Rakel Helmsdal facts for kids

Rakel Helmsdal was born on September 25, 1966. She is a very creative author and artist from the Faroe Islands. Rakel writes many different kinds of stories, including novels, short stories, plays, and poems. She writes for kids, teens, and adults. She is also a visual artist, and she even illustrates some of her own books! Currently, she leads the Association of Writers of the Faroe Islands.

Many of Rakel's books have been translated into other languages. She has won several important awards for her writing. The Faroese government has also given her grants to support her work. In 2024, she received a special three-year grant to continue her writing.

Rakel has worked with two other authors on a popular series of 10 "Monsters" books. These authors are Áslaug Jónsdóttir from Iceland and Kalle Güettler from Sweden. The first book in this series was called Nei! segði litla skrímsl (which means "No! Said Little Monster") and came out in 2004. These books are published at the same time in the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Sweden. They have also been translated into many other languages, making them popular around the world.

Rakel Helmsdal's Life Story

Rakel Helmsdal was born in Tårnby, a town near Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1966. Her mother was Faroese, and her father was Danish. Rakel's mother, Guðrið Helmsdal, was also a writer. She was the first Faroese woman to publish a collection of poems in the Faroese language. She was also the first Faroese author to publish modern poems.

In the 1970s, Rakel's parents moved to Leynar in the Faroe Islands. Her father, Ole Jacob Nielsen, is a sculptor who carves wood from the Faroe Islands. Rakel lived in France for a few years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this time, she started writing her first novels.

Her very first novel was called "Tey kalla meg bara Hugo" (They just call me Hugo). The next year, she published her first collection of short stories. It was titled Søgur úr Port Janua (Stories from Port Janua). Rakel has written books for all ages, from young children to teenagers and adults.

Rakel illustrates some of her books herself. Other books are illustrated by different artists. For example, the Faroese artist Edward Fuglø illustrated her book series Úr Mosakulluni and her short story collection about dragons, "Drekar og annað valafólk".

Rakel Helmsdal also helped write a screenplay for a short film. She co-wrote the script for the film Brother Troll (Faroese: Trøllabeiggi). Her brother, Gudmund Helmsdal, directed this film. The screenplay was written by Gudmund Helmsdal, Rakel Helmsdal, and Torfinnur Jákupsson. Brother Troll won the Faroese audience film award called Geytin. It also won several awards at film festivals around the world. At the Darbhanga International Film Festival in India, Brother Troll won five awards, including Best Script.

Awards and Recognition

Rakel Helmsdal has received many awards for her wonderful books and stories. Here are some of them:

• 1996 – She won the Barnabókaheiðursløn Tórshavnar Býráðs (Faroese Children's Book Award) for her book Tey kalla meg bara Hugo.
• 2004 – She received the Dimmalim award from Iceland for Nei! segði lítla skrímsl. She wrote this book with Áslaug Jónsdóttir and Kalle Güettler.
• 2007 – She won the Barnabókaverðlaun Menntaráðs Reykjavíkur (Icelandic award) for Stór skrímsl gráta ikki. This was another book written with Áslaug Jónsdóttir and Kalle Güettler.
• 2008 – Rakel won an award in a short story competition for Faroese youth.
• 2009 – Her book Várferðin til Brúnna was nominated for the West Nordic Council's Children and Youth Literature Prize.
• 2011 – Skrímslahæddir was nominated for the Fjörðuverðlaun (Icelandic award).
• 2013 – She was nominated for the ALMA Award, also known as the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. This is a very important international award for children's literature.
• 2013 – Veiða vind was nominated for the Nordic Children's Book Prize.
• 2013 – Rakel won the Children's Cultural Prize of Tórshavn City Council. She won this Faroese award for her book Veiða vind and for her books and plays about the Skrímsl (Monsters).
• 2013 – Iceland nominated her, along with Áslaug Jónsdóttir and Kalle Güettler, for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize. This was for their book Klandursskrímsl/Skrímslaerjur/Monsterbråk.
• 2014 – She was nominated again for the ALMA Award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
• 2016 – Rakel was nominated for the West Nordic Council's Children and Youth Literature Prize for Hon, sum róði eftir ælaboganum.
• 2016 – She won the West Nordic Council's Children and Youth Literature Prize for Hon, sum róði eftir ælaboganum.
• 2017 – She was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize for Hon, sum róði eftir ælaboganum.
• 2018 – Iceland nominated her, Áslaug Jónsdóttir, and Kalle Güettler for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize. This was for their book Skrímsli í vanda/Neyðars skrímsl/Monster i knipa.
• 2019 – She was nominated for the ALMA Award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
• 2019 – Rakel was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize for Miljuløtur.
• 2020 – She was nominated for the ALMA Award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
• 2020 – Rakel won the Children's Cultural Prize of Tórshavn City Council for Loftar tú mær?.
• 2020 – She was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize for Loftar tú mær?.
• 2020 – She was also nominated for the West Nordic Council's Children and Youth Literature Prize for Loftar tú mær?.
• 2024 – Rakel was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize for her book Toran gongur.