The Iceland Writers Retreat is a one-week international event for writers that takes place in Reykjavik, Iceland.
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The Iceland Writers Retreat is a one-week international event for writers that takes place in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The Iceland Writers Retreat (IWR) was founded in 2014 by Eliza Reid, who is currently the First Lady of Iceland, and Erica Jacobs Green, of the United States. [2] It has been held annually since 2014 in Reykjavik, Iceland. [3] Iceland is known for its literary tradition, [4] and Reykjavik is the world’s first non-native English speaking UNESCO City of Literature. [5] [6] The Iceland Writers Retreat was named one of the world's best writers' retreats in The Sydney Morning Herald. [7] Spring 2016 marked the third annual Iceland Writers Retreat, taking place 13–17 April 2016. The fourth event was hosted from 5–9 April 2017, [8] with the fifth taking place 11-15 April 2018. The sixth annual Retreat is scheduled for 3-7 April, 2019.
The retreat is an international gathering, bringing together authors from many different countries. [9] The Retreat consists of several small-group writing workshops led by acclaimed authors from around the world. [10] There are opportunities to explore Iceland between workshops, which introduce participants to Iceland's rich literary tradition and beautiful landscapes. [11] The Retreat includes Q & A Panels with all faculty, and social events to allow participants to network with an international group of writers. [12] [13]
The retreat's founding sponsor is Icelandair. It is also supported by the Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Reykjavik UNESCO City of Literature, the City of Reykjavik, the US Embassy in Iceland, and the Icelandic Literature Center. [14]
Icelandic authors who have participated in the IWR through presentations and readings include: Einar Kárason, Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, Ragna Sigurðardóttir, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Jónína Leósdóttir, Andri Snær Magnason, Gerður Kristný, Hallgrímur Helgason, Sigurlín Bjarney Gísladóttir, Jón Gnarr, Sigurbjörg Thrastardóttir, and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir.
Hallgrímur Helgason is an Icelandic painter, novelist, translator, and columnist.
Gerður Kristný is an Icelandic writer who is best known for her poetry and books for children.
101 Reykjavík is a 2000 Icelandic romantic comedy film directed by Baltasar Kormákur and starring Victoria Abril and Hilmir Snær Guðnason. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Hallgrímur Helgason, and both are set in Reykjavík, Iceland. The title is taken from the postal code for the Miðborg district of central Reykjavík, the postal code being a common way to refer to the area. The film won nine B-class film awards and received ten nominations most notably winning the Discovery Film Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Andri Snær Magnason is an Icelandic writer. He has written novels, poetry, plays, short stories, and essays. Andri is also a director and producer of three documentary films that have premiered in IDFA and CPH:DOX. His work has been published or performed in more than 40 countries.
Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual for a Frightened Nation is a book by the Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason.
Brian Charles Pilkington is an English-born Icelandic illustrator and artist, best known for his illustrations of many Icelandic children's books since the 1980s. Pilkington has also illustrated other literature genres, including his own book of Icelandic fauna.
West Nordic Council's Children and Youth Literature Prize is a literary award, which was established in 2002 by the West Nordic Council. The prize is awarded every second year at the annual meeting of the West Nordic Council, normally in August. The three countries of the North West region of Northern Europe are Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. These countries nominate one literary work each. The winner gets a reward of DKK 60 000 and his or her book is translated into the other two languages of the region and into one of the Scandinavian languages: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or Finnish, without any expenses for the winner.
Nýhil was an Icelandic avant-garde small press and association of young writers, founded around 2002-2004 by Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl and Haukur Már Helgason, followed shortly by Grímur Hákonarson, and ceasing operation around 2011.
The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning is a novel by Hallgrímur Helgason. His first novel to be composed in English, it was actually first published in Icelandic, in the author's own translation, as 10 ráð til að hætta að drepa fólk og byrja að vaska upp. It has also been translated into Dutch, German, Czech, Russian, Polish, Danish, and Italian.
Presidential elections were held in Iceland on 25 June 2016. President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, elected in 1996, stepped down after serving five consecutive terms. The history professor Guðni Th. Jóhannesson was elected after receiving a plurality of 39.1% of the vote. He took office on 1 August, as the first new president of Iceland in twenty years.
Ari Trausti Guðmundsson is an Icelandic geologist, author, documentarian, broadcaster, journalist, lecturer, mountaineer and explorer. He worked as teacher, consultant and lecturer on: earth science, environmental and tourism issues. He served as a mountain guide, TV- weather reporter, media presenter and producer and has planned nature and science exhibitions in Iceland, Paris and London and authored non-fiction books, fiction and poetry. He was a presidential candidate in 2012.He was elected as a member of Icelandic Parliament in 2016 and served until 2021.
LungA Art Festival is an annual art and music festival held in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland in mid-July. The festival was founded in 2000 and is organized as a week of workshops, lectures and other activities, ending with a weekend of exhibitions and concerts.
Bókmenntaverðlaun starfsfólks bókaverslana are a set of Icelandic literary prizes which are awarded by the Icelandic Félag starfsfólks bókaverslana in December every year. The prizes were first awarded in 2000, the same year as the union was founded. The awards are made in the midst of the annual Christmas rush in the Icelandic book market and generally attract a lot of interest.
Áslaug Jónsdóttir is an Icelandic writer of children's books, illustrator and playwright.
Gyða Valtýsdóttir is an Icelandic musician and multi-instrumentalist and winner of the 2019 Nordic Council Music Prize. She was an original member of the experimental music group Múm and has released four full-length solo albums, created music for films, installations, theater and dance.
Mazen Marrouf is a Palestinian-Icelandic writer, translator, journalist and poet, born in 1978. He has more than five publications, and translated many novels from Icelandic into Arabic including the novels of several Icelandic writers. In 2019, his short story Jokes for the Gunmen was long-listed the Man Booker International Prize. Some of his poetry works and novels have been translated into many languages including English, French, Italian, and Spanish.