Sigríður Soffía Níelsdóttir – Gratulerer med at du er menneskelig

Fortell om boken din!
Its a very personal project that I started just for myself with no intention on publishing it. Its a poetic diary. This book is lot about loosing your self – grieving your former self and letting go of all ideas of what will be…

Hvordan ble boken din til?
I’m an artist, dancer and choreographer and just had my second child when I was diagnosed with breast cancer – I had to stop danceing and stop all artistic projects. I wrote every day to survive. To try to detangle my fears from my thoughts and navigate this turbulent sea I had in front of me.

Var det en ferdig idè eller vokste det frem gjennom skriveprosessen?
It grew in the process – writing felt good – writing is like whittling wood – you just make a few sentences every day, sometimes new texts, other times working on new poems. Gradualy there is a thread. Having something slow but creative and it made time pass.

Hva fikk deg til å ville skrive en bok? Hva inspirerte deg?
What does a dancer do that can’t dance? I have been writing for 20 years always taking my texts and stuffing them in a drawer, I haven’t had the courage to let someone read my poetry. I have how ever used the texts as base for movement and most of my chorographic repertoire has scripts that have been translated to movement.
When pushed to the wall I needed something creative to get me through the day and my body could dance so a pen and paper did magic. I would say that paralysing fear was my inspiration, love and compassion inspired me, Charles Bukoski inspired me – I loved reading his heavy texts – Bukowskis ”What matters most is how well you walk trough the fire” made an impact. they say misery likes company and I must say it felt good to read about his misery. Like a friend that understands how it feels to all of a sudden be an outsider. This book is lot about loosing your self – grieving your former self and letting go of all ideas of what will be…

Skriver du på noe nytt nå?
Yes I have two projects that I’m writing a new poetry book and a children’s book. I especially enjoy the permanence of books – that something is left in fiscal form – Dance and fireworks shows my main occupation are art forms that disappear and become a memory so after 20 years of being a choreographer I can’t show my life work because it is a memory. So writing books gives me a new found joy.

Har du tips eller råd til andre som har lyst til å skrive en bok?
Now when Im writing my second book I can feel how difficult it is to write with the intention of publishing it. It was easy to open my mind and pour honesty on to the pages because I had no intention of showing this to anyone.
So trying to be your most honest self when writing is a challenge. It has served me well to critically looking over my texts and pull out the bad ones like weed – ego will try to grow there, peoplepleasing all of my vices turn up on the pages.I try to know them and pull them out, so the other text can grow – and then your body will signal you with the feeling of excitement and then you know the page is ready.

Hvorfor synes du at boken din bør leses?
I really dont know

Hvem ønsker du aller helst skal lese din bok?
Anyone

Hva gjør du når du ikke skriver?
Im still performing the performance that is based on the book. ”Gratulerere med at vere menneskelig” that debuted on the big stage in the National theater in Iceland and got 3 nominations to the Gríman theater awards best original play, best stage movements and best dancer of the year.
I also have a startup called Eldblom.com – a fireworks show that became a flowerinnstallation that became product design. Im promoting a drink called Eldblóm-Liquid choreography where you can drink natural fireworks.