Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir

Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (born 1958) is an Icelandic professor of art history, a novelist, playwright and poet.^[1] She received the Nordic Council Literature Prize for Hotel Silence in 2018 and the Médicis Foreign Award for Miss Iceland in 2019.

Early life and education[edit]

Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir was born in 1958, in Reykjavík. She studied history of art at Sorbonne, Paris, France.^[2]

Career[edit]

Auður works as an assistant professor of art history at the University of Iceland.^[3]^[4] For a time, she was the director of the university's Art Museum.^[5]

Her first novel Upphækkuð jörð (Raised Earth) was published in 1998. It set the stage for her future works in its fine dissection of the smaller things in life.^[6]

Her book Rigning í nóvember (Butterflies in November) was lauded as a "moving, layered and optimistic piece of writing".^[7] The book won the Tómas Guðmundsson Literary Award.^[6]

In 2009, she published Afleggjarinn (The Greenhouse) to mixed reviews. It was described as meticulous and finely crafted, yet lacking a tension both in its language and friction in its emotion.^[8] It was also described as a sweetly comic and wry observation of sex, manhood, death and parenthood.^[9]

Personal life[edit]

Auður has revealed that her temporary residence in Catholic countries and her deep interest in their art and music led her to convert to Roman Catholicism.^[10]

Works[edit]

Novels[edit]

Upphækkuð jörð (Raised Earth), 1998
Rigning í nóvember, 2004, in English as Butterflies in November, in German as Ein Schmetterling in November^[11]
Afleggjarinn, 2007, in English as The Greenhouse, also translated into French, Spanish, Dutch and Italian^[12]^[13]
Undantekningin (The Exception), 2012
Ör (Scar), 2016, in English as Hotel Silence, also translated into Portuguese, Swedish (Ärr) and Estonian as Arm.
Ungfrú Ísland, 2018, in English as Miss Iceland, also translated into French
Dýralíf, 2020, in English as Animal Life.

Poetry[edit]

Sálmurinn um glimmer (The Psalm of Glimmer), 2010

Theatre[edit]

Swans mate for life (National Theatre of Iceland, 2014)^[14]

Awards[edit]

2018 - Bókmenntaverðlaun Norðurlandaráðs: Ör
2016 - Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunin: Ör
2011 - Prix des libraires du Québec: Rosa Candida (Afleggjarinn í franskri þýðingu Catherine Eyjólfsson). Í flokknum þýðingar (Roman hors Québec)
2010 - Prix de Page (Frakkland): Rosa Candida
2008 - Menningarverðlaun DV í bókmenntum: Afleggjarinn
2008 - Fjöruverðlaunin, bókmenntaverðlaun kvenna: Afleggjarinn
2004 - Bókmenntaverðlaun Tómasar Guðmundssonar: Rigning í nóvember

References[edit]

^ "Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir - Literature Web". City of literature UNESCO (in Icelandic). 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
^ Peras, Delphine (May 5, 2014). "Audur Ava Olafsdottir, Islandaise d'exception". L'Express. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ "Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir". Pushkin Press. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ Brandsma, Elliott. "Every Novel Has a Music of Its Own". Stúdentablaðið. University of Iceland. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
^ Dagsdóttir, Úlfhildur (2011). "Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir". Literature.is. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Interviews with Icelandic Authors: Auður A. Ólafsdóttir". Icelandic Literature Center. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ Berwick, Isabel (December 27, 2013). "Butterflies in November, by Audur Ava Olafsdóttir". The Financial Times. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ Schottenius, Maria (March 23, 2015). "Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir: "Rosa Candida"". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ Kyzer, Larissa (December 5, 2011). "Three Percent Review: The Greenhouse". Three Percent. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ Guerrera, Antonello (July 16, 2013). "Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir - "Il vero segreto? Sconfiggere la crisi con lo humour"". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
^ DNB entry for Schmetterling in November
^ Worldcat entry for The Greenhouse
^ Worldcat entry for Rosa Candida
^ Walton-Lange, Lucy (November 7, 2013). "Exclusive interview with Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir". Female First. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

External links[edit]

(in Spanish) Info
(in English) literature.is

[1] "Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir - Literature Web". City of literature UNESCO (in Icelandic). 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.

[lexpress-2] Peras, Delphine (May 5, 2014). "Audur Ava Olafsdottir, Islandaise d'exception". L'Express. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[3] "Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir". Pushkin Press. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[4] Brandsma, Elliott. "Every Novel Has a Music of Its Own". Stúdentablaðið. University of Iceland. Retrieved 15 September 2021.

[5] Dagsdóttir, Úlfhildur (2011). "Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir". Literature.is. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[islit-6] "Interviews with Icelandic Authors: Auður A. Ólafsdóttir". Icelandic Literature Center. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[7] Berwick, Isabel (December 27, 2013). "Butterflies in November, by Audur Ava Olafsdóttir". The Financial Times. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[8] Schottenius, Maria (March 23, 2015). "Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir: "Rosa Candida"". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[9] Kyzer, Larissa (December 5, 2011). "Three Percent Review: The Greenhouse". Three Percent. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[10] Guerrera, Antonello (July 16, 2013). "Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir - "Il vero segreto? Sconfiggere la crisi con lo humour"". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved June 28, 2015.

[11] DNB entry for Schmetterling in November

[12] Worldcat entry for The Greenhouse

[13] Worldcat entry for Rosa Candida

[14] Walton-Lange, Lucy (November 7, 2013). "Exclusive interview with Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir". Female First. Retrieved June 28, 2015.

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v t e Nordic Council Literature Prize winners
1960s	1962: The Days of His Grace – Eyvind Johnson 1963: Under the North Star 3: Reconciliation – Väinö Linna 1964: The Ice Palace – Tarjei Vesaas 1965: From Hell to Paradise – Olof Lagercrantz and The Good Hope – William Heinesen 1966: Diwan on the Prince of Emgion – Gunnar Ekelöf 1967: Nye noveller – Johan Borgen 1968: Flight of the Eagle – Per Olof Sundman 1969: The Legionnaires – Per Olov Enquist
1970s	1970: Anna, I, Anna – Klaus Rifbjerg 1971: Coast of Slaves, Ships of Slaves & Islands of Slaves – Thorkild Hansen 1972: Sju ord på tunnelbanan – Karl Vennberg 1973: Kersantin poika – Veijo Meri 1974: Uden mål – og med – Villy Sørensen 1975: Siinä näkijä missä tekijä – Hannu Salama 1976: Að laufferjum & Að brunnum – Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson 1977: I de mörka rummen, i de ljusa – Bo Carpelan 1978: Dalen Portland – Kjartan Fløgstad 1979: Pubertet – Ivar Lo-Johansson
1980s	1980: Vredens barn – Sara Lidman 1981: Hauströkkrið yfir mér – Snorri Hjartarson 1982: Samuels bok – Sven Delblanc 1983: Om fjorten dage – Peter Seeberg 1984: The Christmas Oratorio – Göran Tunström 1985: A Day in Ostrobothnia – Antti Tuuri 1986: Líkasum – Rói Patursson 1987: Hudløs himmel – Herbjørg Wassmo 1988: Justice Undone – Thor Vilhjálmsson 1989: Roman 1987 – Dag Solstad
1990s	1990: For the Living and the Dead – Tomas Tranströmer 1991: The Sun, My Father – Nils-Aslak Valkeapää 1992: Night Watch – Fríða Á. Sigurðardóttir 1993: Byen og verden – Peer Hultberg 1994: Blackwater – Kerstin Ekman 1995: Angels of the Universe – Einar Már Guðmundsson 1996: Hva skal vi gjøre i dag og andre noveller – Øystein Lønn 1997: Bang. En roman om Herman Bang – Dorrit Willumsen 1998: After Having Spent a Night Among Horses – Tua Forsström 1999: Queen's Gate – Pia Tafdrup
2000s	2000: Drømmebroer – Henrik Nordbrandt 2001: The Discoverer – Jan Kjærstad 2002: The Half Brother – Lars Saabye Christensen 2003: Revbensstäderna – Eva Ström 2004: Juoksuhaudantie – Kari Hotakainen 2005: The Blue Fox – Sjón 2006: The Ocean – Göran Sonnevi 2007: Drömfakulteten – Sara Stridsberg 2008: Baboon – Naja Marie Aidt 2009: I Curse the River of Time – Per Petterson
2010s	2010: Purge – Sofi Oksanen 2011: Between the Trees – Gyrðir Elíasson 2012: Days in the History of Silence – Merethe Lindstrøm 2013: The Prophets of Eternal Fjord – Kim Leine 2014: Mirage 38 – Kjell Westö 2015: Wakefulness, Olav's Dreams & Weariness – Jon Fosse 2016: Songs and Formulae – Katarina Frostenson 2017: Memories of Love – Kirsten Thorup 2018: Hotel Silence – Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir 2019: Efter Solen – Jonas Eika
2020s	2020: Who killed Bambi? – Monika Fagerholm 2021: Flower Valley – Niviaq Korneliussen 2022: Om udregning af rumfang – Solvej Balle
List of Nordic Council's Literature Prize winners and nominees

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