In pictures: The winners of M. A. Jacobsen’s Prizes from Tórshavn City Council
On Wednesday 22 October 2025, Tórshavn City Council awarded the annual M. A. Jacobsen’s Prizes for major contributions to Faroese literature and culture in recent years. The four prizes are one of the most prestigious literary and cultural awards in the Faroe Islands, and some recipients include Vónbjørt Vang, Bárður Oskarsson, Lív Maria Róadóttir Jæger, Kim Simonsen, Rakel Helmsdal and many more, who are known to both Faroese readers and international readers of translated Faroese literature.
The three original books that were recognised at yesterday’s event are all featured in FarLit’s Books from the Faroe Islands 2025 catalogue and were showcased at the Frankfurt Book Fair last week.
From left to right: Elsa Berg, Mayor of Tórshavn Municipality, Hans Tórgarð, actor, director and translator, Kinna Poulsen, writer and art critic, Elin á Rógvi, writer, Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs, writer, and Heidi Lava Elgeirsdóttir, Chair of the Tórshavn City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs.
Children's Cultural Prize of Tórshavn City Council
Elin á Rógvi for Fornt
The City Council decided to award Elin á Rógvi the Children’s Cultural Prize for her 2024 children’s novel Fornt, which explores themes of gaming and video game addiction, virtual reality and Faroese folklore and legends in an action-filled story following 11-year old Eiri and his friend Sólja. The novel, illustrated by Silja Eystberg, was also notably nominated for the 2025 Nordic Council Children and Young People's Literature Prize.
The jury statement reads:
The overuse of screens, a nightmare for parents, is described accurately. The author manages to place the reader into the minds of children and young people, while also providing parents with an insight into this unknown world.
and:
Fornt is well written, and Elin has created a thrilling story in a modern language, which captivates the reader – to the very last punctuation mark.
M. A. Jacobsen's Non-fiction Literature Prize of Tórshavn City Council
Kinna Poulsen for Í eygnahædd – Um samtíðarlist í Føroyum í 21. øld
This year, the Non-fiction Literature Prize went to writer, teacher and art critic Kinna Poulsen for her book Í eygnahædd. It covers contemporary art in the Faroe Islands, focusing mainly on artworks exhibited from 2020 onwards. An English translation by Marita Thomsen is set to be published in 2026.
The jury agreed that:
Í eygnahædd is a neat work featuring quality photographs and an appropriate layout and colour scheme, creating a consistent style from start to finish. Kinna gives us a thorough and sincere insight into art in the Faroe Islands in our day and age.
M. A. Jacobsen's Literature Prize of Tórshavn City Council
Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs for Marta, Marta
On the night, it was declared that Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs was this year’s recipient of the Literature Prize for her 2024 novel Marta, Marta. It follows the titular character’s recount of her time at a kibbutz as a young woman that helped shape her character, world-view and critical thinking into the present day that is gripped by the crisis in the Middle East.
The book encourages us to think critically about what is most important to us and to make a decision, while still being open to other points of view and stories,
the jury stated while reading its rationale for awarding Kjelnæs the Literature Prize.
Marta, Marta was published in Icelandic last month.
M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Prize of Tórshavn City Council
Hans Tórgarð for contributions to drama and translation
Actor, director and translator Hans Tórgarð received the 2025 M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Prize of Tórshavn City Council for his contributions to dramatic arts and translation. His 2019 translation of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the play of which ran at the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands the same year to full audiences, was highlighted as a milestone in recent Faroese cultural history.
