Jógvan Isaksen


Jógvan Isaksen is a Faroese writer and literary historian. He is best known for his crime novels and for his book about Faroese literature Færøsk Litteratur. He is leader of the Faroese publication house Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins which has its address in the Faroe Islands, though its committee is located in Copenhagen. It publishes Faroese books and is the oldest Faroese publishing house, having been founded in 1910.

Biography

Jógvan Isaksen is the son of Magnhild Isaksen née Olsen and Reimar Isaksen, who both come from the village of Gøta. After finishing high school in 1970 he moved to Denmark in order to study Nordic Philology at Aarhus University. He finished his MA in Scandinavian Literature Science in 1982. Since 1986 he has been associate Professor in Faroese language and Faroese literature at the University of Copenhagen. Since 2000 he has been the main editor of the magazine Nordisk litteratur, put out by the Nordic Council.
Since 1978 Isaksen has also worked as a writer. His crime novels are popular in the Faroe Islands and are often best sellers just before Christmas. Some of them have been translated into other languages. Isaksen has also written some children's books and books about Faroese writers and literature. For his work about the Faroese writer Hanus Kamban and for his work for Faroese Literature, Isaksen received the Faroese Literature Prize in 1994. In 2006 he received one of the prizes of the Faroese Government, called Heiðursgáva landsins.
The crime novel Blíð er summarnátt á Føroyalandi was Isaksen's first in that genre, and one of the first written in Faroese where the events take place in the Faroe Islands. It has been translated into Danish, Icelandic and German.

Crime fiction

  • 1990 – Blíð er summarnátt á Føroyalandi
  • * 1991 – Danish: Blid er den færøske sommernat,
  • * 2011 – Danish: Blid er den færøske sommernat, 2nd edition, paperback.
  • * 1995 – German: Mild ist die färöische Sommernacht, Pettersson, Münster 1995
  • *2006 – German: Neuausgabe: Endstation Färöer, Grafit
  • 1994 – Gráur oktober. Crime fiction novel.
  • * 1995 – Danish: Grå oktober,
  • * 2011 – Danish: Grå oktober, 2nd edition, paperback.
  • * 2007 – German: Option Färöer. Grafit
  • 1996 – Á ólavsøku. Ein summarkrimi í 9 pørtum
  • 2005 – Krossmessa, krimi,
  • * 2009 – Danish: Korsmesse, Torgard,
  • * 2011 – Danish: Korsmesse, 2. udgave, paperback.
  • * 2016 – English: Walpurgis Tide, Norvik Press.
  • 2006 – Adventus Domini
  • 2008 – Metusalem
  • * 2011 – Danish: Metusalem, translated by Povl Skårup, published by Torgard, 259 pages,
  • 2009 – Norðlýsi
  • 2010 – Norska Løva,
  • 2011 – Deydningar dansa á Sandi,
  • * 2023 – English: Dead Men Dancing, Norvik Press.
  • 2012 – Tann fimti maðurin,
  • 2013 – Prædikarin., Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins
  • 2014 – Vølundarhús.. Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.
  • 2015 – Hitt blinda liðið. Krimi. Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.
  • 2017 – Heljarportur.. Marselius.
  • 2018 – Anathema.. Marselius.
  • 2019 – Arktis.. Marselius.
  • 2020 – Paranoia.. Marselius.

Children's books

  • 1991 – Brennivargurin, detective novel for children
  • * 1998 – Brandstifteren, Forlaget Vindrose,
  • 1996 – Teir horvnu kirkjubøstólarnir. Children's book
  • 1999 – Barbara og tann horvna bamsan, children's book

Other works

  • 1983 – Føroyski Mentunarpallurin. Greinir og ummæli
  • 1986 – Ongin rósa er rósa allan dagin. Um skaldskapin hjá Róa Paturssyni
  • * 1988 – Ingen rose er rose hele dagen. Rói Paturssons digtning.
  • 1987 – Amariel Norðoy. Tekstur : Jógvan Isaksen. Yrkingar : Rói Patursson. Together with Anfinnur Johansen, Dorthe Juul Myhre, Troels Mark Pedersen and Rógvi Thomsen
  • 1988 – Í gráum eru allir litir. Bókmentagreinir
  • 1988 – At taka dagar ímillum. Um at ummæla og eitt úrval av ummælum
  • 1988 – Ein skúladagur í K. Føroyskar skemtisøgur. Í úrvali og við inngangi eftir Jógvan Isaksen
  • 1989 – Ingálvur av Reyni. Text: Gunnar Hoydal. Together with Dorthe Juul Myhre, Amariel Norðoy and Rógvi ThomsenFærøsk litteratur. Introduktion og punktnedslag. Det arnamagnæanske institut, 1992.
  • 1992 – Ingi Joensen: Reflektión. Fotobók. Together with Dorthe Juul Myhre and Amariel Norðoy
  • 1993 – Í hornatøkum við Prokrustes. Hanus Andreassen's short stories
  • 1993 – Færøsk Litteratur. Forlaget Vindrose,.
  • 1995 – Treð dans fyri steini. Bókmentagreinir, 1995.
  • 1995 – Zacharias Heinesen. Tekstur: Jógvan Isaksen. Together with Amariel Norðoy, Dorthe Juul Myhre, Helga Fossádal and Jon Hestoy
  • 1996 – Var Kafka klaksvíkingur? 26 ummælir
  • 1997 – Tekstur til Amariel Norðoy. Norðurlandahúsið í Føroyum
  • 1997 – Omkring Barbara. Greinasavn. Together with Jørgen Fisker, Nils Malmros and John Mogensen, 1997.
  • 1997 – Homo Viator. Um skaldskapin hjá Gunnari Hoydal
  • 1998 – William Heinesen: Ekskursion i underverdenen. I udvalg og med efterskrift af Jógvan Isaksen
  • 1998 – Á verðin, verðin! Skaldsøgan "Barbara" eftir Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen. Together with Amariel Norðoy, Dorthe Juul Myhre and Gunnar Hoydal
  • 2001 – Livets geniale relief – omkring Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsens roman Barbara,,
  • 2002 – Deyðin er drívmegin. Bókimentagreinir. Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.
  • 2004 – Mellem middelalder og modernitet – Omkring William, Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.
  • 2006 – Loystur úr fjøtrum – Um skaldskapin hjá Heðini Brú, Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.
  • 2008 – Dulsmál og loynigongir. Ummælir. Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins
  • 2010 – Sóttrøll. Um søgur og skaldsøgur eftir Jens Paula Heinesen, Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins..
  • 2014 – At myrða við skrivaraborðið. 141 pages. Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.
  • 2019 – Ars Moriendi – Kynstrið at doyggja..

Recognition