Culture Pick: The Reykjavík Literary Festival

The biennial Reykjavík International Literary Festival is slated to take place from September 8th to the 11th in two historic buildings at either end of Tjörnin. During the day, interviews will be conducted at Nordic House while the evenings will highlight author readings and discussions at Iðnó.

Being a UNESCO City of Literature makes Reykjavík an ideal gathering place for writers from across the globe to connect with their admiring readers. Polish author Mao Alheimsdóttir is making her debut appearance this year after receiving the New Voices Grant from the Center for Icelandic Literature for her first book, Veðurfregnir og jarðarfarir.

A number of acclaimed foreign writers such as Elif Shafak and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as well as homegrown favourites including Gerður Kristný and Alexander Dan will take stage to share their work. With a wide variety in genre, theme and format, there’s something for everyone.

All events are open to the public and free to all. Discussions will be held in English while readings will take place in the mother tongue of the author. The full program can be found here.

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