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A Celebration of Guttormur J. Guttormsson's Ten Plays-Tíu leikrit

Friday Mar 27 2015 7:00 pm, Winnipeg, Grant Park in the Atrium
NOTE: This event has already taken place. Please visit this page to see our upcoming events.

Celebratory launch of Ten Plays-Tíu leikrit (Kind Publishing).

Guttormur J. Guttormsson (1878-1966) was born at Víðivellir, a farm near Riverton in New Iceland, Manitoba. Despite the fact that he was born and lived his entire life in Canada, he wrote only in Icelandic. His collection of ten plays, Tíu leikrit, was originally published in 1930. This is the first reprinting of the original publication, and the first publication of an English translation.

Perhaps this is the right time to introduce to the English speaking world a playwright who taught himself to navigate the deep and murky waters of modernity, and whose plays are reminiscent of the works by some of the world’s better known modern playwrights.

We’ll be joined by a number of contributors and enthusiasts to celebrate Guttormosson’s life and legacy this evening:

Birna Bjarnadóttir holds the position of the Chair of Icelandic at the University of Manitoba and is Kind Publishing’s Editor-in-Chief.

Peter John Buchan is the Icelandic Language Instructor at the University of Manitoba and a musician. He will be accompanied by a piano player this evening and sing at the close of the event.

Christopher Crocker holds an MA degree in Icelandic language and literature from the University of Manitoba (2011) and is currently pursuing a PhD in medieval Icelandic literature at the University of Iceland. He was born in Newfoundland.

Hjálmar Hannesson currently serves as Icelandic Consul General for Manitoba.

Guy Maddin is a Winnipeg-born award-winning screen-writer, director, author, installation artist, cinematographer and film editor. His most recent film is The Forbidden Room.

Elin Thordarson, a native of Winnipeg, is a graduate of the Department of Icelandic Language & Literature’s Master Program at the University of Manitoba.

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