The Icelandic Literary Prize 2016 presented by President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, Ragnar Axelsson and Hildur Knútsdóttir received the prizes in three categories; fiction, non fiction and children and young adult's fiction
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, Ragnar Axelsson and Hildur Knútsdóttir received the prizes in three categories; fiction, non fiction and children and young adult's fiction.
Auður Ava's novel Ör (Scars)
In the category of fiction, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir received the award for her novel Ör. The book tells the story of 49-year-old Jónas Ebeneser, a heterosexual, divorced man, who for eight years and five months has not embraced a naked woman, at least not willingly. The book was described by RÚV's critic as “masterfully written,” “possessing great wisdom and addressing issues appealing to the reader's conscience.” This is Auður Ava's fifth novel, but her works have been widely translated.
RAX's photography book Andlit norðursins (The Faces of the North)
In the category of educational and general subject books, photographer Ragnar Axelsson, better known as RAX, received the award for his photography book Andlit norðursins (The Faces of the North). The book includes previously unpublished photos from Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, as well as the stories behind them. In it, Ragnar attempts to register the lives and work of people in the north and changes that have occurred in their environment and society over the years.
Hildur Knútsdóttir's book Vetrarhörkur (Winter Frost)
Hildur Knútsdóttir received the award in the category of children and young adult's fiction for her book Vetrarhörkur (Winter Frost), the story of an Icelandic family, who survives the attack of extraterrestrial cannibals. The book is a sequel to Vetrarfrí (Winter Dark). Hildur's sister Rún accepted the award on her behalf.
The prize money awarded in each category is ISK 1 million (USD 8,800, EUR 8,200).
The Icelandic Literature Prize
The Association of Icelandic Publishers hosts this prize, handed out by the President of Iceland in the beginning of each year. There are three categories: fiction, non-fiction and children's books and five books nominated in each category. The Icelandic Literature Prize was founded in 1989. The category for children's books was added in 2013.
2016
Awarded:
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir: Ör (Scars) (Benedikt)
Ragnar Axelsson: Andlit norðursins : Ísland, Færeyjar, Grænland (The Faces of the North: Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland) (Crymogea)
Hildur Knútsdóttir: Vetrarhörkur (Winter Frost) (JPV)
Nominations:
Fiction
Steinar Bragi: Allt fer (Everything Goes) (Mál og menning)
Sjón: Ég er sofandi hurð (I'm a Sleeping Door) (JPV)
Guðrún Mínervudóttir: Skegg Raspútíns (Rasputin's Beard) (Bjartur)
Sigurður Pálsson: Ljóð muna rödd (Poetry Remembers Voice) (JPV)
Non-fiction
Árni Heimir Ingólfsson: Saga tónlistarinnar (A History of Music) (Forlagið)
Bergsveinn Birgisson: Leitin að svarta víkingnum (The Black Viking) (Bjartur)
Guðrún Ingólfsdóttir: Á hverju liggja ekki vorar göfugu kellíngar (What Don't They Possess, Our Noble Crones?) (Háskólaútgáfan)
Viðar Hreinsson: Jón lærði og náttúrur náttúrunnar (Jon the Learned and the Nature of Nature) (Lesstofan)
Children's and Young Adult Books
Hildur Knútsdóttir og Þórdís Gísladóttir: Doddi : bók sannleikans (Doddi: The Book of Truth) (Bókabeitan)
Margrét Tryggvadóttir og Linda Ólafsdóttir: Íslandsbók barnanna (The Children's Book of Iceland) (Iðunn)
Þórhallur Arnórsson og Jón Páll Halldórsson: Vargöld (The wrath of Ragnarök) (Iðunn)
Ævar Þór Benediktsson: Vélmennaárásin: bernskubrek Ævars vísindamanns (Attack of the Robots) (Mál og menning)