Gyrðir Elíasson (born 4 April 1961) is an author and translator in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

Life and Literary Career

Gyrðir was born in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

, but was raised in Sauðarkrókur, a small town in the northern part of the country. He graduated from the Fjölbrautarskóli Nordurlands Vestra in Saudárkrókur in 1982. While trying various academic options at universities of education, he began writing poetry. His first book, a collection of poetry titled ''Svarthvít axlabönd'' (''Black-and-White Suspenders''), was published in 1983. He also began translating works into Icelandic, considering it ''the duty of Icelandic writers to give a hand in translations''. Among his translations are four works by

Richard Brautigan Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935 – c. September 16, 1984) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. A prolific writer, he wrote throughout his life and published ten novels, two collections of short stories, and four bo ...

. He also has an interest in works about the

indigenous peoples of the Americas The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

. Gyrðir has written ten volumes of poetry and five books of prose. His style is called "highly personal" among other things. Gyrðir lives in

. He is married with three children.

Gallery

Gyrðir Elíasson visiting Aarhus, Denmark (2011) Image:gyrdir-eliasson_DSC09379.jpg Image:gyrdir-eliasson__DSC09480.jpg Image:gyrdir-eliasson__DSC09450.jpg Image:gyrdir-eliasson_erik_DSC09388.jpg

Awards

Gyrðir won the prestigious

Nordic Council's Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth ...

in 2011 for the short story collection ''Milli trjánna'' (''

Between the Trees Between the Trees was an American rock band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 2005. The band consisted of vocalist/guitarist Ryan Kirkland, lead guitarist Brad Kriebel, drummer Josh Butler and bassist Jeremy Butler. Between the Trees released ...

''). His collection ''The Yellow House'' was awarded both the

Icelandic Literary Prize The Icelandic Literary Prize ( Icelandic: ''Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunin''), or Icelandic Literary Award, is an award which is given to three books each year by the Icelandic Publishers Association. The prize was founded on the association's cen ...

and the Halldór Laxnes Prize for Literature in 2000.

Works

Works translated to English *''The Wandering Squirrel'' (''Gangandi íkorni'') (novel) *''The Book of Sandá River'' (''Sandárbókin'') (novel) *'' Stone Tree'' ("Steintré") (short stories, 2003) *''A Few General Remarks on the Cooling of the Sun'' (''Nokkur almenn orð um kulnun sólar'') (poetry) Works translated to Icelandic *" The Education of Little Tree" by Forrest Carter (novel) (Icelandic: "Uppvöxtur Litla Trés")

References

External links

Bokmenntir authors listed under "G", Elíasson being the bottom name
Eliasson, Gyrdir Gyrdir Eliasson Eliasson, Gyrdir Nordic Council Literature Prize winners {{Iceland-writer-stub