Laura Salverson


Laura Goodman Salverson was a Canadian author. Her work reflected her Icelandic heritage. Two of her books won Governor General's awards for literature.

Early life

Salverson was born Laura Goodman in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the daughter of Lárus Guðmundsson and Ingibjörg Guðmundsdóttir who immigrated to Winnipeg in 1887 from Grundir in Bolungarvík, Iceland. She married George Salverson in 1913.

Career

While a young housewife and mother, Salverson began writing poetry. Several of her poems were published by local newspapers.
In 1923 Salverson published her first novel. The Viking Heart. She went on to write several novels based on Icelandic sagas and themes. Many of the characters in her stories were Scandinavian and German.
Salverson wrote about her experiences with poverty and racial prejudice. Her writings reflected her belief that Icelandic immigrants to Canada should maintain and support their Icelandic culture. In 1939 she wrote an autobiography.

Selected bibliography