An intimate crowd gathered in the back room of the Skálda Bókabúð, one of the few independent bookstores in downtown Reykjavík. It was a rainy evening late in the year, already dark outside. The occasion: to launch an experiment. A zine of ethnographic fiction. Iceland in Other Words.
When I set out to create this zine, I had no idea if anyone would be interested in participating. Would the notion of 'ethnographic fiction' bore people? Would it scare them away? I was full of doubt about its success. I was unsure if people would care about a zine, or care about fictional stories that convey what it's like living in Iceland today.
But as the small crowd of about 40 people gathered, I felt a little more at ease. I had a collection of original creative works by some extremely talented creatives. I had a material object in the form of the zine that I was immensely proud of and that I thought looked and felt beautiful. And I had a room full of people who were interested enough to find out more (or who were lured in by the promise of free wine).
In presenting the zine, I spoke mostly about the various people I wanted to thank for their support of the zine (see below). I listed the contributors (see also below). But I also wanted to remark on two things. Why zines and why ethnofiction?
Zines were chosen instead of a traditional anthology because they embody accessible, grassroots publishing – they're flexible, affordable, and naturally collaborative. This format aligns with my interests in the ways of creating meaningful community connections through creative expression.
Ethnographic fiction combines anthropological observation with literary techniques – transforming traditionally dry, academic cultural documentation into evocative storytelling that captures the true essence of living in a place. In this collection, it weaves together the mundane and mysterious, humor and poignancy.
With Iceland in Other Words my goal was twofold: to help locals see familiar aspects of their culture in a new light, and to give outsiders authentic insight into everyday Icelandic life. Hopefully it does that. If you want to get your hands on a copy, please get in touch.
The introduction was then followed by readings from. the wonderful Anna Valdis Kro, Francesca Cricelli, Gabe Dunsmith, Marion Poilvez, Michelle Spinei, and Viktoria Vdovina. Other contributors also included Sam Rees, Regin Edvardsson, Aron Daði Þórisson, Owen Hindley, and Cody Skehan.
Thanks to Skálda Bókabúð for providing the venue, and also to Patrik Ontkovic for photography, Noam Orr for technical support, and to Joao Linneu and Fernanda Fajardo from Kakkalakki Studio. Special thanks also go to Ingiriður Halldorsdóttir for printing support and Christoph Matt from Studio Matt for his exceptional design work.
It was such a wonderful night. Thanks to everyone who made it so great.
