The May Star Poetry Prize was presented at the National Library on Tuesday, June 8. The Icelandic Writers' Association is responsible for the awards together with the National Library of Iceland - University Library.

The May Star Award for Poetry Book of the Year 2020 goes to Halla Þórlaug Óskarsdóttir for her book Silence.

The jury's comment on the award book states:

" Silence is an effective poetic story that is similar to various notable works from the last decade, both domestic and foreign, in which women write in a bold and unflinching way about painful and difficult experiences. Here, the poet successfully deals with, among other things, heartbreak, the loss of a mother and the role of motherhood, and manages to draw a multifaceted picture of the world of experience of a young woman who is entering adulthood and dealing with trauma and communication difficulties. The result is a memorable book that stands out, thanks to memorable imagery, an unusual structure and an original text that straddles the boundaries of diary writing, fragmented narrative, poetic text and essay." 

Halla Þórlaug Óskarsdóttir was born in Reykjavík in 1988 and raised in Þingholtan. She completed a BA in Fine Arts from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2012 and an MA in Writing from the University of Iceland in 2014. Halla Þórlaug has worked as a program producer on Rás 1, as the coordinator of Víðsjá, Tengivagnsinn and Bókar vikunnar, as well as discussing individual books in the program Orð um búker. For her poetry collection Þagnarbindindi, Halla received a new-generation grant from the Icelandic Literature Center in 2020. Halla Þórlaug has written works for stage and radio; Ertu hér? in collaboration with Ásrúna Magnúsdóttir, a stage play on the City Theatre's 2021 program. Hún pabbi , in collaboration with Trigger Warning, a stage play performed at the City Theatre in 2017 and Svefngrímur , a radio play performed on Rás 1 in 2016

All published Icelandic poetry books of 2020 that were returned to the National Library of Iceland – University Library were eligible for consideration and were presented to the jury for consideration. The jury is composed of Sverrir Norland on behalf of the Icelandic Writers' Association and María Logn Kristínardóttir Ólafs