Iceland review - 2013, Page 22

20 ICELAND REVIEW
For the Love of
Literature
Jóhann Páll Valdimarsson, who runs the largest publishing house in Iceland, discusses
the affection Icelanders have for reading, how foreign publishers are increasingly discovering the talent
of Icelandic authors and his love affair with book publishing.
book publisher Jóhann Páll Valdi mars son greets
me with a warm smile when we meet at the
bustling Reykjavík wharf one breezy day in June.
Opting for tea himself, he invites me to a cup of
latte before we take a seat in one of Café Haiti’s vintage sofas. He
accepts a glass of water, stressing the importance of staying hydrated
throughout the day, adding that what keeps him energized in his
busy life is having a fruit boost for lunch. Jóhann runs Forlagið, the
largest publishing house in Iceland with a 25 percent market share.
Bookworm in thE FAmily
Forlagið is as family-run as a company can get. Jóhann’s son
Egill Örn Jóhannsson serves as managing director, daughter-
in-law Þórhildur Garðarsdóttir financial director, wife Guðrún
Sigfúsdóttir editor, daughter Sif Jóhannsdóttir project manager
for publishing, son Valdimar Jóhannsson office worker, brother
Ásgeir Már Valdimarsson sales representative and Egill’s mother-in-
law Aðalheiður Sigurðardóttir works in book keeping. “Forlagið
publishes about 200 new titles annually, which includes translated
works of literature, and, in addition, there are many republica-
tions,” says Jóhann. “Our policy is to publish good books of all
genres.” Releasing books under the labels JPV, Mál og menning,
Vaka Helgafell and Iðunn, Forlagið is one of the few success stories
in Icelandic book publishing, earning Jóhann and his son Egill the
title Businesspeople of the Year from prestigious business magazine
Frjáls verslun in 2012.
“I founded JPV as a small family-run business in 2001,” Jóhann
says of the forerunner to Forlagið. “I did it because of my passion
for books and wanted to keep it small and cozy. It proved successful
and the business grew. It was never my policy to become big or the
biggest.” Jóhann launched his career at Iðunn, a publishing com-
pany founded by his father, Valdimar Jóhannsson, in 1945. Jóhann
By eygLó SvALA ArNArSdóTTIr PHOTOS By PáLL STeFáNSSoN
took over the reins in 1974, making Iðunn the largest company in
book publishing in Iceland, but after ten years he decided to found
his own business. Eventually, JPV merged with other publishing
houses in 2007 and became Forlagið.
“The main problem we face today is to have to cut back and
not increase titles—we reject a myriad of scripts every year. Many
of them are promising but hopefully we publish the best. We can’t
handle any more. There isn’t a market for it. We don’t want to get
ahead of ourselves. Restraint must be upheld in every division,
otherwise it wouldn’t work. Not much has to happen for us to land
on the wrong side of the line—every króna counts.” But it isn’t
all about the money, Jóhann points out. “We emphasize our cul-
tural obligation,” he says in reference to taking a chance on young,
promising authors and publishing children’s books, which doesn’t
generate much profit. “We must care for the nation’s youth. Even
though we’re running a private business, we take that responsibility
seriously.” Jóhann stresses that it’s not a given that children will grow
up loving books as much as their parents and grandparents and that
they too must be provided with quality reading material to develop
an affection for literature.
Affection is the driving force behind book publishing, Jóhann
explains. “I have to be mindful to keep my passion and enthusiasm
alive when running my business. If I’m depressed, everything goes
downhill. I must make sure to spread the love within the company
and make sure that it’s carried into every book that is published. I
believe that the reader can feel it when he or she touches the book,
that it’s the result of a labor of love. Without it, the book is dead.”
rEBirth oF A SElF-imAgE
Last year, a new record of 842 titles appeared on the Icelandic mar-
ket, a large share of which hit the stores in the weeks preceding the
holidays. The Christmas book season, jólabókaflóð (‘Christmas book