The Book of Reykjavik: A City in Short Fiction (Reading the City)

Iceland is a land of stories; from the epic sagas of its mythic past, to its claim today of being home to more writers, more published books and more avid readers, per head, than anywhere in the world. As its capital (and indeed only city), Reykjavik has long been an inspiration for these stories. But, as this collection demonstrates, this fishing-village-turned-metropolis at the farthest fringe of Europe has been both revered and reviled by Icelanders over the years. The tension between the city and the surrounding countryside, its rural past and urban present, weaves its way through The Book of Reykjavik, forming an outline of a fragmented city marked by both contradiction and creativity. Published with the support of the Icelandic Literature Center.

Becca Parkinson joined Comma Press after her undergraduate degree at Lancaster University. Whilst at university she was the Editor of both Cake Magazine and Flash Journal. She is Engagement Manager at Comma Press, a trustee of Manchester Literature Festival, and is also the co-editor of The Book of Tbilisi, The Book of Riga, and The Book of Reykjavik. Vera Júlíusdóttir is a translator and filmmaker. Her translations of Icelandic short stories appeared in Elsewhere: Stories from Small Town Europe and Decapolis that were published by Comma Press. Vera has lived in Minneapolis and London, and now lives and works in Reykjavik.