Language/Icelandic/Culture/Literature-and-Arts

Iceland Literature and Arts

Iceland has one of Europe’s highest literacy rates, and Icelanders pride themselves on their literary history. The Sagas, prose narratives of historic or legendary figures and events of the heroic age of Norway and Iceland, were written from 1200-1350. A selection of the original manuscripts can be viewed at the Culture House in Reykjavik.

Iceland has had one Nobel Prize winner for literature, Halldór Kiljan Laxness (1902-1998). Among his most acknowledged works are the novels Independent People (Sjálfstætt folk 1934-5) and The Bell o f Iceland (íslandsklukkan 1943-6). Some of his novels have been adapted for the screen, for example The Atom Station (Atómstöðin 1948) directed by Þorsteinn Jónsson (1984) and The Honour o f the House (Ungfrúin góða og húsið) directed by Guðný Halldórsdóttir (1999).

Guðbergur Bergsson (b. 1932), another renowned Icelandic writer, wrote The Swan (Svanurinn) in 1991. He has been awarded the Swedish Academy’s Nordic Literature Prize, which is one of the most distinguished Nordic awards for literature.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in Icelandic mysteries. The most successful writer within that genre is Amaldur Indriðason. An adaptation of his book Jar City (Mýrin 2000) directed by Baltasar Kormákur was the most popular film in Iceland in 2006. Hallgrimur Helgason is another popular contemporary writer. His best known novel, 101 Reykjavik (1996), was also made into a film by Baltasar Kormákur (2000).

Iceland has also exported many famous musicians, including Björk, The Sugarcubes, Sigur Rós, Múm, Quarashi, and GusGus. Ari Alexander Magnússon’s documentary Screaming Masterpiece (Gargandi snilld 2005) shows footage from concerts and interviews from some of the most talented musicians in Iceland today.

Iceland has a vibrant cultural scene and it should not be a problem for visitors to find cultural happenings. Events and perfomances are organized by The Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, The Icelandic Opera, The National Art Gallery, The Reykjavik Art Gallery, The Icelandic Dance Corporation, The National Theatre, and by various institutions, museums, galleries, and venues around the country.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: People, The best nightlife spots in Reykjavík & Djammið How to Party in Reykjavík.

Sources

https://islensku.ucoz.ru/BeginnersIcelandic.pdf

Other Lessons

• Climate
• Djammið How to Party in Reykjavík
• Economy
• People
• The best nightlife spots in Reykjavík
• Religion
• Dress Code and Age Limit for Partying
• Government
• Iceland Timeline
• Geography
• Dialects
• Names
• History