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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 story has inspired writers and filmmakers for a century. And then there is, of course, Twilight. But the odds are that…
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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 Reykjavík, when asked about a series of racist incidents in Iceland in recent weeks and years. In the municipal election in 2014,…
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Suð’s Indie Noise: Track By Track
Suð is an established Icelandic indie band seemingly on a mission to bring the guitar party back. They released their first album in 1999 and have been active since then. The Grapevine caught up with Suð to discuss their latest album, ‘Save…
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Just Sayings: Shock And Rain
Do you remember that scene in, well, every movie, when there is a funeral and it’s pouring rain? Well, Icelanders have a saying for that. „Oft kemur regn eftir reiðarsalag“ translates literally to “there is often rain after a shock/tragedy.” [su_pullquote]What are…
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The Icelandic Roundup: The Delicate Art Of Selling A Bank
The government sale of over a 20% share in Íslandsbanki has been criticised harshly throughout society and there have even been calls for the resignation of the Finance Minister and the chairman of the Independence Party, Bjarni Benediktsson. The Minister of Culture…
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Creating New Pockets: Ewa’s Debut Book Confronts Trauma And Immigration
Ewa Marcinek is a Polish-born Icelander and a writer. Her new book has been receiving a lot of attention in Icelandic cultural life, and for a good reason. The first thing that struck me when reading Ísland Pólerað (which could be translated…
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The Reykjavík Burger Crawl: Part 1
Burgers: they’re everywhere. The deceptively simple shtick of meat and bread might have only recently made the jump from plate to bun, but it’s a change that Icelanders have embraced wholesale. Whether gracing the table of a sophisticated establishment, or nourishing the…
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Finding A Place In Nomadland
It’s no easy feat to define MIMRA’s music. Bordering on electronic and folk music, it’s tempting to just boil it down to some kind of dream-pop. But nothing is that simple when it comes to María Magnúsdóttir, the person behind the project.…
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Mayor Of Reykjavík Might Cut All Diplomatic Connections With Moscow
Dagur B. Eggertsson, Mayor of Reykjavík, said in an interview with Visir.is that it’s possible that the city will cut all diplomatic ties with Moscow, but the cities are so-called “friend cities”. [su_pullquote]Get a copy of our new issue, hot off the…
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The Atheist & The Paranormal Thriller: Visited Medium For Preparation
The marketing director of Sjóvá, one of Iceland’s largest insurance companies, surprised the country with his remarkably strong debut novel earlier this year. ‘Whitesands’ is a paranormal thriller with a dark noir detective atmosphere evoking films like ‘Seven’ and ‘Silence of the…
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Gullveig/Heiður: The Beginning Of The End Of The World
Strength: Can’t die, a talented but evil witch…we think? Weakness: The first person in the world to be killed, which leads to the war between Vanir and Æsir and eventually the end of the world. Modern take: Keyser Söze It’s probably not…
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Shooting in Reykjavík: Young Female Seriously Injured
A young female and her boyfriend were shot early on Thursday outside their home in the east of Reykjavík. The two men thought to be responsible were arrested the same morning in an extensive police operation that involved about 80 officers, among them,…
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Hallgrímur Helgason: Torn Between Keith Haring and the Sagas
Hallgrímur Helgason is in some ways a rebel when it comes to Icelandic fiction, and his weapons are pleasantly disarming; humour and entertainment. It took publishing four books for him to feel accepted into what we often refer to as the “culture-elite”…
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Fire Photographers: Books About Volcanoes In Iceland
The Geldingardalir eruption resulted in more than unique experiences for hikers and tourists, it also piqued the creativity of photographers who ventured to capture the blazing hot moment in time. Luckily for those who didn’t make it out to the eruption…
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Track By Track: An Intimate Journey with Axel Flóvent
Axel Flóvent’s newest album, ‘You Stay By The Sea’, has been attracting a lot of international attention—and for a good reason. It’s a beautiful journey through his inner life, from overthinking stuff (we have all done that) to friendship that slowly fades…
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Just Sayings: On With the Butter
There are a few ways to carry on. You could do it like a proper Englishman and keep calm at the same time. [su_pullquote]Join our High Five Club at either the ‘Secret Handshake’ or ‘Elbow Five’ level, and get our monthly magazine…
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One To Watch: Sucks To Be You, Nigel and Árný Margrét
The grassroots in Iceland is lively in the time of COVID-19 and therefore, the panel couldn’t decide what to pick. So, why limit yourself? The panel decided to go for one band and a solo artist this year. First. It sucks to…
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Song Of The Year: Vesturbæjar Beach
The song Vesturbæjar Beach by BSÍ is not only our Song Of The Year. It is, in some ways, the most telling song about the COVID year of 2021. It describes awful summers in Iceland, as well as the will to do…
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Album of the Year: Sóley & kef LAVÍK
Album of the year: Mother Melancholia by Sóley ‘Mother Melancholia’ is a dark, deep exploration into the feeling of the end of the world, imminent death and destruction, as well as the complexity of a feminist riot surging within the heart of…
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Immigrant Poets Rethinking The North
Icelanders are famous for their writings, for their old Edda poems and tales of our Viking history. This small island even has a literary Nobel Prize winner to boast of. Our rich history of literature is long and complicated, but Iceland today…
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Track By Track: ‘Kill The Moon’ By Kig & Husk
Kig & Husk is comprised of music veterans Frank Hall from the band Ske and Höskuldur Ólafsson, who made international headlines in the late 90s with the energetic hip-hop outfit, Quarashi. This new album is a notable departure from their earlier work,…
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Get Your Read On: Christmas Books To Set The Mood
If you want to understand the Icelandic Christmas tradition, here are the books you have to read. The Sad Old Yule Cat Icelandic Christmas is rife with tradition. It’s quite old fashioned in many ways. Everything is closed on Christmas Eve, everybody…
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The Book That Shaped The Icelandic Soul
There are few books, if any, that have shaped the Icelandic soul as significantly as the Folklores and Adventures, or “Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og æfintýri”, collected by Jón Árnason in the 18th century. This book is not only the most comprehensive collection of…
