# Faroese Literature Prize

The Faroese Literature Prize, also known as the Mentanarvirðisløn M. A. Jacobsens (M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Award), is a prize for Faroese literature that was begun by the Tórshavnar kommuna (Tórshavn City Council) in 1958. Its winners include Heðin Brú, Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen, Jóanes Nielsen and Kristian Blak. The prize is always awarded at a ceremony in Tórshavn on 17 September or a day close to 17 September, which is the birthday of Mads Andreas Jacobsen. M. A. Jacobsen was a Faroese politician and librarian who headed the National Library of the Faroe Islands, then called Færø Amts Bibliotek in Danish but later renamed Landsbókasavnið, in Faroese. M. A. Jacobsen was the mayor of Tórshavn and a member of the Løgting (the Faroese parliament). The M. A. Jacobsen Prize was at first only for writers, but was later expanded to three categories: one award for Faroese fiction, one for Faroese nonfiction and one for other cultural achievements. In 2012 the prize was worth 35,000 Danish kroner.
Another Faroese cultural prize, called Mentanarvirðisløn Landsins (Faroese Cultural Prize), is currently worth 150,000 DKK. In addition the Heiðursgáva landsins (The Faroese Cultural Department's Award of Honour) as of 2012 is worth 75,000 DKK.

## List of Faroese Literature Prize winners

| | Fiction | Non-fiction literature | Other Cultural Achievement |
| 2020 | Lív Maria Róadóttir Jæger | Hjalmar P. Petersen | Jógvan D. Hansen |
| 2019 | Oddfríður Marni Rasmussen | Hanus Kamban | Bernharður Wilkinson |
| 2018 | Rannvá Holm Mortensen | No award given | Edward Fuglø |
| 2017 | Sissal Kampmann | No award given | Simme Arge Jacobsen |
| 2016 | Heðin M. Klein | No award given | Eilif Samuelsen |
| 2015 | Carl Jóhan Jensen | Jóan Pauli Joensen | Jákup Veyhe |
| 2014 | Kim Simonsen | Óli Olsen | Margreta Næss |
| 2013 | Katrin Ottarsdóttir | Poul Jespersen | Turið Sigurðardóttir |
| 2012 | Jóanes Nielsen | Eivind Weyhe | Jens-Kjeld Jensen |
| 2011 | Non | Nicolina Beder Jensen | Jógvan Isaksen |
| 2010 | Tóroddur Poulsen for Útsýni. | Rógvi Mouritsen for Fiskar undir Føroyum | Bjørki Geyti for Føroya Sjósavn |
| 2009 | Vida Akselsdóttir Højgaard | Birgar Johannessen for Havnin – fólk og yrki | Arnbjørn Ólavsson Dalsgarð and Oddfríður Marni Rasmussen for the literary magazine Vencil |
| 2008 | Sólrún Michelsen | Hanus Kjølbro | Anna Kirstin Thomsen |
| 2007 | Martin Joensen | Petur Jacob Sigvardsen | Laura Joensen |
| 2006 | Carl Jóhan Jensen | Guðrun Gaard | Ebba Hentze |
| 2005 | Non | Turið Kjølbro | Jón Tyril |
| 2004 | Sigri Mitra Gaïni | Gianfranco Contri | Mortan Winther Poulsen |
| 2003 | Non | Marianne Clausen | Vilhelm Magnussen |
| 2002 | Oddvør Johansen | Andras Mortensen | Kristian Blak |
| 2001 | Annfinnur í Skála | Bogi Hansen | Zacharias Hammer |
| 2000 | Oddfríður Marni Rasmussen | Zakarias Wang | Rigmor Restorff |
| 1999 | Non | Dorete Bloch | Martin Tórgarð |
| 1998 | Non | Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen | Frits Johannesen |
| 1997 | Petur Jensen | Doris Hansen | Ólavur Hátún |
| 1996 | Non | Elin Súsanna Jacobsen | Árni Dahl |
| 1995 | Kári P. | Martin Næs | Non |
| 1994 | Non | Jógvan Isaksen | Non |
| 1993 | Jens Pauli Heinesen | Malan Marnersdóttir | Oskar Hermannsson |
| 1992 | Tóroddur Poulsen | Non | Non |
| 1991 | Bárður Jákupsson | Jóhan Hendrik Winther Poulsen | Non |
| 1990 | D. P. Danielsen | Svenning Tausen | Non |
| 1989 | Carl Jóhan Jensen | Axel Tórgarð | Non |
| 1988 | Rói Patursson | Sigurd Berghamar | Karsten Hoydal |
| 1987 | Astrid Joensen | Eyðun Andreassen | Sigurð Joensen |
| 1986 | Hanus Andreassen | Hans Jacob Debes | Non |
| 1985 | Heðin M. Klein | Niels Juel Arge | Kristian Osvald Viderø |
| 1984 | Jóanes Nielsen | Jóhannes av Skarði | Non |
| 1983 | Oddvør Johansen | Jørgen M. Olsen | Petur W. Háberg |
| 1982 | Gunnar Hoydal | Jóannes Rasmussen | Non |
| 1981 | Steinbjørn B. Jacobsen | Erlendur Patursson | Non |
| 1980 | Christian Matras | Hanus Andreassen | Non |
| 1979 | Regin Dahl | Bjarni Niclasen | Non |
| 1978 | Hans Thomsen | Maria Eide Petersen | Non |
| 1977 | Alexandur Kristiansen | Jeffrei Henriksen | Non |
| 1976 | Rikard Long | Óluva Skaale and Marius Johannesen | Non |
| 1975 | William Heinesen | Sámal Johansen | Non |
| 1974 | Guðrið Helmsdal | Jákup í Jákupsstovu | Non |
| 1973 | Jens Pauli Heinesen and Regin Dahl | Einar Joensen, Poul Petersen og Katrina Østerø | Non |
| 1972 | Non | Non | Non |
| 1971 | Non | Non | Non |
| 1970 | Non | Non | Non |
| 1969 | Jens Pauli Heinesen and Rói Patursson | Hans J. Glerfoss and Hanus D. Joensen | Non |

## M.A. Jacobsens's Awards Before 1969

| 1968 | Robert Joensen |
| 1967 | Johanna Maria Skylv-Hansen |
| 1966 | Hans Dalsgaard and Jógvan Símun Hansen |
| 1965 | Christian Matras and Páll J. Nolsøe |
| 1964 | Heðin Brú |
| 1963 | Poul F. Joensen |
| 1962 | Martin Joensen |
| 1961 | Karsten Hoydal |
| 1960 | Valdemar Poulsen |
| 1959 | R. K. Rasmussen and Jens Pauli Heinesen |
| 1958 | Jóan Christian Poulsen and T.N. Djurhuus |