Reykjavík City Library is inviting foreign tourists and other non-Icelandic speakers to participate in literary walks in English around the capital every Thursday in July and August.
From a literary walk in 2007. Austurvöllur square. Photo by Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.
The goal is to present Icelandic literature to tour participants and through the literature shed light on the capital’s history, a press release explains.
The guide is literary expert Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir. She is accompanied by American actor Darren Foreman, who lives in Iceland, and actress María Thórdardóttir, who take turns in performing readings from the books presented during the walk.
Participants in the walk stop at different locations that are introduced in a historical context and in relation to a certain chapter in a story.
Locations include the Settlement Exhibition on Adalstraeti where the first settlers and the Icelandic sagas are introduced, Laekjartorg square where the work of Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness is presented and the Culture House where a chapter from a thriller by Yrsa Sigurdardóttir is read.
The walks, which take about an hour and a half, are Reykjavík City Library’s contribution to cultural tourism.
The walks begin at Grófarhús, the downtown library building on Tryggvagata 15, at 5 pm every Thursday this month and next. Participation is free.
Click here to watch an audio slideshow of a literary walk in Reykjavík in 2007.
