Orðstír, an honorary award for translations of Icelandic literature to a foreign language

The award is presented for an excellent translation of a work of Icelandic literature into another language, resulting in the increased renown of Icelandic literature abroad.

Orðstír Award is presented biannually, in conjunction with the Reykjavik International Literary Festival, by the President of Iceland at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence.

In 2021 two translators received the award; Tone Myklebost from Norway and Tina Flecken from Germany.

Tone Myklebost has been translating the books of many and different Icelandic authors in Norwegian for three decades. She was awarded the Norwegian Translators’ Association’s prize for her work in 2019. Tone has translated works by Sjón, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, Einar Már Guðmundsson, Halldór Laxness, Gerður Kristný and Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, among others. Overall, Tone has translated over 50 books, among them all Icelandic holders of the Nordic Council Literature Prize for the last twenty-five years.

Tina Flecken has translated dozens of Icelandic books of a wide variety, including works by Andri Snær Magnason, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir, Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir and Sjón. Tina first came to Iceland in 1987 as an exchange student. Later, she studied Icelandic at the University of Iceland. When Iceland was the guest of honour at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair, she says a great interest in Icelandic literature emerged in Germany.

Orðstír is awarded by the Icelandic Literature Center, The Icelandic Association of Translators and Interpreters, Promote Iceland, the Office of the President of Iceland and the Reykjavik International Literary Festival.