Sjón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sjón
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Sjón in 2014
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| Born | Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson 27 August 1962 Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Occupation | Poet Novelist Lyricist |
| Nationality | Icelandic |
| Genre | Fiction Surrealism |
| Notable works | The Blue Fox (2003) From the Mouth of the Whale (2008) I've Seen It All (2000) |
Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson (born August 27, 1962) is a famous poet, novelist, and songwriter from Iceland. He is better known by his pen name, Sjón, which is pronounced like "shown." In the Icelandic language, "Sjón" means "sight."
Sjón is well-known for working with the singer Björk. He has also performed with the band The Sugarcubes using the stage name Johnny Triumph. His books and poems have been translated into 30 different languages for people to read all over the world.
Contents
Early Life and Inspirations
Sjón was born in Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland. He grew up in a district of the city called Breiðholt. He started his writing career very young. At just 16 years old, he published his first book of poems, called Sýnir (which means Visions), in 1978.
As a young reader, Sjón loved adventure and mystery books like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. He was also a big fan of the musician David Bowie. Sjón said Bowie was like a teacher to him because he would look up all the artists and writers that Bowie mentioned in interviews.
Living on an island in the North Atlantic, Sjón was very interested in what was happening in big cultural cities like New York and London. He was especially fascinated by the punk rock movement.
Writing and Music Career
In the 1980s, Sjón was a founding member of a creative group called Medúsa, which was inspired by Surrealism. Surrealist art and writing often include dream-like and surprising images. This group became an important part of the art and music scene in Reykjavík.
Sjón was also active in Iceland's music world. He worked with many popular artists. In 1987, he was a guest singer on a song by the band The Sugarcubes. He used the name Johnny Triumph and even made a music video where he played air guitar with band members Björk and Einar Örn Benediktsson.
Working with Björk
Sjón and the famous singer Björk met as teenagers and even started a small band together. When Björk started her solo career, Sjón began writing song lyrics for her.
In 2000, they wrote the song "I've Seen It All" for the movie Dancer in the Dark. The song was so popular that it was nominated for major awards, including an Academy Award. In 2004, they worked together again on the song "Oceania," which Björk performed at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Writing for Movies
Sjón has also written for movies. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 2021 film Lamb. The movie was chosen to represent Iceland at the Academy Awards and won prizes at film festivals around the world.
In 2022, he co-wrote the movie The Northman with director Robert Eggers. The film is a historical story about a Viking prince. Björk also had a small role in this movie.
His Unique Writing Style
Sjón's writing is known for its surreal and magical elements. His stories often feature strange events and characters that can transform in unexpected ways. His work has been praised by many famous authors.
Sjón has said that living in Iceland has influenced his writing. Iceland is a volcanic island with a powerful landscape. "We’re absolutely at the mercy of these magnificent things, the land with its volcanoes and earthquakes, and the sea," he said. This connection to nature inspires the transformations and wonders in his stories.
Personal Life
Sjón lives in Reykjavík with his wife. He has two grown children. He does most of his writing in a small cottage that used to belong to a fisherman.
Family history has also shaped his work. He learned that his grandfather had a difficult past related to World War II. This discovery led him to explore complex ideas about history and identity in his novels.
Sjón believes that Icelandic culture is a mix of many different influences. He supports new writers in Iceland who come from other countries and write in languages like Polish, Spanish, and English.
Selected Works
Sjón has written many novels, poetry collections, and plays. Here are some of his most famous works.
Novels
- Made in Secret / Your Eyes Saw Me (1994)
- The Blue Fox (2003)
- From the Mouth of the Whale / The Marvels of Twilight (2008)
- Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was (2013)
- CoDex 1962 (2016)
- Red Milk (2019)
Poetry
- Visions (1978)
- The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes (1986)
- the song of the stone collector (2007)
- Collected Poems 1978–2008 (2008)
Awards and Honors
Sjón has won many awards for his writing.
- 1995: DV Newspaper Culture Prize for Literature for Made in Secret
- 2002: DV Newspaper Culture Prize for Literature for With A Quivering Tear
- 2005: Nordic Council's Literature Prize for The Blue Fox
- 2005: Icelandic Bookseller's Prize for Novel of the Year for The Whispering Muse
In 2016, Sjón was chosen to contribute to the Future Library project. This is a special project where authors write a book that will be kept secret and not published for 100 years.
See also
In Spanish: Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson para niños
