The Faroese Literature Prize, also known as the Mentanarvirðisløn M. A. Jacobsens (M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Award), is a prize for Faroese literature that was begun by the Tórshavnar kommuna (Tórshavn City Council) in 1958. Its winners include Heðin Brú, Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen, Jóanes Nielsen and Kristian Blak. The prize is always awarded at a ceremony in Tórshavn on 17 September or a day close to 17 September, which is the birthday of Mads Andreas Jacobsen. M. A. Jacobsen was a Faroese politician and librarian who headed the National Library of the Faroe Islands, then called Færø Amts Bibliotek in Danish but later renamed Landsbókasavnið, in Faroese. M. A. Jacobsen was the mayor of Tórshavn and a member of the Løgting (the Faroese parliament). The M. A. Jacobsen Prize was at first only for writers, but was later expanded to three categories: one award for Faroese fiction, one for Faroese nonfiction and one for other cultural achievements. In 2012 the prize was worth 35,000 Danish kroner.
Another Faroese cultural prize, called Mentanarvirðisløn Landsins (Faroese Cultural Prize), is currently worth 150,000 DKK. In addition the Heiðursgáva landsins (The Faroese Cultural Department's Award of Honour) as of 2012 [update] is worth 75,000 DKK. [1]
| 1968 | Robert Joensen |
| 1967 | Johanna Maria Skylv-Hansen |
| 1966 | Hans Dalsgaard and Jógvan Símun Hansen |
| 1965 | Christian Matras and Páll J. Nolsøe |
| 1964 | Heðin Brú |
| 1963 | Poul F. Joensen |
| 1962 | Martin Joensen |
| 1961 | Karsten Hoydal |
| 1960 | Valdemar Poulsen |
| 1959 | R. K. Rasmussen and Jens Pauli Heinesen |
| 1958 | Jóan Christian Poulsen and T.N. Djurhuus |
The Faroe Islands is served by an internal transport system based on roads, ferries, and helicopters. As of the 1970s, the majority of the population centres of the Faroe Islands have been joined to a single road network, connected by bridges and tunnels.
Kristian Blak is a Danish composer, musician, and record executive based in the Faroe Islands.
Katrin Ottarsdóttir is a Faroese movie director and author.
Jóanes Nielsen is a Faroese author and poet of the 1980s generation.
Skálavík is a village and municipality on the eastern coast of the Faroese island Sandoy.
Steinbjørn Berghamar Jacobsen was a Faroese poet, teacher and writer. He was known as a children's writer, but his works also included short stories, plays and novels. He was awarded the Faroese Literature Prize for fiction in 1981.
Hanus Kamban is a Faroese short story writer, essayist, biographer and poet. He was born Hanus Andreassen, but changed his last name to Kamban in 2000.
Mentanarvirðisløn Landsins has been awarded by the Faroese government to Faroese writers, musicians, artists etc. since 1998. In 2004 no award was given. From 1998 to 2000 only one award was given, but in 2001 they established an additional award, half as big as the original.
Barnamentanarheiðursløn Tórshavnar býráðs is a Faroese cultural prize, which is given by the City Council of Tórshavn to a Faroese writer, artist, musician, orchestra etc. who the board wish to award for their artistic work with children. The prize was earlier called Barnabókaheiðursløn Tórshavnar býráðs, but in 2010 the rules were changed and the title of the award was changed; the word bók (book) was changed to mentan (culture) in order not to exclude people who are not writers, but still have done a great cultural work for Faroese children.
Jógvan Isaksen is a Faroese writer and literary historian. He is best known for his crime novels and for his book about Faroese literature Færøsk Litteratur. 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.
Jens Pauli Heinesen was a Faroese writer. He received the Faroese Literature Prize four times and the Faroese Cultural Prize once. From 1968 to 1975, Heinesen was president of the Association of Writers of the Faroe Islands. He wrote novels, short stories, poems, plays, a children's book, and translated books from foreign languages into Faroese.
Ebba Hentze was a Faroese writer of children's books and a poet and translator.
Annfinnur í Skála is a Faroese writer. He holds an MA in history and English and has taught at the Faroese upper secondary school since 1975.
Sissal Kampmann is a Faroese poet. She grew up in Vestmanna in the Faroe Islands. After finishing the Faroese University-preparatory school in Tórshavn, she moved to Denmark to study Nordic literature at the University of Copenhagen.
Carl Jóhan Jensen is a Faroese writer, poet and literary critic. His books have five times been nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize in 1991, 1998, 2007, 2008 and 2016. In 1989 and 2006 he received the M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Prize from Tórshavn City Council
Sandoyartunnilin is an undersea road tunnel in the Faroe Islands. It connects the main island of Streymoy with Sandoy to the south. The length of the tunnel is 10.8 kilometres (6.7 mi) and the estimated cost is 860 million DKK. The tunnel opened for traffic on 21 December 2023, after which the ferry Teistin ceased its route between Gamlarætt on Streymoy and Skopun on Sandoy. The tunnel crosses the Skopunarfjørður and runs from Gamlarætt to Traðardalur in central Sandoy, near the Inni í Dal stadium.
Sakaris Stórá is a Faroese film director and screenwriter. In December 2012 he won the first public Faroese film award, Geytin.
Heðin á Lakjuni is a former Faroese international footballer, who played as a full-back and a winger for four Faroese clubs in the top tier. Lakjuni started his career with KÍ Klaksvík and had spells with B36 Tórshavn, HB Tórshavn, and NSÍ Runavík. He has won the Faroe Islands Premier League 3 times, and the Faroe Islands Cup 4 times. Since April 2015 he holds the record for most league appearances with 417 matches in the Faroe Islands Premier League. He scored 100 goals in the Faroe Islands Premier League. Lakjuni has celebrated domestic doubles with three different teams.
Dorete Bloch, married name Dorete Bloch Danielsen, was a Danish zoologist, former director of Náttúrugripasavnið, editor of Fróðskaparrit and author of numerous books on the animals and plants of the Faroe Islands. Bloch was born in Rungsted but moved to the Faroe Islands in 1974, where she remained for the rest of her life. She published studies on pilot whales, gaining a D.Phil in their study in 1991, covering aspects such as their migration patterns, diving behaviour and their importance on Faroese society.
The Suðuroyartunnilin is a proposed submerged fixed-link in the Faroe Islands, linking the island of Suðuroy to Sandoy. As of 2023, all vehicles and cargo, and virtually all passenger traffic must use the ferry service.