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Reykjavík International Literary Festival

19. - 23. April 2023

This biannual festival has been held since 1985 and is one of the most important literary festivals in Europe. Meet authors, attend readings and seminars or dance with your favourite author at the Literary Ball!  

Set in cosy venues in downtown Reykjavík every two years, the festival offers interesting and entertaining programs for literature enthusiasts. Over a span of more than 30 years, the festival has welcomed Nobel-prize winners, novelists, historians, political activists, philosophers, cartoonists and more to take part in lively programs.

All programs are in English and there’s no admission fee to the events.

For more information please visit the Reykjavík International Literary Festival website.

Events during the festival in 2023

Opening of the sixteenth edition of the Reykjavík International Literary Festival
Kirsten Hammann in conversation with Auður Jónsdóttir
Conversation: Orðstír, honorary award for translators from Icelandic into foreign languages
Literary Festival in Kanínuholan
Panel: Hannah Kent, Haukur Már and Kristín Svava
The Book Ball
Interview: Jenny Colgan
Interview: Gonçalo Tavares
Reykjavík International Literary Festival: The Football Match between writers and publishers
Panel: Jan Grue and Ewa Marcinek
Interview: Colson Whitehead
Conference: International Trends in Translation and Rights Sales
Readings: Gonçalo Tavares and Boualem Sansal
Panel: Jenny Colgan, Benný Sif and Pedro Gunnlaugur
Panel: Mariana Enriquez, Alejandro Palomas and Bragi Ólafsson
Panel: Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Alexander McCall Smith and Hannah Kent
"Not being heard is no reason for silence"
Lecture: Boualem Sansal on the situation of writers in Algeria
Interview: Åsne Seierstad
Q&A: Dina Nayeri. Who gets believed?
Interview: Alexander McCall Smith
Interview: Pedro Gunnlaugur Garcia
Poetry Night
Panel: Boualem Sansal, Kim Leine and Gonçalo Tavares
Panel: Júlía Margrét Einarsdóttir, Vigdis Hjorth and Alejandro Palomas
Panel: Lea Ypi, Jan Grue og Dina Nayeri
Icelandic literature on the silver screen — Icelandic Reading Book series
What is Political Progress?
Interview and reading: Gyrðir Elíasson
Panel: Vigdis Hjorth, Kim Leine and Kirsten Hammann
Interview: Lea Ypi
Interview: Åsne Seierstad in conversation with Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir
Panel: Colson Whitehead, Natasha S. and Kristín Eiríksdóttir
Panel: Hannah Kent and Þórunn Valdimarsdóttir
Panel: Örvar Smárason, Mariana Enriquez and Hildur Knútsdóttir
Publication of Writers Adrift, Essays by foreign born writers in Iceland

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