Arnaldur Indriðason (pronounced ; in English, written as Indridason; born 28 January 1961Arnaldur Indriðason Jolabokaflod) is an Icelandic writer of crime fiction; his most popular series features the protagonist Detective Erlendur.
Early life Arnaldur was born in Reykjavík on 28 January 1961, the son of writer Indriði G. Þorsteinsson. He graduated with a degree in history from the University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands) in 1996. He worked as a journalist for the newspaper Morgunblaðið from 1981 to 1982, and later as a freelance writer. From 1986 to 2001, he was a film critic for Morgunblaðið.
Publications His first book, Sons of Earth (Synir duftsins) came out in 1997, the first in the series with Detective Erlendur. The first two novels in the series have not yet been translated into English. , the series included 14 novels. Arnaldur is considered one of the most popular writers in Iceland in recent years — frequently topping bestseller lists. In 2005, his books were 7 of the 10 most popular titles borrowed in Icelandic libraries. In 2006, his Erlendur novel Mýrin was made into a film, known internationally as Jar City, by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur.
Arnaldur's novels have sold over 20 million copies worldwide, in more than 40 languages, including Arabic, Russian, Polish, German, Greek, Danish, Catalan, English, Portuguese, Italian, Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Finnish, Macedonian, Spanish, Hungarian, Chinese, Croatian, Romanian, Bulgarian, French, Serbian, Slovenian and Turkish.
The 2023 film Operation Napoleon is based on Indriðason's novel of the same name.
Awards Arnaldur received the Glass Key award, a literature prize for the best Nordic crime novel, in 2002 and 2003. He won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award in 2005 for his novel Silence of the Grave. He won the world's most lucrative crime fiction award, the RBA Prize for Crime Writing worth €125,000, in 2013 for Shadow Alley (Skuggasund).Incorrectly translated as Shadow Channel by Catalan News Agency in reference.
Bibliography
Detective Erlendur series Synir duftsins (Sons of The Dust), 1997Not yet translated into English Dauðarósir (Silent Kill), 1998 Mýrin (Jar City), 2000. Trans. 2004 Grafarþögn (Silence of the Grave), 2001. Trans. 2006 Röddin (Voices), 2003. Trans. 2007 Kleifarvatn (The Draining Lake), 2004. Trans. 2008 Vetrarborgin (Arctic Chill), 2005. Trans. 2009 Harðskafi (Hypothermia), 2007. Trans. 2010 Myrká (Outrage), 2008. Trans. 2012 Svörtuloft (Black Skies), 2009. Trans. 2013 Furðustrandir (Strange Shores), 2010. Trans. 2014
Young Erlendur Einvígið (The Duel), 2011 Reykjavíkurnætur (Reykjavik Nights), 2012. Trans. 2015 Kamp Knox (Oblivion), 2014. Published in the U.S. as Into Oblivion, 2016
Reykjavik Wartime Mystery series (Flovent and Thorson)
Skuggasund (The Shadow District), 2013. Trans. 2017 Þýska húsið (The Shadow Killer), 2015. Trans. 2018 Petsamo, 2016.
Konráð series
Myrkrið veit (The Darkness Knows), 2017. Trans. 2021 Stúlkan hjá brúnni (The Girl by the Bridge), 2018. Trans. 2023 Tregasteinn (The Quiet Mother), 2019 Þagnarmúr (Wall of Silence), 2020 Kyrrþey (Peace), 2022 Sæluríkið (The Kingdom of Bliss), 2023 Tál (Seduction), 2025.
Other novels Napóleonsskjölin (Operation Napoleon), 1999. Trans. 2011 Bettý, 2003 Konungsbók, 2006 Sigurverkið, 2021 Ferðalok (Journey's End), 2024
Other writings Leyndardómar Reykjavíkur 2000 (one chapter; 2000) Reykjavík-Rotterdam (screenplay co-writer, 2008)
See also
List of Icelandic writers Icelandic literature
References
Notes