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🇮🇸 Iceland /Crime & Justice

Darkness and murder dominate Iceland’s August bestseller list

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Official statement Context piece
  • Satu Rämö’s crime novel “Jakob” topped Iceland’s August bestseller list, while Sævar Helgi Bragason’s children’s science book ranked second.
  • Icelandic authors placed several books among the top titles, alongside translated works including Lisa Ridzén’s “The Crane’s Dance.”
  • Eight children’s books appeared in the top 20, prompting the publishers’ association to describe Icelandic children’s publishing as particularly strong.

Crime and darkness sit comfortably beside astronomy, romance and superheroes on Iceland’s August bestseller list. Satu Rämö led the rankings with “Jakob,” the third novel about police officer Hildur Rúnarsdóttir.

Rämö, a Finnish writer who lives in Ísafjörður, sets the books in Iceland. The series has become highly popular in Finland and has reached readers in several countries, according to the Association of Icelandic Publishers.

One of the literary works on the list that has travelled furthest around the world is the Swedish novel The Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén, in Heimir Pálsson’s translation.

· Association of Icelandic PublishersThe association highlighted the international reach of Ridzén’s translated novel.

Icelandic writers also performed strongly. Gyrðir Elíasson’s memoir-based work “Bad Weather in Hell” ranked third, after becoming one of the summer’s unexpected hits. Hildur Knútsdóttir’s horror novel “Irpa” placed fifth, followed by Ragnar Jónasson’s new collection of crime stories, “The Coffin and Other Stories.”

Based on the August bestseller list, Icelandic children’s publishing is in excellent health.

· Association of Icelandic PublishersThe association assessed the strong presence of children’s books in the rankings.

Translated fiction featured prominently as well. Lisa Ridzén’s Swedish novel “The Cranes Fly South,” translated by Heimir Pálsson, ranked 12th. It follows Bo, an elderly man facing the loss of his independence and his dog, Sixten, while looking back on love, fatherhood and things left unsaid. The novel won Sweden’s 2024 Book of the Year readers’ award and became the best-selling translated novel in Britain in the first half of this year, according to the trade magazine The Bookseller.

Children’s books occupied eight of the top 20 places. They included Sævar Helgi Bragason’s “Scientific Literacy 7: Solar Eclipses” in second place, Harriet Muncaster’s “Isadora Moon and the Shooting Star” in fourth, and Eva Amores’s “The Worst Week Ever: Thursday” in seventh. The publishers’ association said the list offered a snapshot of summer reading, with Icelandic fiction and children’s books standing strongly while crime novels and international bestsellers also drew readers.

The bestseller list thus offers a small snapshot of the nation’s summer reading: darkness and murder sit comfortably beside celestial bodies, romantic excitement and superheroes.

· Bryndís LoftsdóttirThe association’s managing director characterized the range of genres on the list.
About this summary

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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