Reykjavík Unesco City of Literature
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Reykjavík unesco City of Literature Reykjavík unesco City of Literature Reykjavík unesco City of Literature Reykjavík City of Steering Committee Fridbjörg Ingimarsdóttir Submission writers: Literature submission Svanhildur Konrádsdóttir Director Audur Rán Thorgeirsdóttir, (Committee Chair) Hagthenkir – Kristín Vidarsdóttir Audur Rán Thorgeirsdóttir Director Association of Writers (point person) Reykjavík City of Non-Fiction and Literature Trail: Project Manager Department of Culture Educational Material Reykjavík City Library; Reykjavík City and Tourism Kristín Vidarsdóttir and Department of Culture Esther Ýr Thorvaldsdóttir Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir and Tourism Signý Pálsdóttir Executive Director Tel: (354) 590 1524 Head of Cultural Office Nýhil Publishing Project Coordinator: [email protected] Reykjavík City Svanhildur Konradsdóttir audur.ran.thorgeirsdottir Department of Culture Gudrún Dís Jónatansdóttir @reykjavík.is and Tourism Director Translator: Gerduberg Culture Centre Helga Soffía Einarsdóttir Kristín Vidarsdóttir Anna Torfadóttir (point person) City Librarian Gudrún Nordal Date of submission: Project Manager/Editor Reykjavík City Library Director January 2011 Reykjavík City The Árni Magnússon Institute Department of Culture and Audur Árný Stefánsdóttir for Icelandic Studies Photography: Tourism/Reykjavík City Library Head of Primary and Lower Cover and chapter dividers Tel: (354) 411 6123/ (354) 590 1524 Secondary Schools Halldór Gudmundsson Raphael Pinho [email protected] Reykjavík City Director [email protected] Department of Education Sagenhaftes Island – Typeface: Iceland Guest of Honour Garamond Premier Pro Pétur Gunnarsson Frankfurt Book Fair 2011 Designed by Robert Slimbach Writer Adobe Systems Incorporated Writer's Union of Iceland Hrafnhildur Ragnarsdóttir Director Graphic Design: Rúnar Helgi Vignisson Centre for Research on Language, Atelier Atli Hilmarsson Assistant Professor Literacy and Development University of Iceland Published by School of Humanities Kristín Bragadóttir Reykjavík City Director of National Collection Department of Culture Sigurdur Svavarsson National Library of Iceland and Tourism Publisher Ingólfsnaust, Vesturgata 1 Icelandic Publishers Association Max Dager 101 Reykjavík Director Thorgerdur Agla Magnúsdóttir The Nordic House © Reykjavík City 2011 Director The Icelandic Literature Fund Sigurdur Valgeirsson No part of this publication Chair may be reproduced or transmitted, Collaborators Reykjavík International in any form or by any means, elec- Audur Hauksdóttir Literature Festival tronic, mechanical, photocopying, Director recording or otherwise, without The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Thórdís Gísladóttir the prior written permission of Institute of Foreign Languages Project Manager the copyright owners. International Children's Gudný Dóra Gestsdóttir Literature Festival Director Gljúfrasteinn www.bokmenntaborgin.is The House of Halldór Laxness www.cityofliterature.is 8 Introduction 10 Reykjavík – History and Culture 12 History and Language 16 The Place 19 The Green City 21 The People 25 Economy and Administration 28 Cultural Landscape 36 Summary of Icelandic Literary History 38 Middle Ages 43 The Árni Magnússon Manuscript Collection 44 Hallgrímur Pétursson and Religious Literature 47 Folklore and Folk Poetry 50 Romanticism and the Struggle for Independence 52 Contemporary Prose 58 Contemporary Poetry 60 Literature for Children and Young Adults 64 Translations 66 Reykjavík – a City of Literature 68 Literature in the City Landscape 74 Festivals, Events and Awards 88 Libraries and Digital Media 94 Education, Literacy and Literature 100 Literature and Academics 106 Book Publishing, Bookstores and Media 114 Looking to The Future 120 Appendix 122 Publishers in the Capital Area 123 Literature and Culture in Reykjavík – Websites 124 Translated Literature 130 Visiting Writers 130 Event Calendar 134 Literary Trail – Authors and Works Literature trail 22 16/19 26 36 39 41 57 63/73 50 44 76 81 85 117/118 96 112 90 99/104 109 110 You can trace literature in Reykjavík by following the literary trail through this publication. The trail gives a few samples of Icelandic literature from different times, connected to the city in various ways. The numbers indi- cate the page number for each stop. Letter of Endorsement I firmly believe that Reykjavík as a Reykjavík, August 18, 2010 City of Literature can both inspire and communicate valuable lessons. We are Reykjavík is the northernmost capital in dedicated to cultural exchange and the the world. It is a small city but with big dissemination of ideas between different ideas. The community is open minded and creative cities. We will use this opportunity culturally active. One of the main objectives to form partnerships and to be an active of the City of Reykjavík is to play a leading member of the international network of cultural role as the capital of Iceland. Creative Cities. We see culture as an increasingly important factor in the city's economic life and vision If Reykjavík were to be designated the status for the future. of UNESCO City of Literature, it would open up new and valuable opportunities for Many of the projects we are proposing the benefit of Icelanders, Icelandic culture involve spreading knowledge and inspiring and literature in general. more passion for literature. Our aim is especially to inspire children and young people. Furthermore, the City of Reykjavík is committed to starting a Centre for Literature in Reykjavík in cooperation with our key partners involved in this application. By doing so, we will be making our heritage and modern literature more visible and accessible in the city. Jón Gnarr Mayor of Reykjavík Reykjavík has a lot to offer as a UNESCO City of Literature. Introduction The city is the capital, and in fact Iceland's only city, and as such, it plays a vital role in all cultural life in the country. The city is home to Iceland's main cultural institutions, Iceland is often referred to as the Saga boasts a flourishing arts scene and is renowned as a crea- tive city with a diverse range of cultural happenings and Island, and Icelanders have long defined dynamic grassroots activities. Most of the country's writers themselves as a literary nation. Literature live in the city, and it also provides the setting for the ma- jority of contemporary Icelandic literature – a development is without a doubt the strongest aspect of that has gone hand in hand with the rapid expansion of the cultural history of the people that settled the city in the past 100 years or so. Book publishing is go- ing strong, with more titles published per capita in Iceland this northerly island in the ninth century than in any other country, and public participation in liter- and immediately started recounting its story ary events and life is also considerable compared to other countries. The city has a number of cultural institutions, and committing it to calfskin two centuries such as the National Theatre of Iceland and the Reykjavík later. This great emphasis on the art of ar- City Theatre as well as the Icelandic Opera, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Reykjavík Art Museum, the Na- ticulation has followed the nation ever since tional Gallery, the National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavík and is one of the cornerstones of its identity City Museum and the National Centre for Cultural Herit- age. Reykjavík has a robust public library, and statistics and history, not least because of the status of show that Reykjavík City Library is extremely well-utilized Icelandic medieval literature at home and by the public. Circulation has steadily increased in recent years, with Reykjavík inhabitants frequenting the library abroad. and actively using its diverse services. Reykjavík is home to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, the centre of the Icelandic Sagas, the Eddas and other medieval literature that established Iceland as one of the most renowned literary nations of the world. The institute preserves manuscripts, conducts research and publishes texts for the public, in addition to providing research facilities and tutoring to foreign scholars and students. The Arnamagnean Manuscript Col- lection was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register on July 31, 2009. Reykjavík is also home to numer- ous other institutions and organizations operating in the literary sector, such as the University of Iceland – which has the country's most extensive academic literature pro- grams, the country's principal publishing houses, writers' associations, and the National Library of Iceland. July 31, 2009 The Arnamagnean Manuscript Collection was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register 8 Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature The Reykjavík International Literature Festival has been a operate within the sector – everyone from writers to all the biennial event since 1985. In addition, Reykjavík has pre- different parties that promote literature to the public. In sented a biennial international children's literature festival order to successfully coordinate these efforts in an effective since 2001, a yearly international poetry festival, and the and powerful way, Reykjavík City will establish a Centre annual Reykjavík Arts Festival. These festivals are an im- for Literature in Reykjavík together with its key partners in portant factor in promoting Icelandic and international lit- the field. Reykjavík wants to celebrate its literary heritage erature to the people and visitors of Reykjavík, in addition by promoting literature