Sjón is an Icelandic poet, author and songwriter who received an Academy Award nomination for “I’ve Seen It All” performed by Björk in Dancer in the Dark. He talks about his work, including his latest book, From the Mouth of the Whale. He talks to ABC Radio National’s Sarah Kanowski.
Presented with the Wheeler Centre.
Sjón (International)
Sjón is a celebrated Icelandic poet and novelist. He won the Nordic Council Literature Prize, the equivalent of the Man Booker Prize, for The Blue Fox, which was also longlisted for The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2009. His work has been translated into 22 languages. Sjón is president of the Icelandic PEN Centre and director on the board of Reykjavík, UNESCO City of Literature. Also a songwriter, he has written lyrics for Björk. His latest novel is From the Mouth of the Whale.
Sarah Kanowski is a writer and broadcaster who currently presents ABC Radio National’s Weekend Arts program which covers writing, music, visual arts, theatre and film. Sarah has edited the literary magazine Island in Tasmania and studied English at Oxford University.
