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Miss Vanjie Of The North: A Borgarnes Monument To An Insignificant Saga Character
You would be forgiven for assuming, upon visiting Borgarnes, that the elegant modern monument atop a hill in the town’s old centre commemorates some crucial figure or moment from local history. Carved in stone, the sculpture takes the shape of a ram’s…
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Tomorrow Will Be Worse: Kristín Svava Tómasdóttir’s ‘Stormwarning’ published in the US
Although Icelandic literature is today widely available in other languages, translations of Icelandic poetry are a relative rarity—this despite the vibrant Reykjavík poetry scene which has recently seen an influx of younger poets due to the efforts of grassroots publishers and festivals.…
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An Elegy for a Murdered Woman: Gerður Kristný’s ‘Drápa’ Now In English
This month, UK based Arc Publication will be publishing Drápa, Icelandic author and poet Gerður Kristný’s second book to appear in English. The book is a novel-in-verse that takes the form of a “drápa”—a verse form often found in Viking Age skaldic…
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The Fact of Fiction: “Woman at 1,000 Degrees” Published In English
Though the Icelandic Christmas book season is over, the next few months mark the release of many Icelandic translations into other languages by publishers across the world. One such is Hallgrímur Helgason’s 2011 novel ‘Woman at 1,000 Degrees,’ published by Algonquin Books…
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Get Your Read On: Snare & Whiteout
It’s winter. Don’t go out. It’s disgusting out there. Turn up the radiators and read one of these. Snare – Lilja Sigurðardóttir Sonja’s life is in tatters. Losing custody of her son after her husband catches her in bed with a woman,…
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Lit News: TV Adaption Of ‘The Shroud’ In The Works
Original TV dramas have always struggled in Iceland, largely due to the country’s small viewing market and the limited budget of the local networks. However, after the international success of Scandinavian TV programmes such as ‘The Killing,’ along with the streaming services…
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Get Your Read On : The Perfect Landscape & The Atom Station
Christmas is coming, so here are two more English-translated Icelandic books that we’d recommend as a gift for the Icelandophile in your life. Ragna Sigurðardóttir – The Perfect Landscape A young art historian named Hanna returns to Iceland and takes up a…
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Get Your Read On: Walking Into The Night & Place Of The Heart
Long winter nights are made for reading. Here are two Icelandic works, both translated into English, to stock up on. Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson – Walking into the Night William Randolph Hearst’s lavish estate, San Simeon, is scrupulously managed by his private butler…
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The Viking Crimelords: Snorri Kristjánsson Takes Nordic Noir To Strange Places
Next March, Snorri Kristjánsson’s fourth novel, ‘Kin,’ will be released by Jo Fletcher, a UK publisher focusing on works of science fiction and fantasy, and home to several award-winning authors. It’s the start of a new series entitled ‘The Helga Finnsdóttir Mysteries.’…
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Found in Translation: Ideas Of Iceland From Across The Globe
On September 11th and 12th, an international conference of translators will be held in Reykjavík at Veröld, the home of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages. One of the major features of the conference will be the presenting of the National…
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Here We Go Again: Reykjavík’s Literary Festival Returns
The Reykjavík International Literary Festival will be held for the thirteenth time this year, from September 6th—9th at venues all around Reykjavík. The festival has previously hosted big names such as Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami and Günter Grass, along with…
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Get Your Read On: 101 Reykjavík & Hildur, Queen of the Elves
Reading in the park is kind of done for this year it seems. But reading with a cup of coffee next to the radiator is just beginning. Here are some English translations of Icelandic books that you could greet the autumn season…
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The Outsiders: Ós Press Tackles The Icelandic Publishing Industry
Despite the rich literary history of Iceland, anyone will tell you that Icelandic publishing is a risky business. It’s no wonder: by nature, any book published in a language spoken by only around 350,000 people already caters to a niche market. To…
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Get Your Read On: The Lodger & Story of the Blue Planet
Feel like running away from work and reading a book under a tree? We feel you, tbh. Here are some English-translated Icelandic books you could choose. Andri Snær Magnason – Story of the Blue Planet This deceptively simple book comes bearing a…
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Get Your Read On: Out Of The Blue & The Flatey Enigma
There’s probably at least one sunny day left in this grey Icelandic summer. Here are a few ideas for things you could read while lolling around in the park. Helen Mitsios ed. – Out of the Blue: New Short Fiction from Iceland…
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Get Your Read On: Zombie Iceland & Tómas Jónsson, Bestseller
Remember: nobody on their deathbed ever said: “I wish I’d spent more time online.” Guðberger Bergsson – Tómas Jónsson, Bestseller Originally published in 1966, Tómas Jónsson: Bestseller is often seen as having ushered in a new era in Icelandic literature and is…