The author of the headline making GNARR! How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World (Melville House, 2014), former comedian (and mayor) Jón Gnarr now turns his lens from politics to tell his life story in his literary debut.The Indian is a highly entertaining and bittersweet literary memoir by Jón Gnarr, the world-famous Icelandic comedian and former Mayor of Reykjavik,Iceland, revisiting his troubled childhood. Diagnosed as “retarded” because of his severe dyslexia and ADHD, Gnarr spent time in a “home for retarded children” before getting out, only to find himself subjected to constant bullying, leading the young Gnarr to identify with the Indians against bully cowboys on TV.
The Indian is the first book in a trilogy that looks back at Gnarr's childhood and adolescence, providing the unparalleled coming of age story of an outcast who overcame the odds and matured into a world-renowned comedian, actor, writer, and politician. Each book in the trilogy is told with the warmth and humor that defines Gnarr's unique personality, allowing readers of all ages to identify with his story.
Jón Gnarr was born in 1967 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He formed the Best Party in 2009 and became the mayor of Reykjavík in 2010, and his fans include Noam Chomsky, Björk, and Lady Gaga. The most famous comedic actor in Iceland, Gnarr's work includes the book GNARR! How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World(Melville House, 2014), numerous movies, including The Icelandic Dream and A Man Like Me, and the television series The Night Shift, which aired on BBC4 and won Gnarr the Icelandic equivalent of an Emmy. Gnarr won the prestigious Lennon-Ono Peace Prize in 2014 for his dedicated work to promoting peace through humor and understanding around the world.
Lytton Smith (b. 1982) is an Anglo-American poet and translator. He has taught at Columbia University, Fordham University, and Plymouth University, and is currently a professor at SUNY–Oneonta. He has translated two other novels from Icelandic: The Ambassador by Bragi Ólafsson (Open Letter, 2010), and A Child in Reindeer Woods by Kristín Ómarsdóttir (Open Letter, 2012).
