A Time Of Cranks: ‘Tómas Jónsson: Bestseller’ Finds An Audience In The United States
Last July saw the publication of an Icelandic post-modern classic by Open Letter Books, a small New York based publisher that has previously published the works of Bragi Ólafsson,
Dining Under the Dead Gaze of Shipwrecked Sailors
Fáskrúðsfjörður is one of those towns which can be unfairly overlooked as Route 1 connecting the tourist beacons of the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon in the southeast and Mýv
Night Buses In Reykjavík From 2018
As of next year buses in Reykjavík will run through the night on weekends and to 01:00 during the workweek, according to plans by the board of Strætó. The plan […]
Iceland’s Looming Sheep Crisis
One of Iceland’s best known exports is lamb meat. Last January, the country saw record domestic sales of lamb meat, attributed in part to the tourism boom, and just under [&helli
Reykjavík’s Cocaine Underworld Reawakens
So far this year, customs agents at Keflavík International Airport have intercepted 20.7 kg of cocaine coming into Iceland, which is more cocaine than has been seized in the past
The Honest. The Violent. Countess Malaise’s House Of Open Horror
Definition: malaise (noun; maˈleɪz) A feeling of general bodily discomfort, fatigue or unpleasantness, often at the onset of illness. An ambiguous feeling of mental or moral depr
Ghost Stories: Rusty The Really Unfriendly Ghost
This story begins back in November, 1784. A box of sixteen was fleeing a severe volcanic eruption in south Iceland, dressed in rags, contending with a snowstorm raging outside. He
The Epistemology Of Circulation: The Thoughtful Movements Of ‘Dear Human Being’
“I had a daughter nearly three years ago,” Valgerður Rúnarsdóttir, choreographer of ‘Dear Human Being,’ a new contemporary dance show premiering at Tjarnarbíó in Septe
Reykjavík Of Yore: A Towering Artist
Although we at Grapevine can be cynical about art, life and the purpose of everything—some people even think we are disrespectful or flat out rude about these things—there is o
Welcome To Theme Park 101: Impossible Prices, Citizen Flight And The Audacity Of Hope
101 Reykjavík has always been the beating cultural heart of Iceland; it is where Björk became a star, where Iceland Airwaves is held and where you go for a Bæjarins […]
Bolungarvík Town Guide: Camping, Family Trees, and Maritime Museums
The northernmost village in the Westfjords, Bolungarvík, is a fishing village that is home to 900 residents. Despite the small population, the town stands true to the adage of qua
Island Life: News From The Countryside
Your wait for the truth is finally over—you guessed it: record hay harvests were reported in East Iceland this summer! The bounty of edible grass was attributed to a number [&hel
Travel Tips From W.H. Auden: Letters From Iceland, Seventy Years Later
With fascism and nationalism beginning to take hold in a handful of western nations, two idealistic Oxonian poets realise their lifelong dream of traveling to Iceland, and publish
Road Trip: Hitchhiking In The Northeast Is Crazy
I used to hitchhike around Iceland fairly frequently. I’ve circled the Ring Road by thumb three times, and have traveled to various destinations this way. None of the trips I [&h
The Infection Is Spreading: Mold Skateboard’s Bright Muddy World
Amidst the shots of Harpa or selfies with those wooden Viking statues on Instagram, you’ll find plenty of pictures of people skateboarding. Yes, Reykjavík is a surprisingly skat
Foreigners Keep Icelanders From Naming Their Horses Curse Words
Turns out those keeping Icelandic horses from living their best name-lives are foreign horse buyers. So says Jón Baldur Lorange, project manager at WordFengur, the Studbook of Ori
Faces Of Reykjavík: Tamara
Icelanders are sometimes said to be reserved. So we at Grapevine decided to do a few of our reserved countrymen a favour and ask Reykjavík’s faces some of the questions [&he
Comic By Elín Elísabet
Elín Elísabet is an illustrator with an abnormal interest in the mundane. You’ll find her around the streets of Reykjavík, documenting the everyday with her trusty sketchb
Dark & Glittering Sips: Gaukurinn’s Vegan Cocktail Menu Impresses
While there are many options for vegan munchies around the city, it’s a bit more complicated for animal lovers to get their fix of good ol’ alcohol. Thankfully local alt-haun
Between The Buns: Bringing Life To The Dilapidated Part Of Town
The Fógetagarðurinn square in the centre of Reykjavík is notorious for its sketchy past. Located on the corner of Aðalstræti and Kirkjustræti, the square was once a cemetery
Time Capsule: Gamla Bíó
One of Reykjavík’s most exquisite buildings, Gamla bíó (the Old Cinema), is one of the those rare spots that makes you forget you live in a village at the end […]