Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.10.2017, Síða 42

Books 42The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 19 — 2017
Lesbian Crime Fiction
From Iceland
Lilja Sigurðardóttir's ‘Snare’ published in the UK
Words: Björn Halldórsson Photo: Gunnar Freyr Steinsson
This October, a new Icelandic au-
thor launched into the expanding
genre of Scandinavian crime fic-
tion available in English. Lilja Sig-
urðardóttir's thriller ‘Snare’ is the
first in her Reykjavík Noir Trilogy,
published by UK-based Oreanda
Books, home of fellow crime author
Ragnar Jónasson. Early reviews
of ‘Snare’ have mentioned that it
brings something fresh to the genre.
L e s b i a n c r i m e f i c t i o n
One aspect of this freshness could
be that a major theme of the book
revolves around an unstable yet
passionate love affair between two
major protagonists—both women
in their forties. For Lilja, writing
about queer characters originates
both from personal interest, and
an interest in creating something
new for the world of crime fiction.
“It’s all about untold stories,” Lilja
explains. “Most of Western litera-
ture revolves around straight white
men. Don’t get me wrong, some
of my favourite books and plays
are in that category. But I find it
interesting that the world today
is waking up to new stories that
haven’t been told before. Creating
characters that are different—in
my case, lesbian characters—is a
wonderful experience, because it’s
something new for the reader, but
also because I have a passion for it.”
The importance of foreign markets
This freshness might also be
grounded in the unique voice she
has as an Icelandic woman writer
on the international literary scene.
Despite a resurgence in transla-
tions in recent years, the avail-
ability of Icelandic female authors
in English is low when compared
to the gender balance of the local
literary landscape, despite one of
Iceland's best known crime au-
thors being Yrsa Sigurðardóttir.
“Yrsa has been a great inspiration
to me, and one of my main support-
ers,” Lilja says. “Foreign markets
are very important for Icelandic
writers, as they offer larger sales
than our mini-market here at
home. They also offer connections
and inspirations. I learn so much
when I go to festivals where I get
to meet other crime writers. I’ve
noticed, though, that being from
such a small, strange place makes
you an ambassador wherever you
go. People ask me as many ques-
tions about Iceland as about my
books. I think that's wonderful.
I'm very proud to represent Ice-
land abroad, and do my best not
to embarrass my compatriots.”
A crime writer and a playwright
Lilja has also earned critical ac-
claim as a playwright, and won
the Play of the Year award in 2014.
She says there are many similari-
ties between writing crime fiction
and writing for the stage. “I like
form,” she says. “That’s why I love
writing for the theatre. You can
play with form but a play still has
to have certain elements to work
for an audience. Crime fiction is
the same. It has to work for the
crime fiction reader, who has cer-
tain expectations, but it also likes
to bend the rules. I find this battle
with the form fascinating. It's a
real struggle to get right at times.”
The theatre also gave Lilja an af-
finity for some of the traits that a
crime author must have. “Work-
ing with actors improved my
skills for constructing dialogue,”
she explains. “Using humour as a
key also comes from the theatre.
When you have a funny scene or
an awkward moment people let
down their guard and open their
hearts a little. That’s when you have
a chance to jump in and break their
heart or scare them to death.”
Get Your Read On
Recommended Icelandic books in English
Words: Björn Halldórsson
Each issue, we take a look at two
Icelandic titles old and new, avail-
able in English at most Reyk-
javík bookstores. If you’d like
more ideas, or to read more on
Icelandic literature, head over
to gpv.is/lit for in-depth author
interviews, guides, and more
book reviews.
Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson -
Walking into the Night
William Randolph Hearst's lavish
estate, San Simeon, is scrupulously
managed by his private butler Chris-
tian, who caters to the aging media
mogul's every demand with im-
measurable patience. But this quiet
butler is in fact a haunted man, con-
sumed by memories of the family
he left behind in Iceland, when his
name was still Kristján Benedikts-
son. Through a series of unsent let-
ters, he tries to make amends with
the ghosts of his past, explaining to
his wife why he chose to walk into
the night one evening while the
family slept. Kristján, who is based
on Hearst's actual Icelandic but-
ler, is a conflicted character, seek-
ing penance but unable to ask for
forgiveness due to the constraints
of pride and shame. The past un-
coils itself into the present in Óla-
fur's flowing style. He escorts us
from the oppressive regime of the
Hearst household to the isolated
townscapes of Iceland, and finally
to the glamorous roaring twenties
of pre-Depression era New York.
Steinunn Sigurðardóttir -
Place of the Heart
Single mother Harpa sets out to re-
locate her teenage daughter Edda at
the other side of the country, with
hopes of removing her from the
Reykjavík drug scene and it's unsa-
voury characters. On this 48-hour
journey, Harpa's flustered yet lyrical
narrative voice guides us through
the Icelandic landscape. All the
while, she desperately tries to con-
nect with her daughter, fluctuating
between a mother's tenderness and
a parent's righteous anger, accord-
ing to mood swings that almost
match those of her vitriolic daugh-
ter. ‘Place of the Heart’ has a tradi-
tional road novel premise, but is set
apart by Steinunn's jaunty and po-
etic writing style. Translator Philip
Roughton, recently nominated
for the Man Booker International
Prize, makes sure that the voice
is entirely Steinunn's, refusing to
simplify her language and instead
offering an elaborate glossary to
expand the reading experience.
gpv.is/lit
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