author
Gunnar Gunnarsson
1889–1975
An Icelandic novelist who wrote mainly in Danish, Gunnar Gunnarsson became one of the most widely read writers in Denmark and Germany during the first half of the twentieth century. His fiction draws on Icelandic landscapes, family history, faith, and the hard choices of rural life.
3 Audiobooks
The Sworn Brothers: A Tale of the Early Days of Iceland
by Gunnar Gunnarsson
Guest the One-Eyed
by Gunnar Gunnarsson
Silmäpuoli vaeltaja : Islantilainen romaani
by Gunnar Gunnarsson
About the author
Born on May 18, 1889, Gunnar Gunnarsson grew up in rural East Iceland, including on family farms in Fljótsdalur and Vopnafjörður. He lost his mother at an early age and worked on the family farm until he was eighteen, receiving his education through small rural schools.
Gunnarsson went on to build a successful literary career writing primarily in Danish. He became especially popular in Denmark and Germany and is considered one of Iceland’s most important writers. His best-known works include Guest the One-Eyed and the autobiographical series The Church on the Mountain.
His international reputation was substantial: he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times, including in 1918, 1921, 1922, 1955, 1960, and 1961. He died in Reykjavík on November 21, 1975.