List of Icelandic writers

Halldór Kiljan Laxness, one of Iceland's most noted authors, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955[1]

Iceland has a rich literary history, which has carried on into the modern period.[2]

Some of the best known examples of Icelandic literature are the Sagas of Icelanders. These are prose narratives based on historical events that took place in Iceland and the surrounding areas during the Saga Age.[3][4] Most of these sagas were recorded during the 13th and 14th centuries, but the original authors and subsequent recorders of the works are unknown and thus not listed here. Although it has been suggested that Snorri Sturluson is the author of Egil's Saga.[5] The Saga tradition is not limited only to Iceland, and is an integral part of Norse mythology throughout the Nordics.[6][7]

Another dominant form of Icelandic literature is poetry. Iceland has a rich history of poets, with many poets listed here. The early poetry of Iceland is Old Norse poetry, which is divided into the anonymous Eddic poetry,[8] and the Skaldic poetry attributed to a series of skalds, who were court poets who lived in the Viking Age and Middle Ages.[9][10] The modern Icelandic language is sufficiently similar to the Old Norse language for speakers of modern Icelandic to be able to understand Old Norse texts.[11] Later Icelandic poetry includes the Passion Hymns by Hallgrímur Pétursson, a collection of Christian religious poetry published in 1666.[12] Modern poets include Einar Benediktsson, a neo-Romantic poet who was an important figure in Iceland's nationalistic literary revival during the 19th century,[13] and 20th-century poets such as Tómas Guðmundsson and Davíð Stefánsson.

Halldór Laxness is the only Icelander to have been awarded the Nobel Prize.[14] Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955, he is recognized as one of Iceland's greatest literary figures. He wrote poetry, newspaper articles, plays, travelogues, short stories, and novels.[15] Icelandic authors have won the Nordic Council's Literature Prize nine times.[16]

In the modern period many Icelandic authors have been successful writing in languages other than Icelandic. Others have their work translated into other languages and are known internationally. The Detective Erlendur series by crime fiction author Arnaldur Indriðason is translated into at least 24 languages, including English.[17]

Following is a list of notable Icelandic writers.[a] This list includes authors of Icelandic literature, as well as writers in other literary disciplines; such as authors of fiction and non-fiction works, poets and skalds, playwrights, screenwriters, songwriters and composers, scholars, scribes, journalists,[b] translators, and editors of newspapers and magazines. All the people listed here are or were Icelandic citizens, or writers with a strong connection to Iceland, for example by writing in the Icelandic language.[c] People listed are from a wide range of time periods, ranging from the early Viking-age chroniclers, to modern day novelists. To help sort the writers by period, they are sorted according to the time period they lived. Although many more precise periods can be used, this list uses Contemporary for living writers, Modern for writers since the 16th century, and Medieval for the period from the 5th to the 15th century. In keeping with Icelandic naming conventions, the list is alphabetical by given name, as that is how Icelandic names are sorted.

  1. ^ "Halldór Laxness – Biographical". www.nobelprize.org. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  2. ^ Nelson, Dean (17 November 2015). "In Iceland, a Literary Tour Explores Rich History". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Spotlight: Old Norse brings us back to our Viking roots". University of York. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  4. ^ Pálsson, Hermann. "Saga | literature". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Snorri Sturluson | Icelandic writer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  6. ^ Ross, Margaret Clunies (9 September 2016). "Guide to the classics: the Icelandic saga". ScienceNordic.
  7. ^ "Old Norse Myths, Literature and Society" (PDF). Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  8. ^ McTurk, Rory, ed. (2004). A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture. Blackwell Publishing. doi:10.1002/9780470996867. hdl:20.500.11815/4304. ISBN 9780470996867. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Skaldic poetry | medieval literature". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  10. ^ Wills, Tarrin (27 July 2017). "Skaldic Project – Cross-Platform Interface". Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  11. ^ Harðarson, Jón Axel (5 March 2005). "Is Icelandic the oldest language in Europe? How old is it?". The Icelandic Web of Science. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Hallgrímur Pétursson | Icelandic poet". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Einar Benediktsson | Icelandic poet". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Nobel Prize Winners By Country". worldatlas.com. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Halldor Laxness | Biography, Books, Nobel Prize, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Nordic Council Literature Prize — Nordic cooperation". www.norden.org. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Arnaldur Indridason's Detective Erlendur books in order". Dead Good. A Penguin Random House Company. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2018.


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