LITERARY PRIZES, HONOURS AND NOMINATIONS
Officier d’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
2020 — For contribution to culture in France and the world
The Future Library / Deichman Bjørvika Library – Oslo
2017 — 3rd author commissioned for the 100 year long project
The Nordic Council’s Literature Prize
2005 — for Skugga-Baldur.
- Seven Stones, by Sjón and Ondře Adamek wins the FEDORA-GENERALI Prize for New European Opera 2018.
- I am a Sleeping Door, the third book of CoDex 1962 was awarded the DV Newspaper Culture Prize / Literature and nominated for the 2016 Icelandic Literary Prize.
- Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was (Mánasteinn – drengurinn sem aldrei var til) is awarded the 2013 Icelandic Literary Prize and The Icelandic Bookseller’s Prize for the Novel of the Year.
- From the Mouth of the Whale (Rökkurbýsnir), shortlisted for the 2012 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
- From the Mouth of the Whale (Rökkurbýsnir), shortlisted for the 2012
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. - The Blue Fox (Skugga-Baldur), nominated for the 2011
Jan Michalski Prize for Literature. - The Blue Fox (Skugga-Baldur), longlisted for the 2009
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. - Rökkurbýsnir (From the Mouth of the Whale) nominated for the 2008
Icelandic Literary Prize. - söngur steinsafnarans (the song of the stone collector) nominated for the 2007
Icelandic Literary Prize. - The Icelandic Bookseller’s Prize for the Novel of the Year, 2005, for Argóarflísin.
- The DV Newspaper Culture Prize / Literature, 2002, for Með titrandi tár.
- The Icelandic Broadcasting Service Writers Fund, 1998,
for contribution to Icelandic literature. - The DV Newspaper Culture Prize / Literature, 1995, for Augu þín sáu mig.
SCHOLARSHIPS / RESIDENCIES
- The Marie Residency Program with Beit Venezia in Venice and with Mishkenot Shaananim in Jerusalem, spring/autumn 2019.
- Writer in Residence at The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), 2017.
- Guest of the Berlin Künstlerprogramm 2010-2011.
- Samuel Fischer Visiting Professor at the Freie Universität, winter 2007-2008.
OTHER PRIZES AND NOMINATIONS
- Augu þín sáu mig (Made in Secret), the radio adaption by Bjarni Jónsson with soundtrack by múm, nominated for the Prix Europa, 2009
- Skuggaleikur (Shadow Play), an opera by Karólína Eiríksdóttir with libretto by Sjón, based on the short story Skyggen (the Shadow) by H. C. Andersen, nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize, 2008
- Nominated for an Oscar, an Academy Award, in the category Best Original Song for the song I’ve Seen It All from the film Dancer in the Dark, 2000
- Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the song I’ve Seen It All from
the film Dancer in the Dark, 2001