The Nordic Council Literature Prize at the Nordic House in Reykjavík
At a meeting on September 11, 2014, a committee commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers decided to place the main office of the Nordic Council Literature Prize in the Nordic House, Reykjavík.
At a meeting on September 11, 2014, a committee commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers decided to place the main office of the Nordic Council Literature Prize in the Nordic House, Reykjavík.
At a meeting on September 11, 2014, a committee commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers decided to place the main office of the Nordic Council Literature Prize in the Nordic House, Reykjavík.
The office is to oversee the prize in cooperation with its Nordic adjudication committee. The Nordic Council Literature Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious literature prizes dedicated to a specific linguistic area, along with such prizes as the English Booker Prize and the French Goncourt Prize.
It has been awarded annually since 1962, each time to a work of literature written in one of the Nordic languages, and authors of the winning works number some of the Nordic countries' foremost authors. Seven Icelandic works have received the prize.
Ever since its birth, the Nordic House has had a prime role in Icelandic literary life. It is a founding partner of and forum for two of the country's biggest literature festivals: The Reykjavík International Literary Festival and the children's literature festival Peacock in the Moorland. It also contains the biggest pan-Nordic library of its kind in the Nordic countries, and is now coordinating a promotional effort for children's and young people's literature, which is instigated by the Nordic Council of Ministers. In addition, the Nordic House hosts many stand-alone literature events around the year.
Four Icelandic authors are nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize this year in both of its categories: Auður Jónsdóttir, Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl, Lani Yamamoto and Andri Snær Magnason. The winners will be announced on October 29, at the Stockholm City Hall.
Literature events on the horizon
Art in Translation – an international conference on art and language, September 18-20
Art in Translation is a three-day international event in Reykjavík where scholars and artists of all kinds deal with texts through lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and performances. The aim is to create an interdisciplinary forum to explore the connections between language and various art forms. It will take place at the University of Iceland, the Nordic House and Harpa, September 18-20.
The main speaker this year is the American author Amy Tan, who takes the stage on Friday, September 20. Further information can found at the conference's webpage.
Art in Translation is held by The University of Iceland, Iceland Academy of the Arts and The University of Manitoba in cooperation with the Nordic House, the US Embassy in Iceland, Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature and others.
International Children's Literature Festival Peacock in the Moorland, October 9-12
Peacock in the Moorland is an international children's literature festival taking place October 9-12 , featuring over 30 Icelandic and foreign authors. It will also sport a large exhibition based on Nordic children's literature, open for seven weeks, and a seminar on the future of children's literature. More information can be found at the festival's webpage.