Deep North - Stories from Iceland
Fiction
Iceland Review publishes translations of short stories by Icelandic authors.
Features
Deep dives into current events, contemporary issues, and the lesser-seen sides of Icelandic society.
Interview
Interviews with artists, scholars, politicians or other notable figures in Iceland.
Photography
View Iceland through the lens of some of the country's most accomplished photographers.
Looking Back
Looking back in Iceland's history, at the curious incidents, colourful characters, and heroic deeds that shaped the nation.
Issues
From the Archive: The Ancient Art of Glíma
From the archive: In this 1999 article from Iceland Review, Jón Ívarson delves into the history of Icelandic wrestling. Note that this archival content may not necessarily reflect the current editorial standards of Iceland Review. The one truly Icelandic national
Net Profit
In 2021, when a lower capelin quota was issued in Iceland than had been anticipated, Landsbankinn bank lowered its GDP
Full Circle
Despite Iceland’s image as a leader in green technologies, per capita household waste has been steadily trending upwards in the
To the Manor Born
The story of the Baron of Hvítárvellir A bright, mild, late-summer Sunday greeted the festive locals in the Borgarfjörður region
The Quiet Game
FICTION The Quiet Game by Halla Þórlaug Óskarsdóttir I have twice been asked to stop screaming, both times in a
Full Haus
There are many theories as to what fosters creativity and innovation in society: education, inspiration, even suffering. Yet from SoHo
Júníus Meyvant – The Wonderer
Júníus Meyvant is always impersonating other people, and all the people he impersonates are always yelling. His father when he,
To the Vote
OUT OF THE EXACTLY 60 RESIDENTS OF SKORRADALUR, 47 ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. In 1910, there were 203 municipal councils in Iceland. Now there are fewer than half that number. During the 20th century, following centuries of economic stagnation, Iceland finally
Erró: Remembrances of a Titan
“Uuh!?” Urinary associations Suspended on a wall in the Reykjavík Art Museum, there’s a cardboard plaque displaying, among other things, the exposed penis of one of Iceland’s best-known visual artists. A major figure of the narrative-figuration movement in the 1960s, Erró hosted a “happening” at the American Centre in Paris in 1963, in which he […]
Aftershock
Picking up threads Auður’s novel centres on a woman waking up from a grand mal seizure, having lost her memory. As a single parent, she feels unable to let on how much she has forgotten because she fears losing custody
Stumbling Into Success
“I SOON REALISED THAT ACTING WASN’T THE MOST PRACTICAL OF PURSUITS … AND SO I WENT TO SWEDEN TO STUDY BALLAD SINGING.” THE ENTERTAINER Vigdís Hafliðadóttir is shuffling nervously in the foyer of the restaurant Nauthóll. Inhabiting a baggy brown shirt, sleeves partly rolled up, she eavesdrops as Valgarð Már Jakobsson, a teacher at Mosfellsbær […]
Grounded
Iceland’s nature is truly magnificent. Grand mountain ranges flanking bottomless fjords. Endless stretches of tundra and vast glaciers. Formidable rivers and thundering waterfalls. But what is there to see when you take your focus off the horizon and bring it closer: to the soil beneath your feet?
Neverland
For several months, Sólveig had started every day by playing a little game with herself. She’d wake up exactly 47 seconds before the alarm clock rang, lie completely still in bed, and count down in silence. 47…42, the bus drove past the house; 35, their upstairs neighbour slammed the front door; 21, the nextdoor neighbour […]
Finding the Energy to Change
The conversation about renewable energy is buzzing louder than ever before. Talk about methanol, in particular, is gaining traction across the automotive, marine, and electricity sectors, all of which have long relied on fossil fuels. A clean-burning, water-soluble and biodegradable electric fuel, methanol is the world’s simplest alcohol and is comprised of only hydrogen, oxygen, […]
Big Fish In Small Ponds
Blackport – a political thriller set in the remote Westfjords of the 1980s, documents what happens to a small fishing village when the Icelandic fishing quota system is implemented. If this doesn’t sound like the premise of a hit TV show to you – that’s understandable. But Blackport had Icelanders glued to their television sets […]
Idea Island
In the past few decades, startups have revolutionised how we communicate (Facebook), how we travel (Airbnb), and how we work (Zoom). They’ve also brought with them a new way of thinking about business, and even talking about it – one coloured with optimism. Who wouldn’t want to be part of the “idea economy,” joining a […]
Höfði
On a cold winter’s night in 1952, John Greenway, Great Britain’s Minister to Iceland, heard a loud bang and woke in his bed with a start. He was alone in the embassy, commonly known as Höfði house, which also served as his official residence. Intent on discovering the source of the disruption, he descended the […]
Keflavík Pt. 2
As far as kitchen metaphors are concerned, Iceland has always been less a melting pot and more a sandwich grill: a historical environment that, generation after generation, melds together a handful of related ingredients (Wonder Bread and white cheese, e.g.)
Keflavík
In this three-part series, Iceland Review explores the history and culture of Keflavík, as seen through the eyes of the locals. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. As far as kitchen metaphors are concerned, Iceland has always been less
