Sigurður Pálsson

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Sigurður Pálsson (born Skinnastaður, 30 July 1948 – 19 September 2017) was an Icelandic poet, author and translator. He worked primarily in cinema and television, theatre, and university teaching.[1] He is particularly noted, among Icelandic writers, for his close links with France.[2]

Biography

Sigurður grew up in the north-east of Iceland.[3] He died of illness in 2017.[4]

Education

Sigurður graduated from

University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle and studying cinema at the Conservatoire libre du cinéma français.[7]

In 1978-82, Sigurður returned to the Sorbonne to complete his MA and take a DEA. He also studied film directing at the Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma Français.[8]

Artistic career

Sigurður was in France during the

May 1968 revolts, which influenced his intellectual and literary evolution.[9]

During the 1970s, Sigurður Pálsson was part of a group of young Icelandic poets, the Listaskáldin vondu, who worked to renew Icelandic literary language by combining colloquial language with traditional influences; the group also included Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, Pétur Gunnarsson and Þórarinn Eldjárn.[10] In 1975, he published the collection Ljóð vega salt, which deployed autobiographical elements to probe contemporary life.[11]

From the 1980s onwards, he published collections of poems, a number of novels, ten or so plays, and twenty or so translations, mostly from French.

He has also taught at the

Iceland Academy of the Arts.[12]

Awards and honours

Sigurður was made a knight of the

Ordre du Mérite in 2007.[13] He was artist in residence in Reykjavík in 1987–90.[14]

In 2007 his memoirs, Minnisbók, won the

Icelandic Literary Award
.

He won the Jónas Hallgrímsson Award on Icelandic Language Day in 2016 and on New Year's Day 2017 he was made a knight of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon for his services to Icelandic literature and culture.[15]

Oevre

Among Sigurður's main works are:

  • 1975: Ljóð vega salt
  • 1980: Ljóð vega menn (Reykjavik: Mál og menning)
  • 1982: Ljóð vega gerd (Reykjavik: Iðunn)
  • 1990: Ljóð námu völd (Reykjavik: Forlagið)
  • 1993: Ljóð línu (Reykjavik: Forlagið)
  • 1995: Ljóðlínuskip (Reykjavik: Forlagið)
  • 1996: Ljóð vega safn (Reykjavik: Mál og menning)
  • 1997: Ljóðlínuspil (Reykjavik: Forlagið)
  • 1998: Parísarhjól (Reykjavik: Forlagið)
  • 2002: Næturstaður (Reykjavik: JPV)
  • 2002: Tattu (Tattoo), a comedy.
  • 2007: Minnisbók (Reykjavik: JPV)
  • 2009: Ljóðorkuþörf (Reykjavik: JPV)

Translations into English include:

  • 2014: Inside Voices Outside Light, trans. by Martin S. Regal (Todmorden: Arc)

His poetry was translated into Irish for the 2012 Irish Leaving Certificate.

References

  1. ^ Biographical entry in Transcript n°29, consulted August 2012.
  2. ^ Martin S. Regal, 'Introduction', in Sigurður Pálsson, Inside Voices Outside Light (Todmorden: Arc, 2014), 8-25 (pp. 12-13).
  3. ^ « Islande, Le givre et les lettres », article by Chloé Aeberhardt in Libération, 26 March 2012. Page consulted August 2012; Biographical entry in Transcript n°29, consulted August 2012.
  4. ^ Jóhann Bjarni Kolbeinsson, 'Sigurður Pálsson rithöfundur látinn', RÚV (20 September 2017).
  5. ^ Martin S. Regal, 'Introduction', in Sigurður Pálsson, Inside Voices Outside Light (Todmorden: Arc, 2014), 8-25 (p. 13).
  6. ^ Biography at Forlagið press
  7. ^ File on Sigurður Pálsson Archived 15 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Page on Icelandic theatre.
  8. ^ Biography at Forlagið press
  9. ^ Presentation by Régis Boyer about Sigurður Pálsson, Poèmes des hommes et du sel, La Différence, 1993.
  10. ^ Biography of Þórarinn Eldjárn at the site Sagenhaftes Island. Accessed 31 July 2012.
  11. ^ Article « Icelandic Literature » in the Encyclopædia Britannica. Consulted 31 July 2012.
  12. ^ Sigurður Pálsson, Inside Voices Outside Light (Todmorden: Arc, 2014), p. 137.
  13. ^ Martin S. Regal, 'Introduction', in Sigurður Pálsson, Inside Voices Outside Light (Todmorden: Arc, 2014), 8-25 (pp. 12-13).
  14. ^ Jóhann Bjarni Kolbeinsson, 'Sigurður Pálsson rithöfundur látinn', RÚV (20 September 2017).
  15. ^ Jóhann Bjarni Kolbeinsson, 'Sigurður Pálsson rithöfundur látinn', RÚV (20 September 2017).