Nominations for the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2017
Icelandic authors Guðmundur Andri Thorsson and Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2017, for their books, Og svo tjöllum við okkur í rallið. Bókin um Thor (A Poet and a Vagabond) and Frelsi (Freedom).
The Icelandic works nominated are Og svo tjöllum við okkur í rallið. Bókin um Thor (A Poet and a Vagabond) by Guðmundur Andri Thorsson and Frelsi (Freedom) by Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir.
What the committee says about the Icelandic books nominated:
Og svo tjöllum við okkur í rallið. Bókin um Thor (A Poet and a Vagabond) by Guðmundur Andri Thorsson. Danish translation by Kim Lembek.
"One could write a great biography of Vilhjálmsson and his role in cultural life, his faith in the value of culture, his sublimity and pomposity, the controversy he became embroiled in, and his poetic experiments which did not always succeed. But this book is no such biography. Og svo tjöllum við okkur í rallið: bókin um Thor is a sincere, personal book that portrays our common human longing for our origins, our childhood. The text makes us aware of that turning point when we begin to realise that our parents are far from flawless. Although Thorsson has written an affectionate and loving portrait of his father, he does little to protect him. He tells us of his faults – it wasn't always easy being the son of a man who was larger than life." Read more.
Frelsi (Freedom) by Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir. Swedish translation by John Swedenmark.
"Frelsi is an impressive and remarkably intimate collection of poems. It consists of an untitled introductory poem followed by three numbered epics. Freedom is the leitmotif in all the poems: how we distort the idea of freedom and how we perceive it. This is a lapidary text, veiled in razor-sharp sarcasm, where every word is carefully chosen and full of significance. The poems converge in the reader's mind to form a strong whole, despite the fact that each section has its own internal motif which changes the reader's perspective depending on where he or she is in the book. The last poem completes the circle, and we find ourselves back where we started." Read more.
Here are the 12 nominations for the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2017.
Denmark
- Vivian by Christina Hesselholdt. Novel, Rosinante & Co, 2016.
- Erindring om kærligheden by Kirsten Thorup. Novel, Gyldendal, 2016.
Finland
- Oneiron by Laura Lindstedt. Novel, Teos, 2015.
- De tysta gatorna by Tomas Mikael Bäck. Poetry collection, Schildts & Söderströms, 2016.
Faroe Islands
Iceland
- Frelsi by Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir. Poetry collection, Mál og menning, 2015.
- Og svo tjöllum við okkur í rallið: bókin um Thor by Guðmundur Andri Thorsson. A portrait, JPV, 2015.
Norway
- Arv og miljø by Vigdis Hjorth. Novel, Cappelen Damm, 2016.
- Termin. En fremstilling av vold i Norge by Henrik Nor-Hansen. Novel, Tiden Norsk Forlag, 2016.
Sweden
- Djupa, kärlek, ingen. Dikter 1992-2015 by Ann Jäderlund. Poetry collection, Albert Bonniers förlag, 2016.
- Anteckningar om hö by Birgitta Lillpers. Poetry collection, Wahlström & Widstrand, 2016.
Åland
The works have been nominated by national members of the Adjudication Committee. The winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize will be announced and the prize awarded on 1 November at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki.