
History: A Mess
Sigrun Palsdottir(Author)
Peirene Press Ltd
Published on 6. February 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-1-908670-75-5 (ISBN)
Description
A young PhD student believes she has uncovered the first professional female artist in Britain. It's a discovery that could transform her career and reputation. However, in her haste to break new ground, she has made a simple mistake which
threatens everything -and she won't acknowledge her error until it's far too late. As she goes to ever greater lengths to protect
her work from the truth, she begins to lose her grip on her thesis, her life and ultimately her sanity. History. A Mess. is a remarkable exploration of intellectual integrity and denial, and a gripping portrait of academic ambition.
threatens everything -and she won't acknowledge her error until it's far too late. As she goes to ever greater lengths to protect
her work from the truth, she begins to lose her grip on her thesis, her life and ultimately her sanity. History. A Mess. is a remarkable exploration of intellectual integrity and denial, and a gripping portrait of academic ambition.
Reviews / Votes
"Its ambition is met with resounding success every step of the way." WILLOW HEATH, BOOKS AND BAO -- "Palsdottir writes with the hand of a mystery author and the mind of a postmodernist, teasing out her protagonist's problem while playing with literary forms, fragmenting timelines, and injecting fierce irony." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -- "Absolutely brilliant from beginning to end." ICELANDIC NATIONAL TELEVISIONMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 122 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
218 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-908670-75-5 (9781908670755)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
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Persons
Sigrun Palsdottir is a writer and historian. Born in Reykjavik in 1967, she completed a PhD on the history of ideas at the University of Oxford in 2001, after which she was a research fellow and lecturer at the University of Iceland. She first came to prominence as a writer of historical biographies: the acclaimed THora biskups (2007, e. Thora: A Bishop's Daughter) and Ferdasaga (e. Uncertain Seas) in 2010. Her first novel, Kompa (e. History: A Mess), was released in 2016 and her second, Delluferdin (e. Embroidery) in late 2019. History: A Mess was nominated for the Icelandic Women's Literature Prize in 2016. Sigrun received The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) 2021 for Delluferdin (e. Embroidery).
Lytton Smith is a poet, professor, and translator from the Icelandic. His most recent translations include works by Kristin Omarsdottir, Jon Gnarr, Ofeigur Sigurdsson, Bragi Olafsson, and Gudbergur Bergsson. His most recent poetry collection, The All-Purpose Magical Tent, was published by Nightboat. Having earned his MFA and PhD from Columbia University, he currently teaches at SUNY Geneseo.
Lytton Smith is a poet, professor, and translator from the Icelandic. His most recent translations include works by Kristin Omarsdottir, Jon Gnarr, Ofeigur Sigurdsson, Bragi Olafsson, and Gudbergur Bergsson. His most recent poetry collection, The All-Purpose Magical Tent, was published by Nightboat. Having earned his MFA and PhD from Columbia University, he currently teaches at SUNY Geneseo.