her book, An Angel in the Neighbourhood, won the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2003. Steinsdóttir has received the highest order of the Republic of Iceland, the Order of the Falcon, for her contribution to Icelandic literature.

Works in translation

• Vonarlandið (Land of Hope) 2014  

Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Verlag C.H. Beck) transl. Anika Wolff

• Ljósa (Brightness) 2010

Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Verlag C.H. Beck/pocket dtv) transl. Anika Lüders; Lithuania (Alma Littera) transl. Jurate Akuceviciute

• Á eigin vegum (By Herself) 2006

Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Verlag C.H Beck) transl. Tina Flecken; Sweden (Kabusa) transl. John Swedenmark; Finland (Lurra) transl. Marjakaisa Matthíasson

• Hver étur ísbirni? (Who Eats Polar Bears?) 2006 

Denmark/Greenland (Milik)

• Engill í vesturbænum (An Angel in the Neighbourhood) 2001 

Sweden (Kabusa) transl. John Swedenmark; Finland (Idun) transl. Päivi Kumpulaine; Faroe Islands (Bokadeildin) transl. Þóra Þóroddsdóttir; Greenland (Milik); Denmark (Milik) transl. Susanne Torpe; Lithuania (Zara); Estonia (Nynorden); Slovenia (Malinc) transl. Tadeja Habicht; Hungary (Pongrác Kiadó) transl. Bence Patat

Contact

Arndís Þórarinsdóttir (b. 1982) is an award-winning Icelandic writer and translator. Before becoming a full-time writer, Arndís worked as a journalist and critic and was the head of department at the library in Kópavogur. She writes for children of all ages, but the most recent works are for middle grade and young adult readers. Whether her stories deal with emotional development and complexities of growing up or pacy adventures, they are always written with warmth and humour.
Her novel Somersault has won Icelandic Women's Literature Prize,
Icelandic Literature Prize in Children's category and The Reykjavík
Children's Book Award, and it was nominated for the Nordic Council Prize in 2022.

Works in translation

• Blokkin á heimsenda (written with Hulda Sigrún Bjarnadóttir), 2020

Denmark (Carlsen,  transl. Nanna Kalkar), Netherland (Volt,  transl. Willemien Werkman), Russia (Mann, Ivanov & Ferber,  transl. Ennia Emelianova), Germany (Arena, transl. Gisa Marehn),  Finland (WSOY,  transl. Marjakaisa Matthíasson)

• Bál tímans: Örlagasaga Möðruvallabókar í sjö hundruð ár, 2021

Spain (Pagès Editors)

• Kollhnís (Summersault), 2022

Netherland (Volt - transl. Willemien Werkman), Estonia (Hea Lugu, transl.  Maarja Siiner), Italia (Iperborea - transl.  Silvia Cosimini), Hungary (Cerkabella ), and Czech Republic (Portál)