Recently, I was a guest on Open Book on BBC Radio 4, hosted by Mariella Frostrup. The reason for my appearance on the show was to talk about the Icelandic Yule Book Flood—the Icelandic Christmas tradition of giving books as Christmas presents, which has lead to almost 80% of each years books being published in the two months leading up to Christmas. I did my best to dispel some of the more rosy mythos surrounding the tradition, putting it into context while also acknowledging the pleasures of this quirk of the Icelandic publishing industry. Naturally, I also did my utmost to bring attention to some of the authors who’s books are taking part in this year’s book flood, although the names of those authors not available in English—as of yet—unsurprisingly ended up on the cutting room floor.
rithöfundur og stöff