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Get Your Read On: Helga Dögg Ólafsdóttir Recommends
In a world where watching TV without looking at your phone equals reading a book, actually reading a book is quite precious. Reykjavík has lots of cosy coffee shops you can snuggle up in, but how to choose what’s a good read?…
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Swear Like An Icelander: “Eat Frozen Sh*t!” Teaches You Everything You Actually Need To Know
They say you’re not truly fluent in a foreign language until you crack a joke. Rubbish. You’re fluent when you can curse — when you’re standing at the bus stop, one minute early, but see the sight of your Strætó driving away…
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Get Your Read On: Móheiður Hlíf Geirlaugsdóttir Recommends
In a world where watching TV without looking at your phone equals reading a book, actually reading a book is quite precious. Reykjavík has lots of cosy coffee shops you can snuggle up in, but how to choose what’s a good read?…
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An Assortment Of Good Reads
One US-based writer’s take Want to deepen your relationship with Icelandic literature in English translation but don’t know where to start? We’ve asked US-based professor of literature, Jenna Grace Sciuto, what she’d suggest. No journey into Iceland’s lush literary landscape would be…
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Reading Beyond Halldór Laxness: One U.S.-Based Writer’s take
Want to deepen your relationship with Icelandic literature in English translation but don’t know where to start? We’ve asked US-based professor of literature, Jenna Grace Sciuto, what she’d suggest, continuing here with what one should read beyond Halldór Laxness. Spending her summers…
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A Beginner’s Guide To Laxness: One US-Based Writer’s Take
Want to deepen your relationship with Icelandic literature in English translation but don’t know where to start? We’ve asked US-based professor of literature, Jenna Grace Sciuto, what she’d suggest, starting with the classics of the one-and-only Nobel Laureate, Halldór Laxness. Spending her…
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Get Your Read On: Einar Björn Magnússon Recommends
In a world where watching TV without looking at your phone equals reading a book, actually reading a book is quite precious. Reykjavík has lots of cosy coffee shops you can snuggle up in, but how to choose what’s a good read?…
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After 56 Years, Overdue Book Returned To Kópavogur Library
Kata í Ameríku (Kati in America in English), by Astrid Lindgren, was returned to Kópavogur Library during the library’s fine-free week after being borrowed for 56 years — the book was originally due on June 2, 1969. The borrower found the book…
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Mysterious Medieval Books May Be Linked to Iceland
A recent study has uncovered that a collection of 12th-century sketchbooks, long considered mysterious due to their unusual bindings, may trace back to Iceland — or at least the North Atlantic region. The findings were reported by The New York Times. The…
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What Are People In Reykjavík Reading?
Iceland is often referred to as a book-reading nation, yet finding a person on the street with a book in hand turned out to be more difficult than we had expected. Here are a few people we’ve met that were not glued…
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Celebrating The Magic Of Multilingualism
A new children’s book highlights the power of languages It may come as a surprise to some, but Iceland is an increasingly multicultural country. Roughly 18% of the nation is now made up of immigrants, their diversity adding welcome life and colour…
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The Cozy Crime Conference Caper
Iceland Noir brought big names and dark conversations to town If you’ve ever wondered how to commit the perfect murder, yearned to bask at the feet of Sara Blædel, or to dance to Irvine Welsh’s acid house, then Iceland Noir 2023 was…
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Rán Flygenring Never Stops Playing
With a shiny new prize, a just-released book and many projects in the works, Rán Flygenring’s creative journey is just getting started “This is not my problem,” says Rán Flygenring, sitting in her studio on Ásvallagata on a crisp Tuesday afternoon. “Maybe…
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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 news reporter at RÚV, our national broadcaster, she often sits down with politicians or prominent figures in society as part of the…
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The Bookmobile Is Probably Drawing To A Close
After over 50 years of service, the Bookmobile “The Chief” is probably drawing to an end, MBL reports. [su_pullquote]We have opened the Christmas Vault: get your gifts here! Icelandic Yule Lads, the Christmas cat, Icelandic Christmas candy and more. As always, join…
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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 the basement’ (‘Fólkið í kjallaranum’) was published in 2004. Auður uses the idea of family often in her novels and she is…
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Icelandic Love Stories: There Is Nothing Simple About The Icelandic Love Story
Icelanders are perhaps not the most romantic people in the world, but underneath our cold exterior, our amorous hearts still beat loudly to the rhythm of our Viking ancestors… or something like that. Icelandic authors have written excellent love stories over the…
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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 translated Icelandic books over the same period since 2019,” says Egill Örn Jóhannsson, Executive Director of Forlagið, the biggest book publisher in…
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Inflation To Affect Christmas Book Market
Inflation due to the current energy crisis in Europe will likely affect the prices for many consumer goods, including Christmas books, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]Titans of Icelandic photography combine in this discount box in the Grapevine Store: signed copies of both Faces of…
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Get Your Summer Read On
The books to read while travelling around Iceland Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was Author: SJÓN Sjón is hands down the king of Scandinavian magic realism. He has also written scripts for films like the Northman directed by Robert Eggers, and the…
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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 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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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…