The winners of the 2012 Icelandic Literature Awards are Illska by Einar Örn Norðdahl in the fiction category and Pater Jón Sveinsson – Nonni by Gunnar F. Guðmundsson in the non-fiction category, as announced by President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson at a ceremony, during which the band Ylja performed, at the presidential residence Bessastaðir this afternoon.

President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. Photo by Páll Stefánsson/Iceland Review.

This is the 24th time that the award is presented. Last year’s winners were Allt með kossi vekur by Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir in the fiction category and Jón forseti allur by Páll Björnsson in the non-fiction category.

These were the five books nominated in the fiction category: Undantekningin by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir; Illska by Einar Örn Norðdahl; Suðurglugginn by Gyrðir Elíasson; Milla by Kristín Ómarsdóttir; and Endimörk heimsins by Sigurjón Magnússon.

And these five books were nominated in the non-fiction category: Pater Jón Sveinsson – Nonni by Gunnar F. Guðmundsson; Örlagaborgin, brotabrot úr afrekssögu frjálshyggjunnar, fyrri hluti by Einar Már Jónsson; Upp með fánann: Baráttan um uppkastið 1908 og sjálfstæðisbaráttu Íslendinga by Gunnar Þór Bjarnason; Appelsínur frá Abkasíu: Vera Hertzsch, Halldór Laxness og hreinsanirnar miklu by Jón Ólafsson; and Sagan af klaustrinu Skriðu by Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir.

PS