The May Star Poetry Prize was presented at the National Library on Wednesday, May 27. The Icelandic Writers' Association is sponsoring the prize together with the National Library of Iceland - University Library.

The May Star for Poetry Book of the Year 2019 goes to Jónas Reynir Gunnarsson for his poetry book Þvottadagur .

The jury's comment on the award book states:

" Laundry Day is a very rich and multifaceted book of poetry. The poems are characterized by powerful and moving imagery, and although their subjects are often serious, the wry humor is rarely far away. This is a strong and well-crafted work that provokes and moves the reader."

Jónas Reynir Gunnarsson was born in 1987. He grew up in Fellabær and studied writing at the University of Iceland. He has previously published the novels Millilendingu and Krossfiska , the award-winning play Við deyjum á Mars and the poetry books Leiðarvísi um Þorp and Stór óliuskip , for which he was nominated for the May Star and won the Tómas Guðmundsson Literary Award in 2017. Millilendingu was nominated for the DV Cultural Award in 2017. Þvottadagur is the final chapter of a trilogy that began with Leiðarvísi um Þorp and continued in Stór óliuskip .

All published Icelandic poetry books of 2019 that were submitted to the National Library of Iceland – University Library were eligible for consideration and were presented to a jury for consideration. The jury was composed of Guðrún Steinþórsdóttir on behalf of the Icelandic Writers' Association and Arnaldur Sigurðsson on behalf of the National Library.