Name: Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs
Born: 1974, Tórshavn
Selected work: Marta, Marta

Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs is a versatile award-winning author. She holds a master’s degree in Faroese language and literature and is also a trained nurse. Kjelnæs works full-time as a writer. She has published poetry collections, short stories, novels, song lyrics and children’s and YA books, and has also written manuscripts for film and theatre. Her work has seen multiple awards and nominations, including one nomination for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2023 and two nominations for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2013 and 2021 respectively. Kjelnæs’ literature has been translated into various languages, such as English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic.

Works
2022 Marta, Marta, novel, Ungu Føroyar
2022 Karmageitin, poetry, Ungu Føroyar
2022 Gentukamarið, drama, Ungu Føroyar
2020 Sum rótskot, YA novel, BFL
2017 Dreymar við havið, film manuscript
2016 Óendaliga vera, novel, BFL
2016 At the Heart of a Selkie, song lyrics cycle
2016 Opna, poetry collection, Sprotin
2013 Tóm rúm, theatre play, Sprotin
2012 Rót Tripp – Orð en route, poetry collection, Sprotin
2010 Skriva í sandin, YA novel, BFL
2009 Hvør fjalir seg í smúkkuskríninum?, children book, BFL
2008 Hvør fjalir seg í ferðataskuni?, children book, BFL
2007 Hvør fjalir seg í postkassanum?, children book, BFL
2004 Ein farri av kolvetni , short stories, BFL
2001 “Kópakona“ , short story published in anthology Mjørki í heilum, BFL

Translations
2025 Marta, Marta, Ugla útgáfa
2024 A Girl’s Room, IPI Press
2024 Karma Goat, IPI Press
2023 Jenterommet, Orkana
2022 Rodskud, Vild Maskine
2015 Rót trip - ord en route, Bokbyen Forlaget
2015 Skrifa í sandinn, Bókaormurin bókaútgáfa
2013 Skriv i sandet, Det norske samlaget
2013 Poem from Rót Tripp published in Reception – tidsskrift for nordisk litteratur Vol. 71
2012 Skriv i sandet, Forlaget Torgard (transl. Hugin Eide)
2012 Title story of Skriva ísandin,“Ecrire dans le sable”, published in short story anthology Nouvelles Pays Nordiques
2010 Title story of Skriva í sandin published in a Nordic short story anthology, Elskar – elskar ikki, published in 8 languages

Awards and recognition: 1st prize in short story competition from Faroese newspaper, Dimmalætting (2000), 2nd prize (2001) and 1st prize (2002) at Listastevna Føroya, grant from the foundation of Thorvald Poulsens av Steinum (2004), Tórshavn City Council Children’s Cultural Award (2008), 1st prize in Faroese short story competition (2008), White Raven Special Mention for YA-novel Skriva í sandin (2011), Nordic Children’s Book Prize (2011), nominated for the Nordic Council’s Children and Young People’s Literature Prize (2013). She won the first Faroese novel competition in 2015 for the novel Óendaliga vera and best song lyrics for Verð mín, performed by Eivør, at the Faroese Music Awards in 2017. Nominated for Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2023 for the dual work Karmageitin and Gentukamarið. Received the 2025 M. A. Jacobsen's Literature Prize of Tórshavn City Council for Marta, Marta.

Featured