Three world famous poets at an island performance

Three of the British Isles’ most renowned poets are visiting Iceland this June, and the Institute for literature and art at the University of Iceland is involved in two great cultural events where they participate. The poets’ visit is an important event, and while they are here three books containing their work will be published in Icelandic. The poets are Paul Muldoon, Lavinia Greenlaw and Simon Armitage, recently named Poet Laureate of the UK.

“Two years ago I was invited to participate in a conference on island literature in the Faeroe Islands, where the writer Sjón was one of the main organisers, alongside Sif Gunnnarsdóttir, the then head of the Nordic House in the Faeroe Islands. This was an exceptionally interesting convention, and I had discussions with Sjón that it would be a good idea to carry on with this work,” says Ástráður Eysteinsson, Professor of Literature at the University of Iceland.

He says that he continued this discussion with Sjón when they returned home to Iceland, and Sjón told him that he had gotten acquainted with three of the best known contemporary poets in the British Isles. They were all interested in Iceland and had visited here, and Sjón also observed that they had all studied in depth poets from older generations that had looked to Iceland for inspiration.

“Thus the subject of the next Island Performance was decided,” says Ástráður, who has alongside Sjón brought these renowned poets to Iceland – two of them English, and one of them Irish.

The event is hosted by the University of Iceland’s Institute for literature and Art, Reykjavík – a UNESCO city of literature, and the book publisher Dimma. On this occasion Dimma publishes three bilingual books containing the guests’ poets alongside Icelandic translations by Magnús Sigurðurson, Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir, and Sjón.

Letters to Iceland

Ástráður says that it was decided to name the event for W.H. Audens and Louis Macneice’s famous book, Letters from Iceland from 1937, with a certain twist. “We looked to Reykjavík, city of literature and the University of Iceland and these two institutions enabled us to invite the three poets to Iceland to organise two events, one in the Nordic House and the other one in Veröld, where Icelandic authors and scholars meet the poets. Early we had the idea of translating some of their poetry, and we were joined by Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson of Dimma who will publish three books of translations.”
Letters to Iceland

Ástráður says he is very pleased with the books that are almost ready and will come out when the guests arrive. “These bilingual poetry books underline the cultural dialogue we will see during the visit; the searching island hopping where misunderstanding and understanding take turns and you can never be quite sure of when you are on firm ground and when you are at sea.”

British poets in Iceland

Ástráður says that the programme on 21 June will commence with a seminar in Veröld where the connection between the British Isles and Iceland will be explored, especially in the context of British poets visiting Iceland. The seminar, starting at 4 PM, is in three parts: Sveinn Yngvi Egilsson, Professor of Icelandic at the University of Iceland will converse with Simon Armitage about his poetry and on the Icelandic connections of Auden and MacNeice and the poetry this begat. The poet and scholar Kristín Svava Tómasdóttir will then have a dialogue with Lavina Greenlaw about her poetry, and the connection of William Morris to Iceland, and finally poet and publisher Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson will talk to the Irish poet Paul Muldoon about the latter’s and his compatriots, Seamus Heany’s, vision of the north.  
Poetry readings and Q&A

On Saturday 22 June there in the Nordic house the three poets and their translators will perform poetry and answer questions. Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir translates Simon Armitage’s work, Magnús Sigurðarson translated Lavia Greenlaw’s work and Sjón translated a few new and unpublished poems by Paul Muldoon. The event in the Nordic House starts at 3 PM.