The Reykjavík International Literature Festival has been operating since 1985. This pleasant festival is a meeting place for readers and authors and a lively forum for discussions about literature, fiction, social issues and much more, because literature touches many people and the topics covered are countless.
Admission to the events is free and they are open to everyone. Conversations are held in English, but readings are in the authors’ native language.
See the festival program by clicking here.
Events at the Nordic House are the following :
24. Apríl:
Speaker: ABDULRAZAK GURNAH OG KULUK HELM
at 11:00
Kuluk Helms is an artist who stands at the crossroads of two cultures. She has a Greenlandic mother and a Danish father, and lives and works in Denmark. She is a performance artist, mask dancer, poet, actress, and teacher, known for her lively and entertaining stage presence.
Abdulrazak Gurnah was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania. He is the author of ten highly acclaimed novels, among them Paradise, which was shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize. His latest book, Afterlives was published in 2020. Abdulrazak Gurnah teaches English Literature at the University of Kent in Canterbury. In 2021, Abdulrazak Gurnah received the Nobel Prize in literature.
The discussion will be moderated by journalist Þóra Arnórsdóttir.
Speaker: CLAIRE KEEGAN OG DINÇER GÜÇYETER
at 12:00
Claire Keegan is an Irish author who has gained widespread popularity worldwide for her works, which have been translated into more than 30 languages. Keegan is highly decorated and her novella Small Things Like These was named the best book of the 21st century by The New York Times. Keegan has published four collections of short stories and two novellas.
Rosie Goldsmith moderates the event.
Speaker: PAJTIM STATOVCI
at 13:00
Pajtim Statovci was born in Kosovo and is of Albanian descent. As a child, he fled the Yugoslav Wars, and his family settled in Finland. Pajtim is the author of three novels that have triumphed worldwide and won multiple awards.
Rosie Goldsmith moderates the discussion.
Speaker: ANDEV WALDEN
at 14:00
Walden is a Swedish journalist living in Stockholm and working as a columnist for Dagens Nyheter, one of the country’s leading newspapers. He made a breakthrough in Sweden with his debut novel Bloody Men, which was published in Icelandic by Benedikt Publishing and translated by Þórdís Gísladóttir. The book won Sweden’s most prestigious literary award, the August Prize, and received significant attention internationally.
Lóa Björk Björnsdóttir will moderate the discussion with Andrev Walden.
Speaker: THOMAS KORSGAARD
at 15:00
Thomas Korsgaard is a Danish author who made his breakthrough at the age of only 21 with the book If a Human Should Happen to Pass By, which was the first book in a trilogy inspired by the author’s life, difficult home circumstances, and upbringing. Korsgaard was once homeless and lived on the streets when he submitted his first manuscript.
Sune De Souza Schmidt-Hansen will moderate the discussion with Thomas Korsgaard.
Accessibility in Elissa auditorium is good, there is a low threshold into the hall. On the same floor is a toilet with good access and changing facilities. There is a ramp leading to the Nordic House from the parking lot, and an automatic button at the main door. Further questions about accessibility can be sent to: kolbrun(at)nordichouse.is
