Guðrún Helgadóttir
Encyclopedia
Guðrún Helgadóttir is a prominent writer of children's literature
in Iceland
. She was born in Hafnarfjörður
on September 7, 1935. Her first book, Jón Oddur og Jón Bjarni, appeared in 1974 when she worked at the National Health and Insurance Office. It concerned scheming twins and several more books in this series came out. In 1981 they became the basis for a film. By the late 1980s she won several awards and in 1988 she was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award
. She has written a small amount of drama for adults, but most of her work is for children 7-13.
She is also a politician. She became the first woman to be Speaker of the Althing
in 1988. She held that position until 1991. Before that she had served in the legislative assembly and held a position on the Reykjavík
City Council representing the People's Alliance
.
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. She was born in Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjörður is a port town and municipality located on the south-west coast of Iceland, about 10 km south of Reykjavík....
on September 7, 1935. Her first book, Jón Oddur og Jón Bjarni, appeared in 1974 when she worked at the National Health and Insurance Office. It concerned scheming twins and several more books in this series came out. In 1981 they became the basis for a film. By the late 1980s she won several awards and in 1988 she was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award
Hans Christian Andersen Award
The Hans Christian Andersen Award, sometimes known as the "Nobel Prize for children's literature", is an international award given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature"...
. She has written a small amount of drama for adults, but most of her work is for children 7-13.
She is also a politician. She became the first woman to be Speaker of the Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
in 1988. She held that position until 1991. Before that she had served in the legislative assembly and held a position on the Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
City Council representing the People's Alliance
People's Alliance (Iceland)
The People's Alliance was an electoral alliance in Iceland from 1956 to 1968 and a political party from 1968 to 1998.-History:In 1916 the Social Democratic Party was formed in Iceland. In 1930 a split surged, thus forming the Communist Party of Iceland , recognised as the Icelandic section of the...
.