Nína Björk Arnadóttir
Nína Björk Arnadóttir was an influential Icelandic poet and playwright, born on June 7, 1941, in northwest Iceland. Raised by her great-aunt and great-uncle on a farm, her rural upbringing profoundly shaped her literary work, often rich with natural imagery. After completing her education, including a year of study in Denmark, Arnadóttir began her artistic career in acting but soon shifted her focus to writing, producing one-act plays and poetry. Her debut poetry collection, *Ung ljód*, published in 1965, garnered critical acclaim and established her as a significant voice in Icelandic literature.
Over the years, Arnadóttir's writing evolved to incorporate themes of spirituality, particularly following her conversion to Catholicism in the 1970s. She published not only poetry but also novels, with notable works including *Móoir, kona, meyja* and *Þridja ástin*, which explore complex human emotions and social themes. Recognized for her contributions to the arts, she received various accolades, including a literary prize from the Icelandic Broadcasting Service in 1982 and the title of Artist of the Year for Reykjavík in 1989. Arnadóttir's legacy endures through her exploration of the interplay between despair and joy, faith and doubt, leaving a lasting impact on Icelandic literature before her passing in 2000.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Nína Björk Arnadóttir
Poet
- Born: June 7, 1941
- Birthplace: Vestur-Húnavatnssysla, Iceland
- Died: 2000
- Place of death: Iceland
Biography
Nína Björk Arnadóttir, daughter of farmers Árni Sigurjnsson and Lára Hólmfredsdóttir, was born on June 7, 1941, in Vestur-Húnavatnssysla in northwest Iceland. From the age of one, Arnadóttir’s great-aunt and great-uncle raised her on their farm in the Western fjords until they moved with her to Reykjavík in 1946. Arnadóttir summered with her parents, and many of her poems reflect her rural upbringing through their inclusion of natural imagery.
Following secondary school in Dyrafjördur and an additional year studying in Denmark, Arnadóttir began dramatic studies at Leiklistarsk li Leikfélags Reykjavíkur. Awarded her degree in 1964, she was cast in minor roles at the Reykjavík Theatre Company.
Initially Arnadóttir sought a career as an actress, but her focus shifted when she began to write for the stage. She composed one-act plays and poetry while still employed by the company. Ung ljód (1965), her debut publication, a collection of poetry, was well received by critics. Generally a dark volume dwelling on depression and pain, its sole light was a poem dedicated to book merchant Bragi Kristjónsson. They wed in 1966, a relationship that bore three sons, the eldest a poet. The couple lived in Denmark for a period of time so Arnadóttir could gain knowledge of dramaturgy, but they returned to Iceland to raise their boys. In later years, the poet revisited Copenhagen to compose in the quietude of a convent. She died in Iceland in 2000.
Her first volume, Ung ljód, drew praise from Iceland’s literati and established a readership for her future poems. Most of Arnadóttir’s poetry expresses contrary human emotions, such as pain and pleasure, through sensory images; often these feelings are reflected in descriptions of her native landscape. Subsequent volumes incorporated folkloric themes and images. Following her conversion to Catholicism in the 1970’s, Arnadóttir’s writing assumed a more overt spirituality, with poems increasingly resembling prayers, particularly those in Fyrir börn og fullordna (1975).
Arnadóttir’s one-act plays, Hælid and Geimid, were produced together in 1969 as Í súpunni. Hælid caught the eye of an executive and was broadcast on national television. Many of her original plays were produced in her lifetime, along with several works for television and radio. While her reputation derives chiefly from her standing as a poet and playwright, Arnadóttir published two novels. Móoir, kona, meyja (1987) recounts the sacrifices of a domestic servant. Þridja ástin, published in 1995, consists of scattered sections that reveal a murder from varying perspectives, including those of the killer, the victim, and the garbage collectors who discover the murdered woman’s body.
In 1982, Arnadóttir received a literary prize from the Icelandic Broadcasting Service. She was designated Artist of the Year for Reykjavík in 1989.
A fluent writer, Arnadóttir is recognized as a leading Icelandic poet of the final decades of the twentieth century. Critics note the lyricism of her plays and the dramatic qualities of her poems, byproducts of composing in both genres. The unifying feature of her work is her emphasis on diverse and complex human feelings. Companion emotions of despair and elation, doubt and faith, and loss and love receive equal scrutiny in her expressive works.