Is Iceland’s Government Not Particularly Interested In Answering Grapevine’s Questions?
No, they’re not. But their Press Secretary was kind enough to write a short statement regarding the topic we went them questions about, which is refugee affairs. We have gr
Borderline: Empathy & Insanity In The Asylum Process
“They’re my friends! Let me speak to them!” he shouted as the door closed shut. Four days into his hunger strike, he had been admitted to an emergency psychiatric ward [&
Iceland Centre Stage At Nordic Film Festival
The long-standing Nordic short & doc film festival, Nordisk Panorama, has a special focus on Icelandic films this year. Serving as a hub for the Nordics as well as a […]
UNICEF: Shock Must Be Met With Action
“Heart-breaking images of children’s bodies washing up on the shores of Europe… lying suffocated in the backs of trucks crossing borders… being passed over barbed wire fenc
Open Season — Iceland’s New Law On Foreign People Is A Mixed Bag — Also, A Squandered Opportunity
The Icelandic legislation on aliens (96/2002) has been subject to desperate and haphazard review for years. Passed with little consideration for immigration and intake of refugees,
So What’s This I Keep Hearing About Icelanders Welcoming Refugees Into Their Homes?
Recently, over a thousand Icelanders took to Facebook to pledge their help to those fleeing Syria, with participants vowing to provide food, money, clothes and anything else to hel
Welcome To Iceland: A Walk-Through Of The Refugee Arrival Process
When Iceland receives new refugees, the Red Cross plays a crucial and central role. Working alongside the various municipalities and government ministries, their mission starts a l
Case Study: Ísafjörður As Safe Haven For Persecuted Families
In 1996, the people of Ísafjarðarbær welcomed thirty refugees into their community with open arms. After a period of preparation, six families of mixed Serbian and Croatian marr
Corbyn’s UK Win: Another Reminder That Change Is Possible, Possibly Already Happening
In the 20 years that I’ve been eligible to vote, there has been a convergence, from both left and right wing political parties, on the centre ground. The received wisdom, [&helli
Ísafjarðarbær Mayor: “We Will Gladly Welcome Refugees To Our Community”
Mayor Gísli Halldór Halldórsson wrote us a letter, in response to our asking him to comment on Ísafjarðarbær’s declaration that it wanted to host refugees. Here it is:
“We Have To Do This Together”: Mayor Dagur B. On Acceepting “Hundreds” Of Refugees
In the light of Icelanders’ recent groundswell in favour of accepting more Syrian refugees, Reykjavík’s mayor, Dagur B. Eggertsson, was recently quoted as saying that the city
SPECIAL EDITION! PAY ATTENTION – An Editorial
Hi. I’m Haukur. I edit a tourist magazine for a living. It’s a fun magazine; it’s informative for tourists, and it has comix. I also like to tell myself that […]
The Helping Hand Of The Petite Bourgeoisie
After last week, I am convinced that small actions can create a great impact. On a Sunday afternoon near the end of August, I saw that an old friend had […]
Betty Dodson Will Teach You To Sex Correctly
An Icelander, an Australian and a Yank walk into a bar. The Icelander (a few drinks ahead of the others, naturally) brags: “Sex is so great here. We start the […]
Anti-Refugee Folks: No Thanks, We Don’t Need Your “Warnings”
You may have noticed Iceland’s been making international headlines lately when it comes to refugees, and with good reason. Shortly after we reported that a grassroots movemen
The Man Who Didn’t Like Hangikjöt: W.H. Auden In Iceland
In 1936, a thirty-year-old poet from Britain travelled around Iceland. His name was Wystan Hugh Auden—you probably know him as W.H. Auden, one of the 20th century’s most influe
[ˈkwarˌerˈeɪjaˌfjatl̥aˌjœːkʏɬ] Or, Why Is Icelandic Considered Difficult To Learn?
For most English-speaking tourists, the Icelandic language might be another in a long list of quaint novelties experienced from behind the padding of a tour group decked out in mat
The Heart Of Darkness In The Age Of Bullshit
There’s been much (some) made in British discourse of the phenomenon of cupcake fascism. If you’ve ever been to London, you might already have a vague, instinctive awareness of
For The Sake Of Memory: An Interview With Arch-Archivist Lára Hanna Einarsdóttir
Lára Hanna Einarsdóttir is not a journalist. In fact, the closest she’s come to journalism is doing subtitles for Stöð 2, a job she’s had since 1987. Yet, she has [
News In Brief: End Of August 2015
The end of the summer is upon us, and concluded as per tradition with the festivities at Culture Night, which had a reported 120,000 attendees. That’s almost half the country, [&
The Route To The Westman Islands Is Paved With Good Intentions
Icelanders have by and large turned their back on the once prevalent notion that women are responsible for ensuring that they do not get raped (such as by refraining from […