Fifteen Icelandic Authors Participate in the Programme in the Gothenburg Book Fair

Sagas of the Icelanders, love, crime fiction, young writers, and a reading horse are among events in the diverse Icelandic programme at the Gothenburg Book Fair.

17. September, 2015

The Gothenburg Book Fair is held 24-27^th of September, and a special focus, called Voices From Iceland – Röster från Island, will be on Icelandic literature and Icelandic writers. Iceland's Minister of Education, Science, and Culture, Illugi Gunnarsson, will take part in the opening of the Book Fair, and fifteen Icelandic writers participate in various parts of the programme

From the Voices from Iceland / Röster från Island:

Love conquers all: 

A conversation with Jónína Leósdóttir and Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland, about Jónína's book that centres on Jónína's and Jóhanna's relationship, from the time they first met in 1983 when they were both married with children, until they became a couple, and then finally married in 2010. Additionally, there will be a showing of an excerpt from a documentary on Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir that will premiere in October. The journalist and translator Yukiko Duke talks to Jónína and Jóhanna.

Sagas for all times:

Einar Kárason and Gerður Kristný participate in an event about the Sagas of the Icelanders, with a focus on new translations into Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish. Other participants are Erik Andersson and Klas Östergren. The event is hosted by Lars Lönnroth.

Poetry:

The Book Fair has a special poetry programme called Rum för Poesi and the Icelandic poets Gerður Kristný, Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir, Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir, and Kári Tulinius read from their works.

Icelandic Children's Books:

Discussion with Áslaug Jónsdóttir, author of the Monster Books that have been translated into numerous languages, Bergrún Íris Sævarsdóttir (Vinur minn, vindurinn) and Thórarinn Leifsson (Maðurinn sem hataði börn), who are both nominated for the Nordic Children's Litarary Prize this year. The event is hosted by Katti Hoflin, writer and director of the Stockholm City Library.  

Sleipnir, the reading horse from Reykjavik Unesco City of Literature, will trot about and horse around with guests.     

Photographer Páll Stefánsson exhibits photographs from his latest book, Iceland Exposed / Islands öppna landskap.

Icelandic writers in other programme events are: Arnaldur Indriðason, Árni Þórarinsson, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, Einar Már Guðmundsson, and Andri Snær Magnason. 

Here you can see our brochure with the full Icelandic program in Göteborg (in Swedish).

Arnaldur Indriðason	Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir	Jón Kalman Stefánsson	Einar Már Guðmundsson	Andri Snær Magnason

The Icelandic Literature Centre has actively promoted Icelandic literature in the Nordic Countries in recent years, with the view to increasing the number of translations of Icelandic literature into other Nordic languages. This effort has already proved successful, as applications from Nordic publishers for translation grants from Icelandic into a Nordic language have almost doubled in the past couple of years. Voices from Iceland – Röster från Island at the Gothenburg Book Fair is the high point of the Centre's Nordic promotional project.

The Gothenburg Book Fair is the largest book fair in the Nordic Area. It is attended by around 100 000 guests each year, thereof are 1400 people from the media. There are over 3300 events in the Fair's programme, and 800 participants from around 30 countries. Iceland's participation in the Gothenburg Book Fair is backed by the Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Promote Iceland, and Icelandic Publishers' Association. Other collaborators are the Nordic House, Reykjavik Unesco City of Literature, and Swedish publishers of the participating writers. HAF Studio in Reykjavik designs the Icelandic pavilion for the Fair.

Further information on the Gothenburg Book Fair:

Gothenburg Book Fair Home Page

Gothenburg Book Fair on Facebook

Photographs from the Gothenburg Book Fair

Gothenburg Book Fair on Twitter

Gothenburg Book Fair on Instagram