News
Friends of literature sign up in Germany and Iceland
„This interesting project has got off to a good start,“ says Ólafur Davíðsson, chair of the board of Friends of Sagenhaftes Island, a society founded last December by a group of Icelanders and Germans. The objective of the Friends is to provide support to cultural projects and events in Germany in connection with Iceland's participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2011 as Guest of Honour.
“I have always found it highly enjoyable to work on promoting Icelandic culture, literature and other arts to Germans,” comments Ólafur, who has recently retired as Icelandic ambassador to Germany. “German people are interested in Iceland and Icelandic literature. I am convinced, from the initial reception, that we will succeed in recruiting a large number of Friends of Sagenhaftes Island, thus giving a helping hand to Icelandic culture in Germany next year.”
“The main difference between the Frankfurt Book Fair and other cultural events in Germany is that it receives far more media coverage. The Guest of Honour at each year's Fair is promoted in bookstores all over Germany. All the media – print, radio and TV – report on the Fair, and the Guest of Honour is always given special prominence. So the Frankfurt Book Fair is a unique cultural event in Germany, and an excellent opportunity to present Icelandic literature, past and present. For that reason I urge those who are interested in literature, in Iceland and in Germany, to support Iceland's role there,” says Ólafur Davíðsson, chair of the board of Friends of Sagenhaftes Island.
How to join
Standard membership as a Friend of Sagenhaftes Island is EUR 100.
For EUR 500 you can become a Patron, and your name will appear on the Sagenhaftes Island website.
Those who contribute EUR 1,000 become Honorary members; their names will appear at Iceland's stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2011.
Become a Friend of Sagenhaftes Island here