The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1982, Page 29

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
27
creativity in Iceland by making it almost
impossible for Icelandic authors to dedicate
themselves entirely to their art without
having to do other work. He is probably
right, for there are very few Icelandic
authors who can eke out a living by their
literary efforts alone. Although most
people concede the justice of Johannes
Helgi’s contentions, many are quick to
point out that as a nation Icelanders are so
articulate that almost anybody writes with
precision and even with a certain degree of
style. One must be very good indeed to
stand out sufficiently to deserve an award
or a stipend from the State.
The first effort by Johannes in the field
of biography — at least the first that saw
publication — was Hus malaranns (The
house of the painter), Setberg, 1961, bear-
ing the subtitle Endurminningar Jons Engil-
berts (Reminiscences of Jon Engilbert). As
most Western Icelanders know, Jon
Engilbert (1908-1972) was one of Iceland’s
most talented and best loved painters. He
was a well known figure not only in Ice-
land, but also in other countries such as
Norway where he spent several years as a
rising young artist and student.
The next biographical study Johannes
called Hin hvitu segl (The white sails),
published by Setberg in 1962. This bears
the subtitle Heimildarskaldsaga which
might well be translated as “an authorita-
tive novel,” and is a most interesting
combination of a novel and a biography as
the title and the subtitle suggest of Andreas
Petursson from Keflavik, who for half a
century or more lived on and from the sea
from the days of high-masted sailing ships
to modem steel trawlers, and who lived
through the transition of fishermen going
out to fish in whaling boats with oars and
primitive equipment to the modem diesel-
driven laboratory vessels that characterize
the Icelandic fishing fleets of today.
In his next biographical study, Sigfus
Halldorsson opnar hug sinn (Sigfus Hall-
dorsson opens his mind), Johannes Helgi
allows his readers to get intimate glimpses
into the life and character of Sigfus Hall-
dorsson, one of the most popular and gifted
composers of modem Iceland, and one well
known to most readers of The Icelandic
Canadian, for Sigfus Halldorsson came to
Canada only a year or so ago, touring and
entertaining the Icelandic communities.
Professor Loftur Bjarnason conferring with
Agnar Kofoed-Hansen regarding a point in the
translation of A Brattann, early in 1981.
His most recent book, A Brattann (Aim-
ing for the sky) Almennabokfelagid,
1979), is a biography to be sure, but it is
much more than that. It is also a history of
the development of civil aviation in Ice-
DR. G. KRISTJANSSDN
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON
PHONE 633-7281
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