Icelandic Authors' Association Demands Higher Artist Stipends to Combat Poverty Trap

Iceland's Authors' Association is demanding that the government raise the stipends for artists, stating that the current system creates a "poverty trap." The association's general meeting resolution points out that the existing law on artist stipends dates back to 2009, and the amount has not kept pace with inflation or general wage growth.

Currently, monthly stipends amount to approximately $4,100 USD, but after taxes and mandatory contributions, artists are left with about $2,600 USD. This makes it nearly impossible for artists to earn a living wage. A recent survey found that 88% of the association's members received less than $14,000 USD for their latest book in the year it was published.

Furthermore, artists receiving stipends for six months or longer are restricted to working only 33% of their time on non-artistic endeavors. The association argues that while the government has expressed willingness to relax this work-hour restriction, a more effective solution would be to increase the stipends themselves. They believe that raising the stipends to at least minimum wage levels, or the tax authority's benchmark for self-employed artists, is crucial for the survival and flourishing of Iceland's creative sector.

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Nowgildandi lög um listamannalaun eru frá árinu 2009 og við gildistöku þeirra féllu eldri lög, nr. 35/1991, úr gildi. Sé lagasetning um listamannalaun skoðuð heildstætt er ljóst að vilji löggjafans hefur verið skýr í upphafi; að skapa stétt atvinnulistamanna á Íslandi.