Matthías Johannessen was the main editor of the Icelandic daily

Morgunblaðið

and a prolific poet, nominated three times for the Nordic literature prize. He was born in Reykjavík in 1930 and finished his master’s degree in Icelandic studies and literature at The University of Iceland in 1955; his master’s thesis was on the

Njáls saga

and the influences this long and famous saga has had on Icelandic literature throughout the ages. He then went to Copenhagen for further studies in literature and drama. Matthías was subsequently offered a scholarship to go to Germany and study there, but decided instead to go back to Iceland in 1956 to accept an offer to become a journalist for the daily newspaper

Morgunblaðið

, which he had been working for since his school days in Reykjavík. In…

1605 words

Citation: Pálsson, Oddur. "Matthías Johannessen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 October 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15202, accessed 31 October 2024.]

15202 Matthías Johannessen 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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