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Slam poetry out of the Icelandic sagas
Slam – Saga is a literary event in May which will see German and Icelandic poets performing original prose inspired by the Old Norse sagas. In May, three German poets will travel to Iceland in order to permeate themselves with Icelandic sagas and the Poetic Edda.
The Germans will mingle with Icelandic poets and scholars, travel to the sagas' historic backdrops and attempt to gain a well-rounded familiarity with Iceland´s literary heritage. Hopefully, by the end of their six day sojourn, they will have gathered enough inspiration to use Iceland's wellspring of tales and poetry as a launch-pad for their own creations.
The German poets, Nora Gomringer (1980), Bas Böttcher (1974) and Finn-Ole Heinrich (1982), are among the most popular German writers of their generation. Nora Gomringer is an acclaimed poet and has also garnered praise in the world of slam poetry, in the wake of her performances around Europe and the United States. Bas Böttcher is commonly referred to as the the prince of German slam poetry. He got off to an early start as a vocalist with Zentrifugal, a well-known hip hop act, and has won a number of international awards for his books and performances. Finn-Ole Heinrich has authored novels as well as short stories. A gifted reciter, he is renowned for readily establishing a rapport with his audience.
The Icelanders who will travel with the Germans are Bergur Ebbi Benediktsson (1981), Ugla Egilsdóttir (1986) and Halldór Halldórsson (1985). Benediktsson will release his first book of poetry in May, Tími hnyttninnar er liðinn / The days of droll are numbered, and his first play, Klæði / Clothes will premiere in two weeks. Halldórsson, a grandchild of Icelandic Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness, has long been in the forefront of the Icelandic hip hop scene, and has lately joined Benediktsson on the road with the successful stand-up group Mið-Ísland. Actress Ugla Egilsdóttir has also made her mark as a comedian, receiving wide accolades for her recent appearances at stand-up events featuring an all-girl roster.
The Germans and Icelanders are of the same generation but from wildly different backgrounds, and their collaboration will no doubt produce interesting results. The first fruits of the trip can be witnessed in Reykjavík, at the Slam – Saga performance in May.
In the spring of 2011 the entourage will perform at a series of German literary festivals as a prelude to the Frankfurt Book Fair, which will feature Iceland as a guest of honor. The group's German performances will feature material inspired by the visit to Iceland.
This is a collaborative project between Sagenhaftes Island and Goethe-Institut in Denmark.