Sögueyjan Ísland - Book of the Month

Plan of Ruins

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:17:00 +0000

“I believe that all lives can yield interesting stories. It isn't necessarily so important to remember school grades or calendar dates correctly, but much rather to try, in some way, to mediate the truth of each life,” says author Oddný Eir Ævarsdóttir in an interview on her newest book, Plan of Ruins.

The Fly that Ended the War

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir nimbly navigates the precarious line between humour and gravity in The Fly that Ended the War, this year's winner of the Icelandic Children's Book Award.

The Good Lover

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 16:35:00 +0000

“As soon as the reader knows what to make of a book, it fails,” says the author Steinunn Sigurðardóttir in an interview with us. Her newest novel, The Good Lover, was published in German in early September.

Winter Sun

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 10:29:00 +0000

“Turbulence is important, not tidiness,” says Auður Jónsdóttir of her novel Winter Sun. A German translation of the book was published by the major publishing house btb last spring, marking the first time Auður's work is published in Germany.

The Codex Regius

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:13:00 +0000

The author Andri Snær Magnason ruminates on the mass and static energy of art – and poses a question: What is the single most important man-made phenomenon in Iceland?

Maximus Musicus

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:25:00 +0000

As a rule of thumb, mice aren't particularly welcome in concert halls. Not so with Maximus Musicus, arguably the most popular rodent in the history of Iceland. We had a word with Hallfríður Ólafsdóttir, creator of this murine musicophile.

“Thanks, Nanna”

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 23:53:00 +0000

“Thanks, Nanna,” says Bryndís Loftsdóttir, picking out her favourite from the home's private book collection: a mammoth, bright-orange cookbook by food guru Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir.

The best of times, the worst of times

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 10:13:00 +0000

Einar Kárason's historical novel Fury draws on a tumultuous period in Icelandic history. A German translation appeared in February.

When the King Came

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:57:00 +0000

What better cover for a murder than a royal visit? Helgi Ingólfsson's award-winning mystery is set against the backdrop of a spectacular point in Icelandic history: the height of the country's 19th century struggle for sovereignty.

Nighttime Sonata

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:54:00 +0000

"My grandfather earnestly believed that while he slept, he would be transported inside other people, and that his dreams were the experiences of the other person.” These nomadic dreamings inspired Þórdís Björnsdóttir to write her second novel.

President Vigdís

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:27:00 +0000

“The story of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir is the story of Iceland in the 20th century,” says biographer Páll Valsson of his new book on the former president.

Missir/Loss

Thu, 20 May 2010 14:29:00 +0000

“When I was a child, people spoke of the beauty and wisdom of old age. I didn't really believe them,” says author Guðbergur Bergsson in an interview with Sagenhaftes Island. His new novella is dedicated to the “generation of eternal youth.”

Home to My Heart

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 15:48:00 +0000

“I lie in bed in a sanatorium, struggling to resist sleep, but then I recall that I'm allowed to fall asleep; I've got a sleep certificate, a stamp on my bum: Burnt Out." The opening paragraph to Heim til míns hjarta/Home to My Heart by Oddný Eir Ævarsdóttir.

Snorri Sturluson – A Biography

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 10:58:00 +0000

The story of the life of one of the most remarkable men in Icelandic history has been written for the first time as a comprehensive biographical work. Ævisaga Snorra Sturlusonar/The Biography of Snorri Sturluson by Óskar Guðmundsson is an important contribution to medieval scholarship.

Rescue – Goðafoss under Attack

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:22:00 +0000

How Iceland's flagship, the Goðafoss, was torpedoed by a German U-boat in WWII. The book provides a look into Icelandic way of life during WWII, it also contains secred documents and accounts from the U-boat crew.

Algleymi / Oblivion

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:09:00 +0000

A unique work in Icelandic writing – a stage of an author’s oeuvre which has consciously introduced ideas and approaches hitherto unknown in Icelandic fiction.

Skaparinn / The Creator

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 10:54:00 +0000

The author Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir narrates the theft of a state of the art sex-doll in The Creator, a story of alienation, loneliness and despair.

Erró – Portraits

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 09:24:00 +0000

Twenty years ago Erró, one of Iceland’s leading artists, made a huge donation of his works to the Reykjavík Art Museum. The anniversary of the gift is marked by the publication of a magnificent book focussing on Erró’s portraits.

Konur / Women

Tue, 26 May 2009 13:18:00 +0000

“For every woman who takes a seat in parliament, or as a managing director, or ‘shames’ men in other ways by gaining access to power, thousands of porn movies are produced which put women back in ‘their place,’ where they are powerless, submissive, and usually humiliated.”

Himnaríki og helvíti / Heaven and hell

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Heaven and Hell, by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, has already been translated into numerous languages. Quercus publishers have recently acquired the English translation rights.