Author: Valur Grettisson - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Fresh Perspective Of Immigrant Writers

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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!

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“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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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“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

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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

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“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

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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

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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

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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

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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 

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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

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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

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“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

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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

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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

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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

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“In short, I think this is a threat, not only politically, but to society,” says Dagur B. Eggertsson, Mayor of…