Icelandic Literary Prize


The Icelandic Literary Prize, or Icelandic Literary Award, is an award which is given to two books each year by the Icelandic Publishers Association. The prize was founded on the association's centennial in 1989. One award is for fiction or poetry and the other for academic and non-fiction works. Five books are nominated in each category, and the year's nominations are publicized in the beginning of December, but the prize itself is not awarded until January. Because the year's nominations come in the middle of the Christmas book flood, these books receive a great deal of marketing. Once the books have been nominated, the Icelandic Publishers Association appoints a selection committee which chooses the winners.

List of winners of the Icelandic Literary Prize for fiction

!YearWinnerTitle Title Notes
1989Stefán Hörður GrímssonYfir heiðan morgun: ljóð '87-'89
1990Fríða Á. SigurðardóttirThrough the NightMeðan nóttin líður
1991Guðbergur BergssonThe SwanSvanurinn
1992Þorsteinn frá HamriThe Sleeping SailorSæfarinn sofandi
1993Hannes PéturssonEldhylur
1994Vigdís GrímsdóttirGrandavegur 7
1995Steinunn SigurðardóttirHeart PlaceHjartastaður
1996Böðvar GuðmundssonTree of LifeLífsins tré
1997Guðbergur BergssonFaðir og móðir og dulmagn bernskunnar: skáldævisaga
1998Thor VilhjálmssonMorgunþula í stráum
1999Andri Snær MagnasonThe Story of the Blue PlanetSagan af bláa hnettinum
2000Gyrðir ElíassonGula húsið
2001Hallgrímur HelgasonThe Author of IcelandHöfundur Íslands
2002Ingibjörg HaraldsdóttirHvar sem ég verð
2003Ólafur GunnarssonÖxin og jörðin
2004Auður JónsdóttirThe People in the BasementFólkið í kjallaranum
2005Jón Kalman StefánssonSummer Light and Then Comes the NightSumarljós og svo kemur nóttin
2006Ólafur Jóhann ÓlafssonValentinesAldingarðurinn
2007Sigurður PálssonMinnisbók
2008Einar KárasonOfsi
2009Guðmundur ÓskarssonBankster
2010Gerður KristnýBloodhoofBlóðhófnir
2011Guðrún Eva MínervudóttirAllt með kossi vekur
2012Eiríkur Örn NorðdahlEvilIllska
2013SjónMánasteinn – drengurinn sem aldrei var til
2014Ófeigur SigurðssonOraefi: The WastelandÖræfi
2015Einar Már GuðmundssonHundadagar
2016Auður Ava ÓlafsdóttirÖr
2017Kristín EiríksdóttirElín, ýmislegt
2018Hallgrímur HelgasonSixty kilos of sunshineSextíu kíló af sólskini

List of winners of the Icelandic Literary Prize for academic works

! YearWinnerTitle Title Notes
1993Jón G. FriðjónssonMergur málsins : íslensk orðatiltæki: uppruni, saga og notkun
1994Silja AðalsteinsdóttirSkáldið sem sólin kyssti : ævisaga Guðmundar Böðvarssonar
1995Þór WhiteheadMilli vonar og ótta
1996Þorsteinn GylfasonThinking in IcelandicAð hugsa á íslensku
1997Guðjón FriðrikssonEinar Benediktsson
1998Hörður ÁgústssonÍslensk byggingararfleifð I: ágrip af húsagerðarsögu 1750–1940
1999Páll ValssonJónas Hallgrímsson
2000Guðmundur Páll ÓlafssonHálendið í náttúru Íslands
2001Sigríður Dúna KristmundsdóttirBjörg
2002Páll Hersteinsson, Pétur M. JónassonÞingvallavatn
2003Guðjón FriðrikssonJón Sigurðsson, ævisaga II
2004Halldór GuðmundssonHalldór Laxness–ævisaga
2005Kristín B. Guðnadóttir, Gylfi Gíslason, Arthur Danto, Matthías Johannessen, Silja AðalsteinsdóttirKjarval
2006Andri Snær MagnasonDraumalandið–sjálfshjálparbók handa hræddri þjóð
2007Þorsteinn ÞorsteinssonLjóðhús. Þættir um skáldskap Sigfúsar Daðasonar
2008Þorvaldur KristinssonLárus Pálsson leikari
2009Helgi BjörnssonJöklar á Íslandi
2010Helgi HallgrímssonThe Mushroom BookSveppabókin
2011Páll BjörnssonJón forseti allur? Táknmynd þjóðhetju frá andláti til samtíðar