Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.11.2013, Blaðsíða 23

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have done almost everything. I
have offered to work in the coat
check to make up for it.
What/who are some of the
events, panels, or speakers that
you are most excited about?
I think all events have their merits,
and the nice thing about the panel
format is that you get varying voices
and opinions, which tends to make
things livelier. Anne Cleeves is, of
course, the most distinguished for-
eign writer attending and we are
really pleased as well to have Ar-
naldur Indriðason participating as
the guest of honour.
How would you describe the
crime writing community in Ice-
land?
Friendly. Crime writers in Iceland,
like elsewhere, are nice and decent
people. There is not a lot of hook-
ing up as a group here, but when
we do meet it is always enjoyable. I
was told by a foreign photographer
who specialises in photographing
authors that the crime writers are
usually very funny and sweet, while
humour writers are very bleak and
depressed in person. I can verify
the crime writer bit, but do not
know enough humour writers to
make a call on that conclusion.
Who are some of the Icelandic
crime authors you would like to
see gain a greater audience?
I think people would be surprised
to know how many Icelandic crime
writers and authors in general are
in translation. Unfortunately, I am
unable to quote any percentages
but it is a hefty amount. To be hon-
est, it would make me very happy if
they all became hugely successful.
I am also sure that some will, it is
just very hard to say which ones. If
it was easy to predict the public's
opinion of books, i.e. what will sell
and what won't, then publishing
wouldn't be as tough a game as it
is. Neither would writing.
Jørn Lier Horst
Jørn Lier Horst is the former se-
nior investigation officer in the
police department in Larvik,
Norway. He is the author of nine
crime novels starring Police In-
spector William Wisting (also
of the Larvik police), and is the
first crime novelist to bump Jo
Nesbø from the top of the best-
seller lists in Norway.
What kind of challenges do you
face when trying to incorporate
your real life police experience
in your novels?

Only my first novel was based on
reality, and I had to balance the
content between fiction and fact.
In a way, I started my career as a
writer on my first working day in
the police: December 8, 1995. This
was the day when Ronald Ramm
was found raped and murdered
in his own home in my hometown
Larvik. It was a thrilling experience
to be in such a crime scene, seeing
how there had been a fight to the
death going from room to room un-
til it ended up in the outer corridors
where Ramm was found slain and
with hands tied. For a young police-
man, it was a very special feeling
to stride over the threshold into a
murder scene, knowing that I went
in the footsteps of an unknown kill-
er. The murder of Ronald Ramm has
been described as one of the most
bizarre and brutal killings in recent
Norwegian criminal history.
What really happened at that
time, 18 years ago, is still not
known. The killer has never been
caught. The murder mystery has
engaged me ever since. My debut
novel, ‘The Key Witness,’ is based
on this unsolved crime mystery,
and offers a fictional solution.
Viktor Arnar
Ingólfsson
Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson is the
author of seven crime novels,
and has been twice nominated
for the Glass Key Award. His
book “Daybreak” was adapted
for the 2008 TV crime series
‘Mannaveiðar’ (“Manhunt”).
Who is another author at the
festival that you are interested
in meeting or hearing speak,
and why?
I have met authors who were not
much fun to be with, but I’ve never
met a boring crime writer. I look
forward to meeting and getting to
know all of them.
Which of your own novels is
your favourite and why?
Which of your children is your fa-
vourite? There are not many who
can or are willing to answer that
question. ‘House of Evidence’ was
with me for many, many years.
‘The Flatey Enigma’ takes place on
a very special island I knew very
well. ‘Daybreak’ was the first of my
books to make it to the screen. Ev-
ery one of them is special in some
way.
I believe that you have a full-
time job in addition to writing—
is it difficult to balance these
two work lives? Would you want
to write full time if you could?
My life is good as it is. I have a day
job I really like, excellent co-work-
ers and a decent coffee machine at
the workplace. Occasionally it’s fun
to think of new ways to kill people,
but I don‘t need to do that all the
time.
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