Author: Kári Tulinius
So What’s This Presidential Election I Keep Hearing About
[EDITOR’S NOTE: In his New Year’s address yesterday, January 1, 2016, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson announced he would not be seeking…
So I’m in Iceland And I Want To Be A Writer…
To get the most obvious question out of the way, you need to write. You can write in any language…
So What’s This I Hear About Bankers Defunding Poets?
In 2011, a teacher named Þórarinn Hannesson established the Poetry House (“Ljóðasetur”) in Siglufjörður, a small fishing hamlet up north….
So What’s This “Controversial” Art In City Hall I Keep Hearing About?
Reykjavík’s City Hall currently hosts a large exhibit celebrating the hundred year anniversary of women’s right to vote in Iceland….
So What’s This I Keep Hearing About Icelanders Welcoming Refugees Into Their Homes?
Recently, over a thousand Icelanders took to Facebook to pledge their help to those fleeing Syria, with participants vowing to…
So What’re These Russian Trade Sanctions I Keep Hearing About?
In March of last year, Iceland joined in internationally coordinated trade sanctions against Russia. The principal advocates were the United…
So What’s This I Keep Hearing About Rising Inequality in Iceland?
There are many reasons for rising inequality in the world, but in Iceland the main cause is simple. The current…
So What’s This Crumbling Healthcare System I Keep Hearing About?
In recent years, a number of recurring news stories have appeared on the front pages of Icelandic newspapers, greeting the…
So What’s This Literary Scandal I Keep Hearing About?
On May 30, poet and novelist Bragi Ólafsson finally commented on a controversial book he had written, entitled ‘Bögglapóststofan’ (“Parcel…
So What’re These Lambs On TV I Keep Hearing About?
Starting at noon on May 14, Icelandic state television RÚV broadcast continuously for almost 24 hours from a farm called…
So What’re These Badly Behaved Seafood Companies I Keep Hearing About?
Along with tourism, seafood is the biggest industry in Iceland. For many towns along the coast, it is the reason…
So What’s This Letter To The European Union I Keep Hearing About?
In July of 2009, Iceland applied to become a member of the European Union. On March 12 of this year,…
So What’s This Jailing Of Bankers I Keep Hearing About?
For several years, the internet has been teeming with stories of how Iceland sent their bankers to jail. They are,…
So What’s This I Hear About Men’s Pay Being Reduced To Match Women’s Salary?
The town of Kópavogur, which borders Reykjavík, lost a salary discrimination case at the end of January. The Welfare Ministry’s…
So What’s This Order Of The Falcon I Keep Hearing About?
In a better, more entertaining world than ours, the Order of the Falcon would be Iceland’s premier superhero group, featuring…
So What’s This I Keep Hearing About Everything Being Terrible in Iceland?
In Mid-November Unnar Steinn Sigtryggsson, an Icelander who goes by the username “askur,” made a comment on popular internet community…
So What’s This Lack Of Army I Keep Hearing About?
Iceland has no army. It does operate a Coast Guard, which does have four ships, three of which are combat-ready…
So What’s This Men’s Only UN Gender Conference I Keep Hearing About?
On Monday, September 29, the Icelandic Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson gave a speech to the United Nations General Assembly….
So What’s This Support For Scottish Independence I Keep Hearing About?
A number of prominent Icelanders cheered on the Scottish independence movement during the run-up to the September 18 referendum deciding…
So What’s This Faroese Ship I Keep Hearing About?
The Faroese trawler ‘Næraberg’ was fishing for mackerel in Greenlandic waters when its engine suffered a malfunction. As the Icelandic…
So What’s This Hazing I Keep Hearing About?
Like young people the world over, Icelandic youths like to humiliate younger kids for fun. This behaviour takes many forms,…
So What’s This Unfair Treatment Of Young Employees I Keep Hearing About?
In Iceland, labour unions and employers’ organizations negotiate to establish parameters for pay and other benefits. Earlier this month, a…
So What’s This Changing Flora I Keep Hearing About?
In an interview with Icelandic state radio, RÚV, Þóra Ellen Þórhallsdóttir, professor of botany at the University of Iceland, said…
So What’s This I Hear About Iceland Being The 17th Best Country In The World?
Something called The Good Country Index was published recently. It is a list of 125 countries ranked according how much…
So What’s This Naming Law I Keep Hearing About?
Harriet Cardew, the adorable ten-year-old daughter of an Englishman and an Icelandic woman, has been in the world news lately…