Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Einar Már Guðmundsson has been awarded the Nordic Literature Prize from the Swedish Academy this year for his contribution to the region’s literature and becomes the third Icelander to receive the recognition.
He compares the award to being invited to join the Beatles.
“It is naturally a huge honour and a great recognition of what I have been doing, as the academy members are extremely selective,” Einar says.
The award was formally announced yesterday, although Einar has known about it for around a month – without being able to talk publicly. He has written over 20 works and will be the third Icelander to receive the Nordic Literature Prize; following in the footsteps of Thor Vilhjálmsson and Guðbergur Bergsson, Vísir.is reported.
“The awards are 26 years old and many greats have received it,” Einar said. “One is in really great company. It is like being invited to join the Beatles in their prime!”
The prize, which has been dubbed the ‘little Nobel’, will be presented in Stockholm on the 11th April and will come with a cash prize of around ISK 11 million (EUR 66,000).
Tomas Tranströmer received the award last year and then went on the win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
