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WORK TITLE: Walpurgis Tide
WORK NOTES: trans by John Keithsson
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 8/25/1950
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: Faroese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3gvan_Isaksen * http://eurolitnetwork.com/rivetingreviews-max-easterman-reviews-walpurgis-tide-by-jogvan-isaksen/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born August 25, 1950, in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; son of Magnhild and Reimar Isaksen.
EDUCATION:Aarhus University, M.A., 1982.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, educator, and publisher. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, associate professor of Faroese language and literature, 1986–; Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, president.
AWARDS:Faroese Literature Prize, 1994; Heiðursgáva Landsins prize, Faroese government, 2006; Bókmentavirðisløn M.A. Jacobsens, Faroese government, 2011.
WRITINGS
Editor, Nordisk litteratur, 2000–.
SIDELIGHTS
Jógvan Isaksen is a writer, educator, and publisher from the Faroe Islands, an autonomous, self-governing group of islands in the Kingdom of Denmark. Isaksen earned a master’s degree from Aarhus University in Denmark. Afterward, he joined the University of Copenhagen, where he has worked as an associate professor since 1986. Isaksen also heads the Faroese publishing company Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins, which was founded in 1910. Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins is the publisher of many of Isaksen’s books. In addition to writing, teaching, and publishing, Isaksen is the editor of the Danish literary magazine Nordisk litteratur.
Walpurgis Tide is the first of Isaksen’s books to be translated into English. Originally published as Krossmessa in 2005, it was released in English in 2016. The volume’s protagonist is Hannis Martinsson, who has recently left his position as a detective on the Danish mainland. He has moved back to his hometown on the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn. Martinsson hopes his life there were be more peaceful and will involve contributing articles to international publications and consulting. However, as he is moving in, Mark Robbins, a British man, asks Martinsson to work as a detective again. Robbins wants Martinsson to find out who was responsible for the murders of Jenny McEwan and Stewart Peters. McEwan and Peters were associates at Robbins’s organization, the Guardians of the Sea. They were sent to the Faroe Islands to report on a whale hunt taking place there. Though Martinsson initially resists taking on the case, Robbins convinces him with a handsome salary and the warning that McEwan’s and Peters’s deaths could cause trouble for Denmark if they are not solved.
Reviewing the book in Publishers Weekly, a contributor commented: “Isaksen explores the ancient Faroese occupation of whale hunting while spinning a thoroughly engrossing story.” Max Easterman, critic on the European Literature Network Web site, described the volume as a “fascinating and highly readable thriller.” Easterman added: “The dénouement may seem a trifle contrived, but along the way, we get absorbing detail of Faroese life and customs, compelling arguments for and against the grindadráp, flashes of satirical humour.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, August 15, 2016, review of Walpurgis Tide, p. 54.
ONLINE
European Literature Network, http://eurolitnetwork.com/ (June 15, 2016), Max Easterman, review of Walpurgis Tide.
Jógvan Isaksen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jógvan Isaksen
Jógvan Isaksen (born 25 August 1950 in Tórshavn) is a Faroese writer and literary historian. He is best known for his crime novels and for his book about Faroese literature Færøsk Litteratur (1993, in Danish). He is leader of the Faroese publication house Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins which has its address in the Faroe Islands, though its committee is located in Copenhagen. It publishes Faroese books and is the oldest Faroese publishing house, having been founded in 1910.[1]
Contents
1 Biography
2 Bibliography
2.1 Crime fiction
2.2 Children's books
2.3 Other works
3 Recognition
4 References
5 External links
Biography
Jógvan Isaksen is the son of Magnhild Isaksen née Olsen and Reimar Isaksen, who both come from the village of Gøta. After finishing high school in 1970 he moved to Denmark in order to study Nordic Philology at Aarhus University. He finished his MA in Scandinavian Literature Science in 1982. Since 1986 he has been associate Professor in Faroese language and Faroese literature at the University of Copenhagen.[2] Since 2000 he has been the main editor of the magazine Nordisk litteratur (Nordic Literature), put out by the Nordic Council.[3]
Since 1978 Isaksen has also worked as a writer. His crime novels are popular in the Faroe Islands and are often best sellers just before Christmas. Some of them have been translated into other languages. Isaksen has also written some children's books and books about Faroese writers and literature.[4] For his work about the Faroese writer Hanus Kamban (whose name at that time was Hanus Andreassen) and for his work for Faroese Literature, Isaksen received the Faroese Literature Prize in 1994. In 2006 he received one of the prizes of the Faroese Government, called Heiðursgáva landsins.[5]
The crime novel Blíð er summarnátt á Føroyalandi was Isaksen's first in that genre, and one of the first written in Faroese where the events take place in the Faroe Islands. It has been translated into Danish,[6] Icelandic and German.[7]
Bibliography
Crime fiction
1990 – Blíð er summarnátt á Føroyalandi.
1991 – Danish: Blid er den færøske sommernat, ISBN 87-7456-426-9
2011 – Danish: Blid er den færøske sommernat, 2. edition, paperback. ISBN 978-87-92286-30-7
1995 – German: Mild ist die färöische Sommernacht, Pettersson, Münster 1995 (1994) (= Morden im Norden 1) ISBN 3-930704-00-5
2006 – German: Neuausgabe: Endstation Färöer, Grafit ISBN 3-89425-549-8
1994 – Gráur oktober. Crime fiction novel.
1995 – Danish: Grå oktober, ISBN 87-7456-478-1
2011 – Danish: Grå oktober, 2. udgave, paperback. ISBN 978-87-92286-31-4
2007 – German: Option Färöer. Grafit
1996 – Á ólavsøku. Ein summarkrimi í 9 pørtum (A summer crime novel in 9 parts.)
2005 – Krossmessa, krimi, ISBN 99918-43-62-0[8]
2009 – Danish: Korsmesse, Torgard, ISBN 978-87-92286-14-7[9]
2011 – Danish: Korsmesse, 2. udgave, paperback. ISBN 978-87-92286-39-0
2016 – English: Walpurgis Tide, Norvik Press. ISBN 978-1-909408-24-1
2006 – Adventus Domini
2008 – Metusalem
2011 – Danish: Metusalem, translated by Povl Skårup, published by Torgard, 259 pages,[10] ISBN 978-87-92286-29-1
2009 – Norðlýsi
2010 – Norska Løva, (Crime fiction, about the detective Hannis Martinsson. Norska Løva or Norske Løve refers to a Danish ship, which sank in Lambavík in the Faroe Islands on December 31, 1707. Around 100 men survived and 14 lost their lives.)
2011 – Deydningar dansa á Sandi, (Crime fiction, about the detective Hannis Martinsson)[11]
2012 – Tann fimti maðurin, (Crime fiction, about the detective William Hammer)[12]
2013 – Prædikarin. (Crime fiction, about the detective William Hammer), Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins[13]
2014 – Vølundarhús. (Crime Fiction about the detective Hannis Martinsson). Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins. ISBN 978-99918-75-24-8
2015 – Hitt blinda liðið. Krimi (Crime Fiction about the detective William Hammer). Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins. ISBN 978-99918-75-38-5
Children's books
1991 – Brennivargurin, detective novel for children
1998 – Brandstifteren, Forlaget Vindrose, ISBN 87-7456-564-8
1996 – Teir horvnu kirkjubøstólarnir. Children's book[14]
1999 – Barbara og tann horvna bamsan, children's book
Other works
1983 – Føroyski Mentunarpallurin. Greinir og ummæli
1986 – Ongin rósa er rósa allan dagin. Um skaldskapin hjá Róa Paturssyni[15]
1988 – Ingen rose er rose hele dagen. Rói Paturssons digtning. (Translated to Danish)
1987 – Amariel Norðoy. Tekstur (Text): Jógvan Isaksen. Yrkingar (Poems): Rói Patursson. Together with Anfinnur Johansen, Dorthe Juul Myhre, Troels Mark Pedersen and Rógvi Thomsen
1988 – Í gráum eru allir litir. Bókmentagreinir
1988 – At taka dagar ímillum. Um at ummæla og eitt úrval av ummælum
1988 – Ein skúladagur í K. Føroyskar skemtisøgur. Í úrvali og við inngangi eftir Jógvan Isaksen (Faroese short stories, introduction by Jógvan Isaksen)
1989 – Ingálvur av Reyni. Text: Gunnar Hoydal. Together with Dorthe Juul Myhre, Amariel Norðoy and Rógvi Thomsen
Færøsk litteratur. Introduktion og punktnedslag. Det arnamagnæanske institut, 1992.
1992 – Ingi Joensen: Reflektión. Fotobók (Photo book). Together with Dorthe Juul Myhre and Amariel Norðoy
1993 – Í hornatøkum við Prokrustes. Hanus Andreassen's short stories
1993 – Færøsk Litteratur. Forlaget Vindrose, ISBN 87-7456-478-1. (About Faroese Literature)
1995 – Treð dans fyri steini. Bókmentagreinir, 1995.
1995 – Zacharias Heinesen. Tekstur: Jógvan Isaksen. Together with Amariel Norðoy, Dorthe Juul Myhre, Helga Fossádal and Jon Hestoy
1996 – Var Kafka klaksvíkingur? 26 ummælir
1997 – Tekstur til Amariel Norðoy. Norðurlandahúsið í Føroyum
1997 – Omkring Barbara. Greinasavn. Together with Jørgen Fisker, Nils Malmros and John Mogensen, 1997.
1997 – Homo Viator. Um skaldskapin hjá Gunnari Hoydal (About the literature work by Gunnar Hoydal)
1998 – William Heinesen: Ekskursion i underverdenen. I udvalg og med efterskrift af Jógvan Isaksen
1998 – Á verðin, verðin! Skaldsøgan "Barbara" eftir Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen (About Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen novel Barbara.
1999 – Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen: Den yderste kyst – og andre essays. I udvalg og med efterskrift af Jógvan Isaksen
2000 – Ingálvur av Reyni. Víðkað og broytt útgáva (Udvidet udgave). Together with Amariel Norðoy, Dorthe Juul Myhre and Gunnar Hoydal
2001 – Livets geniale relief – omkring Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsens roman Barbara, (Around Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen's novel Barbara), ISBN 87-91078-04-0
2002 – Deyðin er drívmegin. Bókimentagreinir (Articles about literature). Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.
2004 – Mellem middelalder og modernitet – Omkring William, Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins. (About the authorship of William Heinesen)
2006 – Loystur úr fjøtrum – Um skaldskapin hjá Heðini Brú, Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins. (About the authorship of Heðin Brú)[16][17]
2008 – Dulsmál og loynigongir. Ummælir (Reviews). Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins
2010 – Sóttrøll. Um søgur og skaldsøgur eftir Jens Paula Heinesen, Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins. (About short stories and novels by Jens Pauli Heinesen).[18]
2014 - At myrða við skrivaraborðið. 141 pages.[19] Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins.[20]
Recognition
1994 Faroese Literature Prize (Bókmentavirðisløn M.A. Jacobsens) for non-fiction
2006 Faroese Cultural Prize (Heiðursgáva landsins, DKK 75.000).[21]
2011 Faroese Literature Prize (Bókmentavirðisløn M.A.Jacobsens) for his work at the Faroese publication house Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins by publishing Faroese books.[22]
QUOTED: "Isaksen explores the ancient Faroese occupation of whale hunting while spinning a thoroughly engrossing story."
Walpurgis Tide
263.33 (Aug. 15, 2016): p54.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Walpurgis Tide
Jogvan Isaksen, trans. from the Faroese by John Keithsson. Norvik (Dufour, dist.), $33 trade paper (282p) ISBN 978-1-909408-24-1
Faroese author Isaksen makes his English-language debut with this relentlessly suspenseful mystery featuring Det. Hannis Martinsson. Hannis has given up his detective career and returned to his native town of Torshavn on the Faroe Islands, a Danish territory, where he plans to make a living by writing for foreign newspapers and magazines and doing some consulting. In the midst of unpacking, an unpleasant British man, Mark Robbins, appears at his office and offers Hannis a hefty sum to investigate a double murder. Jenny McEwan and Stewart Peters, two environmental activists in their 20s whom Mark sent to observe the Faroe whale hunt and report back to his organization, the Guardians of the Sea, were found dead on the beach with their throats slit amid the slaughtered whales. Mark gives Hannis no choice, threatening that if the killers aren't found, there will be severe repercussions for Denmark. Isaksen explores the ancient Faroese occupation of whale hunting while spinning a thoroughly engrossing story. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Walpurgis Tide." Publishers Weekly, 15 Aug. 2016, p. 54. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA461444538&it=r&asid=1b4756331ba99a5df2ceb92ecb29c5d7. Accessed 8 May 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A461444538
QUOTED: "fascinating and highly readable thriller."
"The dénouement may seem a trifle contrived, but along the way, we get absorbing detail of Faroese life and customs, compelling arguments for and against the grindadráp, flashes of satirical humour."
#RivetingReviews: Max Easterman reviews WALPURGIS TIDE by Jógvan Isaksen
Jun 15, 2016 • No comments
What do I know about the Faroes? A lot more after reading Walpurgis Tide! What did I know? That they’re Danish, that’s to say, part of Denmark; they’re in the North Atlantic, romantic, traditional, closed and remote; the name means ‘sheep islands’. So far, so not so good. They’re actually autonomous and self-governing (within the Kingdom of Denmark); remote and romantic they may be, but they are as ‘modern’ as any other part of Europe (though people can still smoke in bars and cafés); they have their own language, not a Danish ‘dialect’ but a language much closer to Icelandic than any of the mainland descendants of Old Norse; they love Denmark about as much as Brexiters love Europe; and they have the grindadráp, an annual whale-hunt, which they hold to be so much a Faroese tradition as to be part of their national identity.
Now this all may seem to you an unnecessary screed, even over-didactic and pedantic. But it is the core of this fascinating and highly readable thriller, in which the grindadráp takes centre stage. The story goes like this: Some British environmentalists are in the capital city Tórshavn, gathering information about the whale-hunt, in the hope of getting it banned. Then two of them are found with their throats cut amongst the carcases of the whales. And a third threatens to ‘shut down’ the country if the killer isn’t found. The threat is made to Hannes Martinsson, a journalist, who’s recently returned to the Faroes after years abroad. Martinsson is a kind of Philip Marlowe figure – “Her dress was so low-cut that I didn’t dare say what I was actually thinking…” – a world-weary cynic, who reflects on his career as he sits in one of Tórshavn’s many beer clubs:
“Of course, I could have chosen a different life, with a wife… I sipped the gin. I couldn’t have sat like this if was married. Or at least my wife would have to be away on a course or something… But if I had got married when I was young, you could guarantee that I would have been divorced by now, so I’d be sitting in the beer clubs anyway.”
He has very little idea what he’s going to do for a living now he’s back, but one thing he truly doesn’t want to do is be sucked into this international dispute, not least because he thinks the whale-hunts will have to end sooner rather than later, as the whales are so polluted with heavy metals that their meat and blubber are toxic. But then, he’s Faeroese and he can hardly stand by and watch the islands’ money-spinning fishing industry decimated by an international boycott…
He soon discovers that there are some very violent passions in play: he is assaulted because he’s a “Dane-lover”; his decision to take the money and investigate the murders results in his office being broken into and his office window is shot out. The local police regard him as a trouble-maker and he realises he really is on his own against some very nasty forces indeed as he’s hunted through the tunnels of an abandoned coal-mine by a gunman. The dénouement may seem a trifle contrived, but along the way, we get absorbing detail of Faroese life and customs, compelling arguments for and against the grindadráp, flashes of satirical humour…
“Most of all I wanted to blow [the half-naked] bastard to smithereens… ‘Put your underwear on, but slowly.’ With the gun, I pointed to a pair of black boxers… Alan cautiously stretched his right arm across the floor. [He] asked: ‘Was that slow enough or do you want me to take my time?’ ”
…and Martinsson’s discovery that, although he hasn’t a wife, he does have a daughter:
“I had to admit that Leonard Cohen was onto something when he said that you don’t know what it is to be scared until you’re a father.”
This book is an eye-opener, and I loved it.
By Max Easterman
Walpurgis Tide
By Jógvan Isaksen
Translated by John Keithsson
Published by Norvik Press (2016)