Andri Snær Magnason (born 14 July 1973) is an Icelandic writer. He has written

novels A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

, and

essays An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as forma ...

. Andri is also a director and producer of three documentary films that have premiered in IDFA and CPH:DOX. His work has been published or performed in more than 40 countries. He has received the

Icelandic Literary Prize The Icelandic Literary Prize ( Icelandic: ''Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunin''), or Icelandic Literary Award, is an award which is given to three books each year by the Icelandic Publishers Association. The prize was founded on the association's cent ...

in all categories, fiction, non-fiction and for children's literature. The first time in 1999 for the children's book ''The Story of the Blue Planet'', and again in 2006 for the non-fiction book '' Dreamland'', a critique of Icelandic industrial and

energy policy Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity (often governmental) has decided to address issues of energy development including energy conversion, distribution and use as well as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to cont ...

. He also won the prize for his 2013 book, Tímakistan, The Casket of Time. Andri wrote an obituary for the first glacier Iceland lost to climate change, Ok-glacier in 2019 with these words: “Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done, only you know if we did it." His book, On Time and Water from 2019 is a work of narrative non fiction, translated to more than 30 languages. The book explores climate change through language, memory and mythology. He did a TED talk on the issue. He was a candidate in the

2016 Icelandic presidential election Presidential elections were held in Iceland on 25 June 2016. President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, elected in 1996, stepped down after serving five consecutive terms. The history professor Guðni Th. Jóhannesson was elected after receiving a plu ...

About

Andri was born in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a pop ...

on 14 July 1973. He has four children. Andri studied Icelandic Literature in the University of Iceland and finished his BA degree in 1997. At that time he had already published three books, two books of poetry and a short story collection. His poetry book, Bónus Poetry, a mythological journey through the isles of an Icelandic Bónus Supermarket, based on the Devine Comedy by Dante became a best seller in 1996. His children's book, ''Blue Planet'', was the first children's book to receive the

and has been published in 30 countries. ''Blue Planet'' was a 2014

United Kingdom Literacy Association The United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom which aims to promote good practice and raise standards in literacy. It was founded in 1963 as the United Kingdom Reading Association, but changed its n ...

Book Award Winner, an Honor Book for the Nature Generation's 2013 Green Earth Book Award in Children's Fiction, and received the 2002 West Nordic Children's Book Prize and the Janusz Korczak Honorary Award in 2000. The play from the story has been staged in The National Theatre of Iceland, The City Theatre of Reykjavík, at YPT in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

, and the City Theatres of

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of ...

in Denmark, Lahti and Waasa in Finland and

Lucerne Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label= Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital o ...

in Switzerland. His Sci-Fi novel, ''LoveStar'', was chosen “Novel of the year” by Icelandic booksellers 2002, received the DV Literary Award and a nomination to the Icelandic Literary Prize, and was awarded the Philip K. Dick Award Special Citation of Excellence in 2013 and the Grand prix de l´imaginaire in 2016 as best foreign Science Fiction in France. In 2006 he published

Dreamland - a Self Help Manual for a Frightened Nation ''Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual for a Frightened Nation'' (in the original is, Draumalandið — Sjálfshjálparbók handa hræddri þjóð, italic=yes) is a book by the Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason. It became the number one best-sell ...

, where he criticises the energy policy of the Icelandic government, marketing Iceland as a source of cheap hydro electricity for international aluminium corporations. At the time the Kárahnjúkar dam was being built in Eastern Iceland, damaging one of the last and largest intact wilderness in Europe. The book became a documentary film,

Dreamland (2009 film) ''Dreamland'' ( is, Draumalandið) is a 2009 Icelandic documentary film about politics, environmental preservation and damming, focusing on the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant and its environmental impact. The movie is based on the book '' Dreamla ...

directed by Thorfinnur Gudnason, co-directed by Andri. Andri has collaborated with various artists in film, music, theatre, architecture, activism and design. Collaborators include

múm Múm (stylized in lowercase) () is an Icelandic indietronica band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments. History The band was formed in 1 ...

, Högni, Anni Ólafsdóttir, Eivör Pálsdóttir,

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

, Þorleifur Arnarson,

Valgeir Sigurðsson Valgeir Sigurðsson (born 18 June 1971) is an Icelandic record producer, mixer, composer, audio engineer and musician. Biography Coming from a musical background, Valgeir's fascination with recording technology led to a job in a small record ...

, Ásta Fanney,

Bjarke Ingels Bjarke Bundgaard Ingels (; born 2 October 1974) is a Danish architect, founder and creative partner of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). In Denmark, Ingels became well known after designing two housing complexes in Ørestad: VM Houses and Mountain ...

and more.. Andri was vice-president of The Icelandic Writers Union and a board member of The Culture House in Reykjavik. He has been active in the fight against the destruction of the Icelandic Highlands. In 2021, he won the Writers Award from the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service

RÚV Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) (pronounced or ) ( en, 'The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service') is Iceland's national public-service broadcasting organization. Operating from studios in the country's capital, Reykjavík, as well as regional cent ...

Bibliography

* ''Ljóðasmygl og skáldarán'' – Nykur 1995 * ''Bonus Poetry'' (original title: Bónusljóð). Published by Icelandic supermarket chain

Bónus Bónus () is an Icelandic no-frills supermarket chain owned by Hagar. Bónus operates 31 stores in Iceland and seven in the Faroe Islands. It follows the no-frills format of limited hours, simple shelves and having a giant fridge instead of chi ...

in 1996. * ''Very Short Stories'' (original title: Engar Smá Sögur). Published by

Mál og menning Mál og menning ('language and culture') is an Icelandic publishing house, established in 1937. The press has published the work of many of Iceland's best known authors, among them Þórbergur Þórðarson, Jóhannes úr Kötlum, Svava Jakobsdótti ...

. 1996. * ''Maður undir himni, um trú í ljóðum Ísaks Harðarsonar''. Published by University of Iceland Press in 1999. * ''LoveStar'' (published in English by

Seven Stories Press Seven Stories Press is an independent American publishing company. Based in New York City, the company was founded by Dan Simon in 1995, after establishing Four Walls Eight Windows in 1984 as an imprint at Writers and Readers, and then incorpor ...

) * ''The Story of The Blue Planet'' (published in English by

) (original title: Sagan af bláa hnettinum. Published by Mál og menning) * '' Dreamland – A Self Help Manual For A Frightened Nation'' (published in English by Citizen Press). (original title: Draumalandið – sjálfshjálparbók handa hræddri þjóð published by Mál og menning in 2006) * ''The Time Casket'' Tímakistan'' – Mál og menning 2013 *''Sofðu ást mín'' Mál og menning 2016 *''Bónusljóð 44% meira'' (2017) * ''On Time and Water'' '' Um tímann og vatnið'' (published in English by Serpents Tail) – Mál og menning 2019

Plays

* ''Natures Opera'' (original title: Náttúruóperan) LFMH 1999 * ''Blue Planet'' (original title: Blái hnötturinn) Icelandic National Theater 2001 * ''Hlauptu Náttúrubarn'' Útvarpsleikhúsið 2001 * ''Úlfhamssaga'' Hafnarfjarðarleikhúsið/Annað svið 2004 * ''Eternal Happiness'' (original title: Eilíf hamingja) with Thorleif Arnarson – City Theater/ Lifandi Leikhús 2007 * ''Eternal Misery'' (original title: Eilíf óhamingja) with Thorleif Arnarson- City Theater/ Lifandi Leikhús 2009

Music

* ''Voices/Raddir'', Smekkleysa/Stofnun Árna Magnússonar 1998 * ''Flugmaður'' – spoken word CD with

– Leiknótan 1999

Films

* '' Dreamland'' (original title: Draumalandið), Documentary film codirected with Þorfinnur Guðnason. Ground Control Productions 2009.Dreamland
/ref> * '' The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole'' (original title: Þriðji póllinn), Documentary film codirected with Anní Ólafsdóttir. 2020. * ''Apausalypse'' (original title: Tídægra), Documentary film co-directed with Anní Ólafsdóttir. Elsku Rut Productions 2021.

Awards

* The Icelandic Literary Award 1999 - The Story of The Blue Planet * The West Nordic Children's Book Award 2002 - The Story of the Blue Planet * The DV Culture Award for best fiction 2002 - LoveStar * The Icelandic Bröste Award for Optimism 2002 * The

Icelandic Literary Award The Icelandic Literary Prize ( Icelandic: ''Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunin''), or Icelandic Literary Award, is an award which is given to three books each year by the Icelandic Publishers Association. The prize was founded on the association's cen ...

2006 - Dreamland * The Icelandic Film Academy Award for Best Documentary Film 2009 - Dreamland * The Kairos Prize - 2009 * Green Earth Book Award Honorary Mention 2013 - The Story of the Blue Planet * The

2013 - The Casket of Time. * The West Nordic Children's Book Award 2014 - The Casket of Time * UKLA Award for best Children's book of 2014 - The Story of the Blue Planet * Green Earth Book Award Honorary Mention 2014 - The Casket of Time * The

Philip K. Dick Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his ...

Honorary Mention 2014 - LoveStar * The Grand prix de l'imaginaire 2016, Best foreign Sci-Fi in France - LoveStar
Premio Tiziano Terzani
2021 Italy, - On Time and Water. * Water for Life Award 2022 - Aquadotto Pugliese Italy.

References

External links

*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnason, Andri Snaer Andri Snaer Magnason Andri Snaer Magnason Andri Snaer Magnason Non-fiction environmental writers Andri Snaer Magnason 1973 births Living people Andri Snaer Magnason Andri Snaer Magnason Andri Snaer Magnason Andri Snaer Magnason Andri Snaer Magnason Candidates for President of Iceland