“In the Cold Dew, the Primrose. A Criminal Story” (2001) is the second book of the trilogy “CoDex 1962” by modern Icelandic writer Sjón, known to Russian readers for his novel “Skugga-Baldur”, which made it to the longlist of the “Yasnaya Polyana” award (2023), and the first book of the trilogy — “My Embryo Have Your Eyes Seen. A Love Story.”
The action of the second book takes place in Reykjavik, where in 1944, Jewish refugee Leo Löwe arrives from the German town of Kükenstadt. He settles into the new country, gets to know the Icelanders and their incredible ideas about their own origins. During the adaptation process, Leo has to overcome many obstacles and find the most unexpected friends and allies. But he cannot seem to bring to life the clay infant that he has kept in a hatbox for many years…
Sjón (b. 1962) is an Icelandic poet, prose writer, playwright, screenwriter, and translator. He is the author of ten novels and thirteen collections of poetry. He is a laureate of the Nordic Council Literature Prize (2005) and the Icelandic Literary Prize (2013). He is a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France (2021). He is known as a lyricist for Björk's songs and was nominated for an Oscar in 2001 as a co-writer of her song for the film “Dancer in the Dark.”
