Author Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir (pictured, photo source: Forlagið) was presented with the Jónas Hallgrímsson Award on the Icelandic Language Day by Minister of Education and Culture Katrín Jakobsdóttir yesterday.
In her speech, Katrín said she was particularly pleased with this year’s recipient, visir.is reports.
The jury concluded that Baldursdóttir is inspired by the realities Icelandic women face in her novels, shedding light on their lives and work, roles in society, dreams and longings.
“She set out with promoting gender equality when she launched her career, a goal she has clearly continued to pursue,” Katrín said.
More than 100 elementary school children were awarded for their achievements in their studies of the Icelandic language by the Education and Recreation Council of the City of Reykjavík in the City Hall yesterday.
Among them was bilingual 12-year-old Jeremi Zyrek, whose parents are Polish and so Polish is the language spoken in their home. “It is my favorite subject,” he told Morgunblaðið of Icelandic. “I also enjoy learning [foreign] languages.”
“He is given much supervision and support at home […] which is of course very important,” said Jeremi’s teacher Guðrún Birna Eiríksdóttir.
She added that he often reads books in Icelandic which gives him a better vocabulary than what many other children his age have.
In addition to Icelandic, English, Danish and all other compulsory subjects, Jeremi studies Polish in school on Saturdays. Guðrún said it is very important for children whose native language is not Icelandic to also study their mother tongue.
Click here to read more about the Icelandic Language Day.
ESA
