Óttar Martin Norðfjörð (born 1980) is an Icelandic writer, both of crime fiction and poetry. He has a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Iceland. His first novel, Barnagælur, was published in 2005. His crime novels have been translated into Dutch, German and Spanish.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Biography

Óttar was born in Reykjavík, growing up in Norðurmýri, the son of the architects Sverrir Norðfjörð (17 June 1941 – 17 June 2008) and his Czech-born wife Alena Friðrikka Anderlova (b. 21 January 1945).[7] A chess competitor at junior school,[8] he proceeded to study at Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð, and graduated in spring 2000 with a specialism in the hard sciences.[9] He proceeded to take an MA in philosophy at the University of Iceland, presenting a final dissertation on the philosophy of the Old Norse poem Hávamál[10] He has continually studied visual arts, which has influenced his work,[11] and in 2004 he held an exhibition of his paintings at Gallari Tukt.[12]

Óttar's biography Hannes: nóttin er blá, mamma was for many weeks at the top of the Eymundsson best-seller list and was among Iceland's best-selling books of 2006.[13] In 2007, his novel Hnífur Abrahams was the 15th best-selling book in Iceland.[14]

Óttar is married to Elo Vazquez. They have collaborated on some projects, including cartoons which appeared in the Reykjavík Grapevine,[15] and directing a music video for the Spanish band I Am Dive in 2013.[16]

Political and social activism

Óttar has defined himself as a politically orientated artist. He was a candidate for the party Nýtt Afl in the Icelandic parliamentary election, 2003.[17] He has been an active campaigner for Torfusamtökin, an organisation seeking to preserve Reykjavík's architectural heritage. Óttar organised a campaign to prevent houses on Laugavegur from demolition.[18] Óttar was one of various authors who were noted for their participation in the 2008-9 Kitchenware Revolution.[19] In summer 2013, Óttar protested against an incident of police violence, in which a woman was knocked over against a bench in the street and in which the police commented that the positioning of the bench had been "unfortunate",[20] by circulating a photograph of himself sitting on the bench holding a sign saying "This bench is unfortunate".[21]

Works

Norðfjörð's main works include:

Poetry

  • Grillveður í október (Barbeque-Weather in October) (Nýhil, 2004)
  • Sirkus (Circus) (Nýhil, 2005)
  • A-Ö (Nýhil, 2006)

Cartoons and satires

  • Jón Ásgeir & afmælisveislan (Jón Ásgeir and the Birthday Party) (Sögur, 2007)
  • Tíu litlir bankastrákar (Ten Little Banker-boys) (Sögur, 2008)
  • Snillingurinn: Ævisaga Hannesar Hólmsteinars ([n. pub.], [2009])
  • Íslenskir kapítalistar: 1918-1998 ([Óttar Martin Norðfjörð], [2011])

Literary novels

Crime novels and thrillers

  • Hnífur Abrahams (Abraham’s Dagger) (Sögur, 2007) [translated into Dutch]
  • Sólkross (Sun Cross) (Sögur, 2008) [translated into Spanish and German]
  • Áttablaðarósin (The Eight Pointed Rose) (Sögur, 2010)
  • Una (Una) (Sögur, 2012)
  • Blóð hraustra manna (The Blood of Brave People) (Vaka-Helgafell, 2013)

Biography

  • Arkitektinn með alpahúfuna: Ævisaga Sverris Norðfjörð (The Architect with the Beret: The Life of Sverrir Norðfjörð) (Nýhil, 2010)
  • Teflt fyrir augað: 12 bestu skákir Sverris Norðfjörð, ed. by Óttar M. Norðfjörð (Sögur, 2010)

References

  1. ↑ "The Leading NY Hill Site on the Net". nyhil.org. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  2. ↑ "Barnagælur – kilja « Forlagið – vefverslun". Forlagid.is. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  3. ↑ "Íslensk skáldverk - Sögur útgáfa". Sogurutgafa.is. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  4. ↑ "Authors | Icelandic Literature | Fabulous Iceland | Sögueyjan Ísland". Sagenhaftes-island.is. 1980-01-29. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  5. ↑ "Óttar M. Norðfjörð". Ottarnordfjord.com. 2012-08-25. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  6. ↑ "Sögur útgáfa". Sogurutgafa.is. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  7. ↑ Sverrir Norðfjörð: minning. http://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1225091/.
  8. ↑ „Karpov, Kamsky og Adams jafnir“, Morgunblaðið, 6. maí 1995, s. 40.
  9. ↑ „158 brautskráðir frá MH“, Morgunblaðið, 30. maí 2000, s. 13.
  10. ↑ Óttar Martin Norðfjörð, 'Heimspeki Hávamála' (unpublished MA thesis, University of Iceland, 2003).
  11. ↑ „Læra mest á því að skoða“, Morgunblaðið, 22. nóvember 1987, s. 56.
  12. ↑ „Listopnanir“, Fréttablaðið, 31. janúar 2004, s. 43.
  13. ↑ „Nýhil gefur mæðrum bókargróða“, Morgunblaðið, 10. maí 2007
  14. ↑ Metsölulisti, 24 stundir, 4. janúar 2008, s. 16.
  15. ↑ Höfundarsíða Óttars hjá Reykjavík Grapevine
  16. ↑ „Myndband Óttars Norðfjörð spilað á MTV“, Vísir, 12. febrúar 2013.
  17. ↑ „Auglýsing landskjörstjórnar“, Fréttablaðið, 30. apríl 2003.
  18. ↑ „Húsavinir blása til sóknar“, Morgunblaðið, 19 December 2007, p. 2; „Lítil viðbrögð til varnar niðurrifi húsa“, Morgunblaðið, 18 January 2008, p. 10; „Borgin kaupir Laugaveg 4 og 6“, mbl.is, 25 January 2008.
  19. ↑ „Skáld í fremstu röð“, Fréttablaðið, 24 January 2009, p. 52.
  20. ↑ „Dæmdur fyrir harkalegu handtökuna“, Vísir, 6. desember 2013
  21. ↑ 'þessi bekkur er óheppilegur; „Þessi bekkur er óheppilegur“, Vísir, 11. júlí 2013.
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