The National Library of Iceland – University Library and the Icelandic Writers' Association are awarding a new prize for a book of poetry published in 2016. The prize, entitled The Star of May, was presented for the first time at a ceremony at the National Library on May 18th, Poetry Day.

The May Star Award for Poetry Book of the Year 2016 goes to

Sigurður Pálsson for his book of poems Ljóðumu róð (Poems Remember a Voice)

The jury's comment on the award book states:

""Here from the margins of Europe" is the title of a poem in the book Ljóð muna rödð , a book that is rich in voices, light, shadows, proximity and distance. Space can be an unexpectedly rich area, and that describes the poet who writes so well. This book reveals the rich poetic world of Sigurður Pálsson, a poet who has truly contributed to the renewal and power of Icelandic poetry. Ljóð muna rödð is a strong book that grapples with big questions. The voice in the title is haunting, the poems are figurative, melancholic and full of volume, but are also odes to life and the joy of living."