Gerður Kristný
Gerður Kristný (born 1970) is an Icelandic writer who is best known for her poetry and books for children. Early life. Gerður Kristný was born on 10 June 1970 and brought up in Reykjavík. She graduated in French and comparative literature from the University of Iceland in 1992 with a BA thesis on Charles Baudelaire’s "Les Fleurs du Mal". Before becoming a full-time writer, she trained at Danish Radio TV. Career. Gerður Kristný was editor of the magazine "Mannlíf" from 1998–2004 and wrote numerous books for children, short stories, and poetry during the same time. In  2005, she published the biography "Myndin af pabba: Saga Thelmu" ("A Portrait of Dad: Thelma's Story"), which tells the story of a group of sisters' experiences of sexual abuse at the hands of their father in the 1960s and 70s. In 2010, she published the book-length poem "Blóðhófnir" (Bloodhoof), which is based on an ancient Nordic myth, told primarily in the Eddic poem "Skírnismál." The Eddic poem depicts the god Freyr's efforts using his servant Skírnir to fetch the poet's namesake, the giantess Gerðr Gymisdóttir, from her far away home to satisfy his lustful desire through  his servant. Gerður Kristný's poem recounts the same events from the perspective and in the words of the giantess alone. It also depicts the eventual meeting between Freyr and Gerðr, which never takes place in the Eddic poem. Together with "Drápa" and "Sálumessan", published in 2014 and 2018, respectively, "Blóðhófnir" constitutes the first part of a trilogy of poems concerning gender-based violence. Gerður Kristný travels regularly around the world to present her work, giving readings in places like Kampala, Cox's Bazar, Java, Maastricht and Colgata. In 2014, she participated in the International Writing Program's Fall Residency  at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. In 2021, she premiered a poem commemorating the University of Iceland's 110th anniversary. Awards and honors. Gerður Kristný received the Icelandic Children's Choice Book Prize ("bókaverðlaun barnanna") in 2003 for her book "Marta Smarta" (Smart Marta) and the Halldór Laxness Literature Prize in 2004 for her novel "Bátur með segli og allt" (A Boat With a Sail and All). In 2005, she received the Icelandic Journalism Award for her biography "Myndin af pabba: Saga Thelmu", and her collection of poetry, "Höggstaður" (Soft Spot), was nominated for the Icelandic Literary  Prize in 2007. In 2010, Gerður Kristný won both the West Nordic Council's Children and Young People's Literature Prize in 2010 for the novel "Garðurinn" (The Garden) and the Icelandic Literary Prize for her book of poetry "Blóðhófnir." The latter was also nominated to the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2011, the same year Gerður Kristný delivered the Sigurður Nordal lecture at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. She received the Jónas Hallgrímsson Award in 2020 in recognition of her contributions to the enrichment of the Icelandic language. Adaptations. Gerður Kristný's play "Ballið á Bessastöðum" ("The  Bessastaðir Ball"), which she adapted from her own children's book, premiered in the Icelandic National Theater in Reykjavík in February 2011 and was acclaimed by the public and critics alike. "Blóðhófnir" has twice been adapted for musical performance: as a chamber opera by Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir with visuals by Tinna Kristjánsdóttir, and as dramatic composition interweaving contemporary chamber music with Nordic folk music by Karin Rehnqvist. Family. Gerður Kristný lives in Reykjavík with her husband and two sons.