Sjón
Encyclopedia
As a poet Sjón published his first volume of poetry, Sýnir ('Visions') in 1978 and has since published numerous books of poetry, prose and even children's novels. In 2005 Sjón was awarded the The Nordic Council's Literature Prize
The Nordic Council's Literature Prize
The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth 350,000 Danish kroner...
for the novel Skugga-Baldur ('The Blue Fox
The Blue Fox (novel)
The Blue Fox is a 2003 novel by the Icelandic writer Sjón. It received the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2005....
'), but was until his international breakthrough with that book perhaps best known in the English speaking world for writing the lyrics to several songs of the Icelandic singer Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. His novels have been published in 23 languages, among them Italian, Spanish, Dutch, German, English, French and Turkish. The Blue Fox was nominated for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize was inaugurated by British newspaper The Independent to honour contemporary fiction in translation in the United Kingdom. The award was first launched in 1990 and ran for five years before falling into abeyance. It was revived in 2001 with the financial support...
in 2009.
Active on the Icelandic music scene since the early 80's Sjón has collaborated with many of the best known artists of the era and featured as guest vocalist on a rare Sugarcubes 12" single Luftgitar (air guitar
Air guitar
Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching...
) in 1987 using the name Johnny Triumph; this was accompanied by a music video of Sjón playing an invisible guitar with Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
and Einar Örn Benediktsson
Einar Örn Benediktsson
Einar Örn Benediktsson is a popular music singer and trumpet player who has worked with Björk and The Sugarcubes. Since the 2010 elections he is a member of the city council of Reykjavík....
. Sjón would occasionally reprise this role for the final encore of Sugarcubes concerts, including the band's one-off 2006 reunion show in 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...
. Still involved in the Icelandic music scene, Sjón is on the board of the Bad Taste (Smekkleysa
Bad Taste (record label)
Bad Taste is one of Iceland’s most important record labels; located in Reykjavík and known worldwide for being home to The Sugarcubes, it also publishes poetry books, short films, greeting cards and Icelandic gifts...
) record label and a member of the advisory board for Kraumur Music Fund
Kraumur
Kraumur Music Fund is an independent Icelandic music fund and operation established by the in the beginning of 2008 to "to strengthen Icelandic musical life, primarily by supporting young musicians in performing and presenting their works."...
, which "aim is to strengthen Icelandic musical life, primarily by supporting young musicians in performing and presenting their works."
In 2001 he was nominated for an Academy Award
73rd Academy Awards
The 73rd Academy Awards honored the best films of 2000 and was held on March 25, 2001. It was the last Academy Awards to take place at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium...
for the song I've Seen It All
I've Seen It All
"I've Seen It All" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk, with lyrics by Sjón and Lars von Trier. It was released as the first promotional single from the Dancer in the Dark soundtrack, Selmasongs. The song features vocals from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke...
from the film Dancer in the Dark
Dancer in the Dark
Dancer in the Dark is a 2000 Danish musical drama film directed by Lars von Trier and starring Icelandic singer Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Cara Seymour, Peter Stormare, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, and Joel Grey...
alongside his co-writers Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
and Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. He was featured in the documentary Inside Bjork
Inside Björk
Inside Björk is an official DVD released by Björk on August 23, 2003. The DVD contains a 2002 documentary outlining the career of Björk, from her early work in Icelandic bands, to joining The Sugarcubes to her solo work up to 2002. The documentary gives viewers a personal view into her private...
.
Sjón is married and has two children. He currently resides in 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...
.
"In many respects, Sjon's oeuvre constitutes a novelty in Icelandic literature. The way in which Sjon employs international culture, myth, literature, and popular culture is unique, as is the breadth of his scope of reference. The narratives are enriched by light and humorous touches, which allow him to work pliably with what would otherwise seem obscure matters."
(Eysteinsson and Dagsdottir, p. 452, A History of Icelandic Literature, U of Nebraska Press, 2006)
Works in translation
NOVELSRökkurbýsnir (Marvels of Twilight)
- English: From the Mouth of the Whale - Telegram 2011 - (ISBN 9781846590832)
- German: Das Gleißen der Nacht - S. Fischer 2011 - (ISBN 9783100751324)
- Spanish: Maravillas del crepúsculo - Nórdica Libros 2011 - (ISBN 9788492683383)
- Swedish: Skymningsinferno - Alfabeta 2011 - (ISBN 9789150112054)
- Danish: Tusmørkeundere - C&K Forlag 2010 - (ISBN 9788792523075)
Forthcoming in Dutch.
Argóarflísin (The Whispering Muse)
- Dutch: De fluisterende muze - Uitgeverij De Geus 2009 - (ISBN 9789044512151)
- Finnish: Argon lastu - Like 2008 - (ISBN 9789524719674)
- Swedish: Fisk och kultur - Alfabeta 2007 - (ISBN 9789150107746)
- Norwegian: Flisen fra Argo - Tiden 2007 - (ISBN 9788205365841)
- Danish: Splinten fra Argo - Athene 2006 - (ISBN 9788711171370)
Forthcoming in Faroese.
Skugga-Baldur (The Blue Fox)
- Portugese: A Rapoza Azul - Cavalo de ferro 2010 - (ISBN 9789896231118)
- Galician: Skugga Baldur - Rinoceronte Editora 2009 - (ISBN 9788493641399)
- Polish: Skugga Baldur. Opowieść islandzka - słowo/obraz terytoria 2009 - (ISBN 9788374539104)
- Lithuanian: Baldras, Šešėlio sūnus - Apostrofa 2009 - (ISBN 9789955605522)
- English: The Blue Fox - Telegram Books 2008 - (ISBN 9781846590375)
- Spanish: El zorro ártico - Nórdica Libros 2008 - (ISBN 9788493621346)
- Czech: Syn stínu - Argo 2008 - (ISBN 9788072039951)
- French: Le Moindre Des Mondes - Rivage 2007 - (ISBN 9782743618704)
- German: Schattenfuchs - S. Fischer 2007 - (ISBN 9783100751201)
- Italian: La volpe azzurra. Una leggenda islandese. - Mondadori 2006 - (ISBN 9788804559719)
- Dutch: Blauwvos - Uitgeverij De Geus 2006 - (ISBN 9789044506860)
- Faroese: Skugga-Baldur - Nýlendi 2006 - (ISBN 9991840338)
- Danish: Skygge-Baldur - Athene 2005 - (ISBN 9788711318638)
- Finnish: Skugga-Baldur - Like 2005 - (ISBN 9789524715942)
- Norwegian: Skugga-Baldur - Tiden 2005 - (ISBN 9788205346437)
- Swedish: Skugga-Baldur - Alfabeta 2005 - (ISBN 9789150106695)
- Serbian: Pticje mleko - Geopoetika 2005 - (ISBN 8676660670)
- Hungarian: A macskaróka - Magvető 2011 - (ISBN 9789631429596)
Forthcoming in Bulgarian, Turkish and Russian.
Með titrandi tár (With A Quivering Tear)
- French: Sur la paupière de mon père - Rivages 2008 - (ISBN 9782743618629)
- Swedish: Med skälvande tårar - Alfabeta 2004 - (ISBN 9789150102116)
Augu þín sáu mig (Made in Secret)
- French: De tes yeux, tu me vis - Rivages 2011 - (ISBN 9782743621865)
- Romanian: Ochii tăi m-au văzut - Niculescu 2008 - (ISBN 9789737482617)
- Lithuanian: Tavo akys matė mane - Apostrofa 2005 - ISBN 9955-605-13-8
- Spanish: Tus ojos me vieron: Historia de amor - Ediciones Siruela 2005 - (ISBN 9788478448869)
- Finnish: Sinun silmäsi näkivät minut (rakkaustarina) - Like 2004 - (ISBN 9524711753)
- Danish: Dine øjne så mig - Vindrose 2002 - (ISBN 8774566210)
- Norwegian: Dine øyne så meg: en kjærlighetshistorie - Tiden 2001 - (ISBN 8210045288)
- Swedish: Dina ögon såg mig: en kärlekssaga - Anamma 1997 - (ISBN 978918789456)
Stálnótt (Night of Steel)
- Swedish: Stålnatt - Helsinki University 2010
POETRY
- German: Gesang des Steinesammlers - Kleinheinrich 2007 - (ISBN 9783930754397)
- Macedonian: Astronomija na gladniot - SPV 2007
- French: figures obscures - Cahiers de Nuit 2000 - (ISBN 2899648888)
- English: Night of the Lemon - Greyhound Press 1993 - (ISBN 0951910043)
Collaborations with Björk
- IsobelIsobel"Isobel" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released as the second single from her 1995 album Post. The lyrics describe a primitive girl who seems to be a personification of Mother Nature, and who tries to warn the technological world of its potential dangers. The music is underscored by...
on the album Post (1995) - "BacheloretteBachelorette (song)"Bachelorette" is a song by Björk, released as the second single from her 1997 album Homogenic.The song was originally written for a film by Bernardo Bertolucci, but the project was withdrawn...
" on the album HomogenicHomogenicHomogenic is the fourth studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in September 1997. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B and Markus Dravs, it was released on One Little Indian Records...
(1997) - JógaJóga"Jóga" is a song by Björk, and the first single from her 1997 album Homogenic. It features a mix of classical string instruments with heavy electronic beats which is present in the whole album.-Background:...
on the album HomogenicHomogenicHomogenic is the fourth studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in September 1997. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B and Markus Dravs, it was released on One Little Indian Records...
(1997) - "Scary" an extra track on the original Bachelorette UK single (1997)
- Dancer in the DarkDancer in the DarkDancer in the Dark is a 2000 Danish musical drama film directed by Lars von Trier and starring Icelandic singer Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Cara Seymour, Peter Stormare, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, and Joel Grey...
lyrics written in collaboration with Lars von TrierLars von TrierLars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
(2000) - "OceaniaOceania (song)"Oceania" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk. It was formerly planned to be the first single release from Björk's Medúlla album. Later it was just released as a promo. It was written for the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, where she performed immediately following the Parade of Nations...
" (written for the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
) and featured on the album MedúllaMedúllaMedúlla is the sixth studio album by Icelandic singer, songwriter, and musician Björk, released on August 30, 2004 by Warner Bros. Records and One Little Indian. The title derives from the Latin word for "marrow". The album is almost entirely a cappella and constructed with human vocals...
(2004) - "WanderlustWanderlust (Björk song)"Wanderlust" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released digitally as the fourth single from her seventh full-length studio album, Volta, on 7 April 2008.White labels of the single were issued in February 2008...
" on the album VoltaVolta (album)Volta is the seventh studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in May 2007. It was produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Timbaland and Danja. The music of Volta was a new style for Björk, focusing on similar sounding music combining African beats and other instruments with songs in tribute to Africa...
(2007) - "The Comet SongThe Comet Song"The Comet Song" is a song by Icelandic artist Björk, written by herself and long-time friend and collaborator Sjón as the title theme of the 2010 movie Moomins and the Comet Chase. The song is released as a charity single and all the benefits are donated to the victims of the 2010 Pakistan...
" featured in the film "Moomins and the Comet ChaseMoomins and the Comet ChaseMoomins and the Comet Chase is a 2010 stop motion film compiled from the Comet in Moominland-based episodes of the 1977–1982 Moomins TV series animated at Se-ma-for in Poland, restored and re-soundtracked with multiple voice actors replacing the single narrator...
" (2010) - "Cosmogony", "Virus", and "Solstice" on the album BiophiliaBiophilia (album)Biophilia is the musical project and eighth full-length studio album by Icelandic singer Björk. The album was released on 10 October 2011, over four years after her previous studio album, Volta ....
(2011)
Prizes
Literary Prizes- The Blue Fox (Skugga-Baldur), nominated for the 2011 Jan Michalski Prize for LiteratureJan Michalski Prize for LiteratureJan Michalski Prize for Literature is a literary prize for any work of fiction or non-fiction published anywhere in the world in any language. It is meant to recognize authors from around the world and world literature in general. The jury is multicultural and multilingual in composition.The award...
. - The Blue Fox (Skugga-Baldur), nominated for the 2009 Independent Foreign Fiction PrizeIndependent Foreign Fiction PrizeThe Independent Foreign Fiction Prize was inaugurated by British newspaper The Independent to honour contemporary fiction in translation in the United Kingdom. The award was first launched in 1990 and ran for five years before falling into abeyance. It was revived in 2001 with the financial support...
. - The Icelandic Bookseller's Prize for the Novel of the Year, 2005, for Argóarflísin.
- The Nordic Council's Literature PrizeThe Nordic Council's Literature PrizeThe Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth 350,000 Danish kroner...
, 2005, for Skugga-Baldur. - The DV Newspaper Culture Prize / Literature, 2002, for Með titrandi tár.
- The Icelandic Broadcasting Service Writers Fund, 1998, for contribution to Icelandic literature.
- The DV Newspaper Culture Prize / Literature, 1995, for Augu þín sáu mig.
Other Prizes
- Augu þín sáu mig (Made in Secret), the radio adaption by Bjarni Jónsson with soundtrack by múmMúmmúm are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.- History :...
, is nominated for the Prix EuropaPrix EuropaPrix Europa is the Europe's largest annual tri-medial festival and competition. Its open juries sample and select the best television-, radio- and online productions of each year...
, 2009 - Skuggaleikur (Shadow Play), an opera by Karólína Eiríksdóttir with libretto by Sjón, based on the short story SkyggenThe Shadow (fairy tale)"The Shadow" is a fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The tale was first published in 1847.- Plot summary :Once a learned man from the northern regions of Europe went on a voyage south. One night, he sat on his terrace, while the fire behind him cast his shadow on the...
(the Shadow) by H. C. AndersenHans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, is nominated for the Nordic Council Music PrizeNordic Council Music PrizeThe Nordic Council Music Prize is awarded annually by NOMUS, the Nordic Music Committee. Every two years it is awarded for a work by a living composer...
, 2008 - Nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Original SongAcademy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for the song I've Seen It AllI've Seen It All"I've Seen It All" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk, with lyrics by Sjón and Lars von Trier. It was released as the first promotional single from the Dancer in the Dark soundtrack, Selmasongs. The song features vocals from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke...
from the film Dancer in the DarkDancer in the DarkDancer in the Dark is a 2000 Danish musical drama film directed by Lars von Trier and starring Icelandic singer Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Cara Seymour, Peter Stormare, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, and Joel Grey...
, 2000 - Nominated for a Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for the song I've Seen It AllI've Seen It All"I've Seen It All" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk, with lyrics by Sjón and Lars von Trier. It was released as the first promotional single from the Dancer in the Dark soundtrack, Selmasongs. The song features vocals from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke...
from the film Dancer in the DarkDancer in the DarkDancer in the Dark is a 2000 Danish musical drama film directed by Lars von Trier and starring Icelandic singer Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Cara Seymour, Peter Stormare, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, and Joel Grey...
, 2001
External links
- SJONORAMA - The official information site
- Sjón's biography at the Reykjavík City Library web
- Sjón's biography at the Nordic Council's webpage
- Carolyne Larrington reviews From the Mouth of the Whale in the Times Literary Supplement, April 29, 2011
- A.S. Byatt reviews the Blue Fox/Skugga-Baldur in the Times, September 25, 2008.
- Interview with Sjón about From the Mouth of the Whale on the website of Fabulous Iceland.
- Lucy Popescu interviews Sjón on the website of Words Without Borders.
- A page about Skugga-Baldur/Schattenfuchs on the German Wikipedia.
- A Russian comparision of "Rökkurbýsnir" with a Russian book on the same theme.
- Bjartur, Sjón's Icelandic publisher