Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.07.2019, Síða 42

42The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 11— 2019
Prison And
Paradise
Eminent UK poets share letters with Iceland
Words: a rawlings & Felix Robertson Photos: Kristín Viðarsdóttir
Literary Event
'Letters To Iceland' occurred on
June 21st-22nd
Reykjavík’s literary world cel-
ebrated solstice with a duet of
events featuring heavyweight UK
authors Simon Armitage, Lavin-
ia Greenlaw and Paul Muldoon.
As one of Ireland’s foremost po-
ets, Muldoon has published over
thirty collections, including works
that have won him a Pulitzer Prize
and the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poet-
ry. He held the Oxford Professor
of Poetry post from 1999-2004, a
post that is now held by Armitage.
As a poet, novelist, and transla-
tor, Armitage is similarly highly
acclaimed for his lifetime com-
mitment to literature. Armitage
recently received the position of
Britain’s Poet Laureate. Greenlaw’s
impressive catalogue includes li-
bretti, soundworks, novels, and
poetry. Her book ‘Questions of
Travel: William Morris in Iceland’
a n n o t a t e s
19th-century
tex ti le de-
signer and
author Wil-
l i a m Mor-
r i s ’ t r ave l
writing with
h e r o w n
poetic sup-
p o s i t i o n s .
W h i l e
each author
h a s prev i-
ou sly v i s it e d
Iceland, this is
the first time
they appear to-
gether in the
country for lit-
era r y event s.
A rmitage has
previously vis-
i t e d I c e l a n d
while w riting
‘Mo on C o u n -
t r y ’ t o get her
with Glyn Max-
well, and Greenlaw spent time
here while researching her po-
etic meditation on Morris’ trav-
els through Iceland in the 1870s.
Co-organised by the Univer-
sity of Iceland‘s Institute of Re-
search in Literature and Visual
Arts and the Reykjavík UNESCO
City of Literature, the events fo-
cused on an interview session as
well as a book launch and read-
ings. The events are an extension
of Sjón’s organizational efforts for
the 2017 conference “The Tower
at the End of the World,” an im-
pressive gathering on island lit-
erature held in the Faroe Islands.
Unfurling connections
Friday’s public conversation at
Veröld focused on unfurling po-
etic connections between Iceland
and the British Isles. Greenlaw,
Muldoon, and Armitage were
joined by translators and scholars
Kristín Svava Tómasdóttir, Aðal-
steinn Ásberg Sigurðsson, and
Sveinn Yngvi Egilsson to explore
literary intersections in the north.
One recurring theme was the
remote and isolated nature of Ice-
land. “It was
at the top left
of the map,”
said Armitage,
describing his
own fascina-
tion with Ice-
land in con-
versation with
Sveinn Yngvi
Egi lsson. “It
always felt al-
l u r i n g a n d
myster iou s.”
Armitage also
suggested that the
nature of islands
themselves may
have held a key
appeal, describ-
ing how they hold
a “contrast both
of prison, ma-
roon ment, and
also paradise.” He
suggested that the
nature of Great
Britain as an is-
land may well have meant writers
such as W.H. Auden and William
Morris felt an affinity with Iceland.
Sense of removal
Greenlaw suggested that this could
have been a key reason why it drew
Morris in particular to Iceland in
the 1870s, emphasising his desire
to escape his increasingly un-
happy marriage and for a sense of
removal. Though nearly 150 years
have passed since Morris’ expe-
riences in Iceland, his accounts
may resonate with tourists today.
Greenlaw explained that Mor-
ris was outraged to discover that
there were already British travel-
lers in Iceland “and that there was
rubbish and litter at the geysers.”
But it was perhaps the social
aspect that really struck Morris
the most. His famous quote—“the
most grinding poverty is a trifling
evil compared with the inequality
of classes”—may well have been
influenced by his experience of
the already relatively classless
Icelandic society. Greenlaw as-
serted how this initially came as
a shock to Morris’ “wealthy Vic-
torian confidence.” “People would
come up and talk to him,” de-
scribed Greenlaw. “He could look
at the place, but was surprised
that the place could look back.”
Interesting tension
For the second event held at the
Nordic House, the fine literary
press Dimma published bilingual
editions of poetry books by each
author in a series called ‘Letters
to Iceland.’ Greenlaw’s “Kennsl”
(meaning identification or recog-
nition) was translated by Magnús
Sigurðsson, while Sjón translated
Muldoon’s “Seven poems” as “Sjö
ljóð.” Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir
handled the translation of Ar-
mitage’s “Þaðan sem við horfum”
(“From there we look”). Poets and
translators read aloud excerpts
from the books at the launch.
In addition to these events,
Muldoon, Greenlaw, and Armit-
age attended a guided tour of
Kjarvalsstaðir’s exhibition “Sölvi
Helgason: Blómsturheimar,” in
the same space where Morris’
exhibition “Alræði fegurðar!” is
now in residence through Octo-
ber 10th. They also met with first
lady Eliza Reid at Bessastaðir,
and visited Borgarfjörður for the
Settlement Centre and the Borg á
Mýrum church where Iceland-UK
connections were emphasised.
Of her experiences in Ice-
land, Greenlaw commented that
“there’s always a sense of possi-
bility. You can stand on the sea
and look out. You feel both a sense
of travel and being held back.
It’s an interesting tension.”
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Powerhouse poets drop the mic at Veröld
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