Carl Jóhan Jensen
Carl Jóhan Jensen (2 December 1957 in Tórshavn) is a Faroese writer, poet and literary critic. His books have five times been nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize in 1991, 1998, 2007, 2008[1] and 2016. Two times he has received the M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Prize from Tórshavn City Council, in 1989 and 2006.[2]
Biography
He grew up in Tórshavn and moved to Denmark in 1973 to attend a Danish gymnasium (a preparatory high school), he graduated from there three years later and moved back to the Faroe Islands in 1976, where he worked various jobs, i.e. as a journalist. From 1979 to 1981 he studied the Faroese language at the Faroese University in Tórshavn. From 1981 to 1987 he studied Icelandic language in Reykjavík. In 1990 he graduated cand.phil. in Faroese. Since then he has been living in Tórshavn together with his Australian wife, Kate Sanderson and their two sons. She worked for the Faroese government as a special advisor for several years, and in 2012 she was employed as the Faroese embassador in the EU, based in Brussels. Carl Jóhans Jensen moved with her, her employment as the Faroese embassador will last for three years.[3]
Bibliography
He published his first poems in 1977. He has published poems, novels and essays. He has also translated various texts into Faroese, i.e. Strindberg, Ayckbourn, Dario Fo og Einar Kárason. His work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and the US.
In October 2011 he was one of ten Faroese writers, who were invited to participate at the Frankfurt Book Fair, it was the first time the Faroe Islands participated at this book fair, they were invited to participate together with Iceland, which was the guest of honour in 2011. Carl Jóhan Jensen's novel Ó – Søgur um djevulsskap was one of the ten chosen books.[4]
In 2013 one of his poems represents the Faroe Islands in the EU event Transpoesie 2013,[5] the poem is called Tú in Faroese (it means You), it will be shown in French and Dutch translations too.[6]
He was president of the Association of Writers of the Faroe Islands (Rithøvundafelag Føroya) 1991–92 and 2004–2006.[7]
Novels
- 1979 – Seinnapartur (Afternoon)
- 1995 – Rúm (Room)
- 2005 – Ó – Søgur um djevulskap, (no official title in English, working title: Un-, Tales of Devilry), Sprotin, 786 pp., ISBN 978-99918-44-82-4
- 2010 – U-, historier om djevelskap. Det Norske Samlaget. Translated into Norwegian by Lars Moa.[8]
- 2014 - Eg síggi teg betur í myrkri (I see thee better – in the Dark)
Poetry
- 1977 – Yrkingar
- 1982 – Skríggj, Mentunargrunnur studentafelagsins.
- 1984 – Messa á kvøldi og fram undir morgun, Mentunargrunnur studentafelagsins.
- 1990 – Hvørkiskyn, Mentunargrunnar Studentafelagsins
- 1997 – Tímar og rek, Mentunargrunnur studentafelagsins.
- 2006 – September í bjørkum sum kanska eru bláar (audiobook)
Essays
- 2000 – Mentir og mentaskapur
Awards, nominations etc.
- 1989 – Received the M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Prize from Tórshavn City Council
- 1991 – Nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize[9]
- 1998 – Nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize
- 2006 – Received the M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Prize
- 2007 – Nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for his novel Ó – Søgur um djevulsskap[10]
- 2008 – Nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for September í bjørkum sum kanska eru bláar
- 2011 – 1-years grant from the Mentanargrunnur Landsins (Faroese Cultural Fund)[11]
- 2015 – Received the Mentanarvirðisløn M. A. Jacobsens
- 2016 – Nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for Eg síggi teg betri í myrkri[12][13]
References
- ↑ Farlit.fo
- ↑ Snar.fo
- ↑ Aktuelt.fo, Kate Sanderson til Brussel og Sigmund Ísfeld til Keypmannahavnar
- ↑ "Frankfurt fyri framman" (in Faroese). Mentamálaráðið. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
- ↑ Transpoesie.eu
- ↑ Rit.fo, Føroyskur skaldskapur um alt Brússel
- ↑ Rit.fo
- ↑ Farlit.fo
- ↑ Norden.org, Nominerede 1962–2012
- ↑ Norden.org
- ↑ Aktuelt.fo, Rithøvundur og dansilærari fáa starvsløn í eitt ár
- ↑ "Carl Jóhan Jensen: Eg síggi teg betur í myrkri". The Nordic Council. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ↑ kvf.fo - Hann kann fáa bókmentavirðislønina 2016
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