Photograph: Dirk Skiba
Jónas Reynir Gunnarsson was born in 1987 in Reykjavík. He grew up in Fellabær, a small village in the east of Iceland, graduated from Egilsstaðir Junior College and studied Creative Writing at the University of Iceland.
Jónas’ first three books were published in 2017. Two poetry books: A Village Manual and Big Oil Tankers, the latter of which won him The Tómas Guðmundsson Poetry Prize and a nomination for the Maístjarnan Poetry Prize, as well as being chosen one of the best works of Icelandic literature that year by critics of The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. The third book was the novel Through Flight, which received a nomination for the DV Cultural Prize for Literature. Denmark-based publishing house Gyldendal published Through Flight in Danish, translated by Erik Skyum-Nielsen, in January 2020. Jónas’ next novel, Starfish, was published in 2018 and chosen one of that years best novels by Morgunblaðið newspaper. The poetry book Laundry Day was published in 2019 and awarded the Maístjarnan Poetry Prize. Jónas’ novel Death of a Forest was published in Iceland in October 2020. It received a nomination for the Icelandic Literary Prize and The European Union Prize for Literature. Jónas’ latest novel, Everything Is Poison, was published in 2022 and chosen one of that years best novels by Morgunblaðið newspaper.
Contact: jonasreynir@gmail.com
