Matthías Johannessen

Oddur Pálsson (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Kjerstin Moody (Gustavus Adolphus College), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

Born 1930
Died 2024

Places

Active in Iceland

Activities

Primary

Poet

Resources

Johannessen's Works

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Matthías Johannessen was the main editor of the Icelandic daily

Morgunblaðið

and a prolific poet, nominated three times for the Nordic literature prize. He was born in Reykjavík in 1930 and finished his master’s degree in Icelandic studies and literature at The University of Iceland in 1955; his master’s thesis was on the

Njáls saga

and the influences this long and famous saga has had on Icelandic literature throughout the ages. He then went to Copenhagen for further studies in literature and drama. Matthías was subsequently offered a scholarship to go to Germany and study there, but decided instead to go back to Iceland in 1956 to accept an offer to become a journalist for the daily newspaper

Morgunblaðið

, which he had been working for since his school days in Reykjavík. In…

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1605 words

Citation: Pálsson, Oddur. "Matthías Johannessen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 October 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15202, accessed 16 October 2024.]