Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.01.2018, Blaðsíða 5

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 1. janúar 2018 • 5
It may surprise you, but
Iceland is one of the most
literarily engaged countries
– in fact, one in ten Icelanders
will publish a book in their
lifetimes! With a culture that’s
so deeply rooted in the love
for literature, Iceland has
dedicated a yearly holiday
tradition, Jólabókaflóð, to
a countrywide gifting and
appreciation of books.
Loosely translated as “the
book flood of Christmas,” for
Icelandic readers it’s a chance
to bask in the unique world
that books create for every
single reader, and to share that
wonder with beloved friends
and family members.
Recently, we spoke to
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, one
of Iceland’s most prolific,
varied authors, about this
lovely literary celebration.
As a wildly imaginative
writer of everything from
crime thrillers (like the Glass
Key nominee and Icelandic
Crime Fiction Award-winning
I Remember You: A Ghost
Story) to children’s books,
and an equally enthusiastic
reader, Yrsa offered wondrous
and candid insights on
Jólabókaflóð, the traditions
spun around it, and what
North Americans might take
away from this cherished and
heartfelt holiday.
Read It Forward: Yrsa,
thank you so much for speaking
with us. We’ve heard that
Jólabókaflóð is best translated
as “the Yule book flood,” and
that it’s when Icelandic readers
celebrate the rush of newly
published books before the
holiday season. Is it true that
every December in Iceland,
publishing houses release a
flood of new books into the
market, and every household
receives a complimentary
catalog detailing and delving
into all of the new offerings?
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir: The
catalog, Bókatíðindi, is sent
to every household and
completely devoured by the
public upon its arrival. I think
it’s fair to say that probably all
hardcover novels by Icelandic
authors are published in
October and November so
that they’ll be a part of the
Christmas book flood.
During this “flood,” a large
portion of the annual sales for
hardcover novels takes place.
The rest of the year, people
often buy small paperback
books or use the libraries to
catch up on what they missed
during the Christmas season.
Other formats haven’t caught
on in a big way, so eBooks and
audiobooks aren’t a big part of
our book market.
RIF: Have Icelanders been
giving each other books at
the holidays since the Second
World War when foreign
imports were expensive and
scarce?
Yrsa: I’m not sure when
this happened, but that sounds
very likely. Even before World
War II, foreign imports were a
luxury and more expensive, so
I’m sure books were big before
that. I’m basing that on the fact
that literature and reading have
always been held in very high
regard here.
RIF: Is the book still
the most popular Christmas
present in Iceland?
Yrsa: Absolutely, books
remain the number one
Christmas present here! In
fact, it’s considered a total flop
Christmas if you do not get a
book! Even the news programs
in December report on which
books are doing well and
which ones top the charts.
We open our presents on
Christmas Eve, not Christmas
Day morning like in many other
countries. So, most people end
the evening by settling down
on a sofa with one of the gifted
books they got and reading. It’s
really relaxing and charming,
especially if it’s snowing and
cold outside. And in the days
that follow, people chat about
what books they got and how
much they’re enjoying the
read.
RIF: Have you and your
family given books to one
another at Christmas? And
as such a devoted author and
reader, what do you think is
so wonderful about giving one
another a book at the holidays?
Yrsa: I always give my
parents a book each, and my
children give me and their
father a book as well. I’m
afraid that they in return
expect something a bit more
elaborate, but they do get
books from our pets (chosen
by me, secretly!).
I think giving a book as
a present is more thoughtful
than many other things
because you really need to
put a lot of consideration into
the selection. It’s not only a
feel-good present to get, but
also to give since you know
you’re contributing to the
receiver’s intellect and broader
perspective. So it’s win-win all
the way!
RIF: And finally, are the
books wrapped in any particular
way for Jólabókaflóð?
Yrsa: Oh, it’s good that
you asked! The books make
such wonderful presents
because of their shape. They’re
so easy to pack, so this very
much works in their favor!
For Jólabókaflóð, they’re
wrapped in Christmas paper
and decorated with bows and
curled ribbon in the normal
holiday fashion.
Abbe Wright is the editor of
Read It Forward. As a kid, she
used to get in trouble at summer
camp for using a flashlight to
read inside her sleeping bag
after lights out, but these days,
she lives in Brooklyn, where
nobody minds if she stays up
late reading. She has written
for Glamour, O, The Oprah
Magazine and The Cut and
tweets about books (and The
Bachelor) at @abbewright.
© Read It Forward –
readitforward.com. Used
with permission.
Abbe Wright
Read It Forward
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PHOTO: JENNA BOHOLIJ
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir at McNally Robinson Booksellers last October
Wouldn’t your amma and afi be proud?
THE ICELANDIC NATIONAL LEAGUE OF NORTH AMERICA
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Email: inl@mts.net www.inlofna.org
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What Jólabókaflóð means to me