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Sjón c_Dagur Gunnarsson
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Sjón (born in 1961 in Reykjavik, Iceland) is a border hopper. This proficient poet, who studied art and also has a career in music behind him, is one of the most original Icelandic writers. In 1978 when he was 15 he published his first book of poems, Sýnir (Visions). In 1979 he joined the surrealistic art group Medusa whose performances combine Surrealism, Dada and Punk. During his Medusa period 1980-1986 he published various books of poetry before publishing his first novel, Stálnótt (Night of Steel) in 1987. To date he has published twelve books of poems and four opera libretti as well as film scripts, novels, television plays, stage plays and song lyrics for various musicians. His lyrics for Björk and Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark were nominated for an Oscar in 2001. Sjón was Samuel Fischer Visiting Professor at the Free University Berlin in the winter semester 2007-8, and in 2010 he was a guest of the Berlin Artists Programme of the DAAD. In 2005 he received the Literature Prize of the Nordic Council for Shadowfox and in 2013 he received the Icelandic Literature Prize for his novel The Boy Who Did Not Exist. His novels have been translated into 35 languages.
Publications (a selection - poetry):
ljóðasafn 1978–2008 (anthology). 2008
söngur steinasafnarans. 2007
Myrkar fígúrur. 1998
Ég man ekki eitthvað um skýin. 1991
Leikfangakastalar sagði hún það er ekkert til sem heitir leikfangakastalar. 1986
Drengurinn með röntgenaugun (anthology). 1986