Interesting Icelander for December: Jón Kalman Stefánsson

Shaune Jonasson
10 minutes ago
4 min read

by Shaune Jonasson

This month, we are profiling a contemporary Icelandic author born on 17 December 1963, Jón Kalman Stefánsson. The Icelandic Roots Book Club has had the privilege of hosting Jón Kalman as the guest author to discuss his book Summer Light, Then Comes the Night in May 2024. In January 2026, the Icelandic Roots Book Club will meet to discuss the 2024 English translation of Your Absence Is Darkness.

Jón Kalman Stefánsson Photo Credit: Reykjavík Grapevine, Viktor Svan

Jón Kalman Stefánsson (I195011) had not intended to be a writer. He believed he would study astrology after being influenced by a show on Carl Sagan.

"When I was eighteen, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut after watching a show in which Carl Sagan talked about the universe. I was completely overwhelmed by that richness and the mysteries of the universe – I later realized that it was, in a way, the essence of fiction.''[4]

Jón Kalman, born in Reykjavík, was raised in Keflavík and the surrounding countryside in West Iceland. As a young man he toiled at casual jobs that included a slaughterhouse, the fishing industry, masonry, and policing at Keflavik airport, all before studying literature at the University of Iceland. Jón Kalman attended university, wrote for the Icelandic newspaper, Morgunblaðið, and taught literature courses at a high school.

A year after the completion of his university studies, he moved to Copenhagen where he worked as a labourer and spent his off time reading. Returning to Mosfellsbær, he worked as a librarian until 2000.

Jón Kalman identified early as a poet, publishing his first collection in 1988 called Með byssuleyfi á eilífðina. He claims reading a poem is something that can be done easily in a short time anywhere, and it can stay with you for the rest of your life. The best poets “can change the words into music.” He believed reading poetry brings forward different experiences and influences one’s life.

In addition to his poetry, he has also published numerous short stories and many novels; however, these writings are often influenced by the poet in him. There is a richness to his writings, which offers a uniqueness to each reader.

As a novelist, Jón Kalman believes that all readers leave with a different opinion based on what they have read; nobody closes the book at the end with the same opinion. When reading, one will often be affected by those things that matter to them within the book, and, as a result, their worldview may be altered. He writes his books intent on causing the reader to think as they delve more deeply into the story.

His characters are ordinary people living ordinary lives that come face-to-face with unexpected situations. His subject is the humanity of his characters and the soul of their community. The weaving of wants, desires, beliefs and secrets of these casual lives is what mystifies the reader, yet remains relatable.

Jón Kalman presently lives in Iceland as an independent author. He achieved international fame for his Trilogy about the Boy, which includes Heaven and Hell, The Sorrow of Angels and The Heart of Man, the latter two having received special recognition and have obtained a feature film arrangement. The trilogy “…explores the depths of despair to celebrate the redemptive power of friendship.”

Upon publication in Iceland, his novel The Story of Ásta (2017) rose to become an instant bestseller.

Many of his books, originally written in Icelandic, have been translated into at least thirty different languages: German, French, English, Danish, Italian, to name a few. Many of these have also won awards.

Among his many accomplishments, Jón Kalman Stefánsson was also anointed as Knight of the Order of the Falcon in Iceland in 2020.

If you would like to know more about who the person is behind the author Jón Kalman, I recommend viewing the book launch hosted by McNally Robinson of Winnipeg, MB on YouTube. Enjoy learning about Your Absence is Darkness with Jón Kalman from December 2024. A very enlightening look at the man behind the book.

Click on the Event to access YouTube:

An Evening with Jón Kalman Stefansson (Your Absence Is Darkness)

Awards and Nominations

With interesting titles and captivating stories, Jón Kalman has received many accolades for his works:

Icelandic Prize for Literature: Summer Light, and then Comes the Night
Per Olov Enquist Literary Prize (2011): Heaven and Hell.
Man Booker International Prize nomination: Fish Have No Feet
Longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for The Sorrow of Angels
Winner of the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize for The Heart of Man
The Icelandic Prize for Literature (2005): Sumarljós, og svo kemur nóttin (Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night), with additional nominations for his other books in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2024
Nordic Council Literature Prize: he has received four nominations in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2015.
The Icelandic Bookseller’s Award: four times awarded
The Budapset Grand Prize (2024) award winner at the International Literature Festival held in Budapest where he was also the guest of honour.
BookStar award 2024
Best Foreign Book Award organized by "France Inter" and "Le Point"