THE WRITERS´ UNION OF ICELAND
The Writers' Union of Iceland (RSÍ) is located in Gunnarshús, formerly the residence of author Gunnar Gunnarsson in Reykjavík. Its 396 members work in a wide variety of literary genres. Ever since writers' joined hands as part of the Artists' Union of Iceland in 1928, they have focused on furthering their joint interests. The struggle to improve the writer's lot, together with strong support from the state for literary endeavour, has led to major advances through the decades, enabling a not inconsiderable number of authors to devote themselves exclusively to their writings. Which explains how a nation of just over 300,000 can produce world-class writers and poets.
Icelandic writers enjoy many benefits of living in a small society, but it has its disadvantages.In a small community it can be easier to publish works, promote them and become well-known. But the reading audience is never large, nothing like that in nations numbering in the millions. So it can be practically impossible for an Icelandic writer to make a living from his/her pen. Here public support for literary creation makes all the difference. Writers' Stipends (Icel. Launasjóður rithöfunda) enable a good number of writers to devote their energy exclusively to writing, resulting in increased professionalism at home and abroad.
Ever since the skalds of the Sagas, Icelandic poets and writers have sought an audience abroad. This was natural ten centuries ago, when Norse was spoken widely in Northern Europe. Even after it developed into different languages in different communities, Icelandic writers continued to write for a wider group. The best known example of recent times is probably Gunnar Gunnarsson, who wrote many of his leading works in Danish and was published, for instance, in Germany and the US, in translations around the mid-1900s. Today considerable emphasis is placed on translating the works of Icelandic authors for wide distribution.
Writers are visible everywhere in Icelandic society. Although they enjoy respect, they are definitely not set on a pedestal and this keeps them in close contact with their readers and the general public. Most of the country's leading writers, for instance, are listed in the phone book. Writers' connections and loyalty to their communities and their roots are also important. The Writers' Centre arranges visits to schools and institutions and promotional literary campaigns of various kinds. One example of this are popular programmes entitled “Storytellers in Schools”.
Icelandic is a rich tongue with a long history as a written language. So that, as one poet put it, there are Icelandic words for every thought in this world. Writers are a leading force in the development of the language, paving the way for innovation while at the same time maintaining traditions. Many writers and poets also translate, making monumental works of world literature, ancient and modern, available in Icelandic. The literacy rate in Iceland is also among the highest in the world, which is no small part of the story.