Author: Valur Grettisson
Fresh Perspective Of Immigrant Writers
Tired of the same old established writer telling you the same story in different words again and again? Well, we…
Visual Arts Are Booming And Christmas Is Coming!
“This will be the creme de la creme,” says Árni Már Erlingsson, visual artist and one of the owners of…
Editorial: A Thank You Letter
This is perhaps an odd editorial. Writers like to write about themselves, but journalists hate it. I’ll admit, I’m a…
The Writer, The Prophet: Sigríður Hagalín Has Gone From News To Nightmarish Dystopias
If you live in Iceland, the odds are that you know exactly who Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir is. As a well-known…
The Icelandic Roundup: Difficult For Extreme Politics To Thrive In Iceland
Extreme nationalism has a hard time thriving in Iceland because Icelanders have embraced romantic nationalism since their independence in 1944,…
Inside Reykjavík’s Best Libraries
by Iryna Zubenko and Valur Grettisson
It’s not news that Icelanders like to read. It’s also not news that books in Iceland are damn expensive. Both…
Well, You Asked: King Ugly-Face!
Is there any wildlife in Iceland? Yes; birds, mice, rats, arctic foxes and a whole lot of birds. That’s kind…
Navigating Life Through Meaning: Auður Jónsdóttir Writes Her Own Self
Auður Jónsdóttir established herself as one of Iceland’s best writers of a new generation when her novel, ‘The people in…
A Memorial: The Prins That Understood Us
When we at The Reykjavík Grapevine heard the news that Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson, best known as Prins Póló, had died,…
The Almost Fishmonger Who Launched a Restaurant
There is no simple way to explain Jón Mýrdal, one of Reykjavík’s most prolific restaurant moguls. His varied CV includes…
Icelandic Love Stories: There Is Nothing Simple About The Icelandic Love Story
by Valur Grettisson, Josie Gaitens and Emma Ledbetter
Icelanders are perhaps not the most romantic people in the world, but underneath our cold exterior, our amorous hearts still…
Booming Interest In Icelandic Books
“The summer has been very good in general when it comes to selling books, but we haven’t sold this many…
Track By Track: Green Beans And Catfish Sprinkled With Ambient
The visionary tech-nerd and electro musical genius Futuregrapher has released not one, but two world class ambient and electronic albums….
The Human State Is Epic: “Reply To A Letter From Helga,” is now a feature film
“Reply To A Letter From Helga” (Svar við bréfi Helgu) has a special spot in the hearts of Icelanders. Published…
Oscar Buzz Around Hildur Guðnadóttir’s New Movie
The American film magazines, Hollywood Reporter and Variety are convinced that Cate Blanchett’s new film, Tár, will receive a few…
Great Moments In Icelandic History: The Bónus Flag at The Parliament
This moment has a pretty unique stand in this writer’s mind, as I witnessed it take place. I was a…
Food Review: The Greenhouse
by Valur Grettisson and Valur Gunnarsson
Hveragerði is an odd town, occupying a strange space in the hearts of elder millennials and Gen Xers. The town,…
Get Your Summer Read On
by Valur Grettisson, Andie Sophia Fontaine and Josie Gaitens
The books to read while travelling around Iceland Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was Author: SJÓN Sjón is hands down…
Track By Track: Lemon Street With Pale Moon
Pale Moon is an intriguing psychedelic rock band comprised of husband-wife duo Árni Guðjónsson and Natalia Sushchenko and signed to…
Great Moments In Icelandic History: The Smurf Porn Incident
It was on a cold day in January 1992 when an unsuspecting mother rented the newest Smurf Movie for her…
Artic Creatures In Trashed Beaches
“We are old friends, me, Óskar Jónsson and Hrafnkell Sigurðsson. We came out of the Icelandic punk scene,” says Stefán…
Track By Track: Melodramatic With Heidrunna
Heiðrún Anna Björnsdóttir became quite famous with the Icelandic band Cigarette in the mid-90s, which took the music scene by…
Burgers Part 2: Hip Hop Legends And Dirty Politicians
by Valur Grettisson and Shruthi Basappa
That Reykjavík loves its burgers in all forms—from vegan, vegetarian, lamb, and standard beef, to exotic flights of fancy—is well…
The Literary Mystery Of The Icelandic Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a book that needs no introduction. The vampire’s cultural impact on the world is immense and…
The Mayor Of Reykjavík Says Racism In Politics Is A Threat
“In short, I think this is a threat, not only politically, but to society,” says Dagur B. Eggertsson, Mayor of…