The Writer’s Block: A Q&A with Sjón

Sjón is an Icelandic novelist, poet, and playwright. His latest novel, Mánasteinn– drengurinn sem aldrei var til (Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was), was published in October of 2013. His novel The Blue Fox, the English translation of Skugga-Baldur, won the Nordic Council’s Literary Prize (the Nordic countries’ equivalent of the Man Booker Prize). Sjón’s novels have been translated into thirty five languages. Also a poet, librettist and lyricist, he has written nine poetry collections, four opera librettos and lyrics for various artists. Sjón lives in Reykjavík where he has just published the last volume of his trilogy ‘CoDex 1962’.

In this conversation with Sampsonia Way, Sjón discusses what gets lost in translation between Icelandic and English, his decision to write in the third person, and his revision process.