Sjón

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This is an Icelandic name. The last name is a patronymic, not a family name; this person is properly referred to by the given name Sigurjón or Sjón.
SJÓN Photo:Hörður Sveinsson

Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson (born 27 August 1962), known as Sjón (pronounced /ˈʃoʊn/ SHOHN in English), is an internationally known Icelandic author and poet. His pen name is formed from his given name (Sigurjón), and means 'Sight'.

As a poet Sjón published his first volume of poetry, Sýnir ('Visions') in 1978 and has since published numerous books of poetry, prose and even children's novels. In 2005 Sjón was awarded the The Nordic Council's Literature Prize for the novel Skugga-Baldur ('The Blue Fox'), but was until his international breakthrough with that book perhaps best known in the English speaking world for writing the lyrics to several songs of the Icelandic singer Björk. His novels have been published in 23 languages, among them Italian, Spanish, Dutch, German, English, French and Turkish. The Blue Fox was nominated for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2009.

Active on the Icelandic music scene since the early 80's Sjón has collaborated with many of the best known artists of the era and featured as guest vocalist on a rare Sugarcubes 12" single Luftgitar (air guitar) in 1987 using the name Johnny Triumph; this was accompanied by a music video of Sjón playing an invisible guitar with Björk and Einar Örn Benediktsson. Sjón would occasionally reprise this role for the final encore of Sugarcubes concerts, including the band's one-off 2006 reunion show in Reykjavík. Still involved in the Icelandic music scene, Sjón is on the board of the Bad Taste (Smekkleysa) record label and a member of the advisory board for Kraumur Music Fund, which "aim is to strengthen Icelandic musical life, primarily by supporting young musicians in performing and presenting their works."

In 2001 he was nominated for an Academy Award for the song "I've Seen It All" from the film Dancer in the Dark alongside his co-writers Lars von Trier and Björk. He was featured in the documentary Inside Bjork.

Sjón is married and has two children. He currently resides in Reykjavík.

"In many respects, Sjon's oeuvre constitutes a novelty in Icelandic literature. The way in which Sjon employs international culture, myth, literature, and popular culture is unique, as is the breadth of his scope of reference. The narratives are enriched by light and humorous touches, which allow him to work pliably with what would otherwise seem obscure matters."
(Eysteinsson and Dagsdottir, p. 452, A History of Icelandic Literature, U of Nebraska Press, 2006)

Contents

[edit] Bibliography

NOVELS

  • From the Mouth of the Whale (a.k.a. The Marvels of Twilight) ("Rökkurbýsnir", Novel, 2008)
  • The Whispering Muse (a.k.a. The Splinter from Argo) ("Argóarflísin", Novel, 2005)
  • The Blue Fox ("Skugga-Baldur", Novel, 2003)
  • With a Quivering Tear ("Með titrandi tár", Novel, 2001)
  • Made in Secret (a.k.a. Your Eyes Saw Me) ("Augu þín sáu mig", Novel, 1994)
  • Angel, Stovehat and Strawberries ("Engill, pípuhattur og jarðarber", Novel, 1989)
  • Night of Steel ("Stálnótt", Novel, 1987)

POETRY

  • Collected Poems 1978-2008 ("Ljóðasafn", Poems, 2008)
  • the song of the stone collector ("söngur steinasafnarans", Poems, 2007)
  • obscure figures ("myrkar fígúrur", Poems, 1998)
  • there is something I can't remember about the clouds ("Ég man ekki eitthvað um skýin", Poems, 1991)
  • The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes, poems from 1978-1986 ("Drengurinn með röntgenaugun", Poems, 1986)
  • Toy Castles ... ("Leikfangakastalar", Poems, 1986)
  • Oh, Isn't it Wild? ("Oh, Isn't it Wild?", Poems, 1985)
  • The Book of Illusions ("Sjónhverfingabókin", Poems, 1983)
  • The Blind Man's Bicycle ("Reiðhjól blinda mannsins", Poems, 1982)
  • How Does One Make Love to Hands? ("Hvernig elskar maður hendur?", Poems, 1981)
  • Birgitta ("Birgitta", Poems, 1979)
  • Madonna ("Madonna", Poems, 1979)
  • Visions ("Sýnir", Poems, 1978)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

  • The Story of the Strange Bird ("Sagan af furðufugli", illustr. Daði Guðbjörnsson, 2002)
  • Númi and his Seven Heads ("Númi og höfuðin sjö", illustr. Halldór Baldursson, 2000)
  • The Story of the Great Cap ("Sagan af húfunni fínu", illustr. Halldór Baldursson, 1995)

DRAMATIC WORKS

  • "The Motion Demon" - a libretto based on the short stories of Stefan Grabinski - Figura Ensemble - Copenhagen 2011
  • "HAV - a Sea Journey" - a play written in collaboration with the theatre group - New International Encounter - Oslo 2011
  • "Gargoyles" ("Ufsagrýlur") - a play - Lab Loki - Reykjavík 2010
  • "Shadow Play" ("Skuggaleikur") - a libretto based on the short story "Skyggen" by H. C. Andersen - Strengjaleikhúsið - Reykjavík 2006

[edit] Works in translation

NOVELS

Rökkurbýsnir (Marvels of Twilight)

Forthcoming in Dutch, Lithuanian and Turkish.

Argóarflísin (The Whispering Muse)

Forthcoming in English and Faroese.

Skugga-Baldur (The Blue Fox)

Forthcoming in Chinese Bulgarian and Russian.

Með titrandi tár (With A Quivering Tear)

Forthcoming in Danish.

Augu þín sáu mig (Made in Secret)

  • French: De tes yeux, tu me vis - Rivages 2011 - (ISBN 9782743621865)
  • Romanian: Ochii tăi m-au văzut - Niculescu 2008 - (ISBN 9789737482617)
  • Lithuanian: Tavo akys matė mane - Apostrofa 2005 - ISBN 9955-605-13-8
  • Spanish: Tus ojos me vieron: Historia de amor - Ediciones Siruela 2005 - (ISBN 9788478448869)
  • Finnish: Sinun silmäsi näkivät minut (rakkaustarina) - Like 2004 - (ISBN 9524711753)
  • Danish: Dine øjne så mig - Vindrose 2002 - (ISBN 8774566210)
  • Norwegian: Dine øyne så meg: en kjærlighetshistorie - Tiden 2001 - (ISBN 8210045288)
  • Swedish: Dina ögon såg mig: en kärlekssaga - Anamma 1997 - (ISBN 978918789456)

Stálnótt (Night of Steel)

  • Swedish: Stålnatt - Helsinki University 2010

POETRY

  • German: Gesang des Steinesammlers - Kleinheinrich 2007 - (ISBN 9783930754397)
  • Macedonian: Astronomija na gladniot - SPV 2007
  • French: figures obscures - Cahiers de Nuit 2000 - (ISBN 2899648888)
  • English: Night of the Lemon - Greyhound Press 1993 - (ISBN 0951910043)

[edit] Collaborations with Björk

[edit] Prizes

Literary Prizes

  • The Blue Fox (Skugga-Baldur), nominated for the 2011 Jan Michalski Prize for Literature.
  • The Blue Fox (Skugga-Baldur), nominated for the 2009 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.
  • The Icelandic Bookseller's Prize for the Novel of the Year, 2005, for Argóarflísin.
  • The Nordic Council's Literature Prize, 2005, for Skugga-Baldur.
  • The DV Newspaper Culture Prize / Literature, 2002, for Með titrandi tár.
  • The Icelandic Broadcasting Service Writers Fund, 1998, for contribution to Icelandic literature.
  • The DV Newspaper Culture Prize / Literature, 1995, for Augu þín sáu mig.

Other Prizes

[edit] External links

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