Name: Rakel Helmsdal
Born: 1966, Tårnby, Denmark
Selected work: Leyp nú, Eva!

Rakel Helmsdal is a writer and artist based in the Faroe Islands. She began writing plays, short stories and poems in the late 1980’s and released her first novel in 1995. Her bibliography spans over two dozen books, as well as featured works in periodicals, short story collections etc. Helmsdal is a well-known name on the Nordic children’s and YA literary scene and has received a lot of recognition for her works, including multiple nominations for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Prize and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Her books have been translated into several languages, such as Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Polish, French, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese among many others.


Works:
2024 Leyp nú, Eva!
2023 toran gongur (English sample translation available HERE)
2023 Dreymsótt (English sample translation available HERE)
2021 Reiggjan (English sample translations available)
2020 Kjarr (English sample translation available)
2019 Loftar tú mær? (English sample translation available)
2018 Miljuløtur
2014 Hon, sum róði eftir ælaboganum (English summary here)
2014 Skrímslakiskan
2012 Klandursskrímsl
2011 Revurin við silkiturriklæðnum
2011 Veiða vind
2010 Skrímslahæddir
2009 Skrímslavitjan
2009 Veturin hjá Undu, Úr Mosakulluni 2
2008 Várferðin til Brúnna, Úr Mosakulluni 1
2008 Skrímslasótt
2007 Myrkaskrímsl
2007 Gott hugflog, Hugo (Hugo 4)
2006 Stór skrímsl gráta ikki
2004 Nei! segði lítla skrímsl
2003 Kom yvirum, Hugo! (Hugo 3)
1998 Drekar og annað valafólk
1997 Hvørjum flenna likkurnar at, Hugo? (Hugo 2)
1996 Søgur úr Port Janua
1995 Tey kalla meg bara Hugo (Hugo 1)

Translations:
2022 Hon sum róði eftir ælaboganum, Dziwny Potmysl, Poland
2019 Monster klammeri, Torgard, Denmark
2019 Hun som roede gennem regnbuen, Torgard, Denmark
2018 Hun som rodde mot regnbuen, Orkana, Norway
2014 Skrímslakiskan (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Chinese, Arabic)
2013 Veiða vind. Translated into Icelandic by Thórarinn Eldjárn (Forlagið)
2012 Klandursskrímsl (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian (nynorsk), French, Chinese)
2010 Skrímslahæddir (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Chinese, Arabic)
2009 Dei kallar meg berre Hugo. Translated into Norwegian by Lars Moa (Kapabel)
2009 Skrímslavitjan (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, French, Chinese, Arabic)
2008 Skrímslasótt (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian (nynorsk), French, Chinese, Arabic)
2007 Myrkaskrímsl (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian (nynorsk), French, Chinese, Arabic)
2006 Stór skrímsl gráta ikki (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian (bokmål & nynorsk), French, Chinese, Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque, Lithuanian, Arabic, Czech, and soon in Latvian)
2004 Nei! segði lítla skrímsl (in Faroese, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian (bokmål & nynorsk), French, Chinese, Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque, Lithuanian, Arabic, Czech, Latvian, Estonian)

Awards and nominations: 

  • Nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2024 for Toran gongur

  • Winner of the West Nordic Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2016

  • Nominated for ALMA (Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award) 2013 & 2014

  • Entered the IBBY Honour List 2016

  • Nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2019 for Miljuløtur and for Loftar tú mær? in 2020

  • Tórshavn City Council Children’s Cultural Award 1996

  • Barnabókaverðlaun Menntaráðs Reykjavíkur 2007

  • Skrímslahæddir nominated for Fjörðuverðlaun in Iceland 2011

  • Nominated for the West Nordic Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2010, 2016 & 2020