ICELAND NOIR 2025
CONFIRMED LINE-UP SO FAR
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
COLM TÓIBÍN / ELIZA REID / SIRI HUSTVEDT
HILDUR KNÚTSDÓTTIR / WILL TUDOR
CHRIS WHITAKER / EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL / SATU RÄMÖ
ANDRI SNÆR MAGNASON
FESTIVAL HOSTS:
RAGNAR JÓNASSON
YRSA SIGURARÐDÓTTIR
SVERRIR NORLAND
Plus many more guests still to be announced!
COLM TÓIBÍN / ELIZA REID / SIRI HUSTVEDT
HILDUR KNÚTSDÓTTIR / WILL TUDOR
CHRIS WHITAKER / EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL / SATU RÄMÖ
ANDRI SNÆR MAGNASON
FESTIVAL HOSTS:
RAGNAR JÓNASSON
YRSA SIGURARÐDÓTTIR
SVERRIR NORLAND
Plus many more guests still to be announced!
George R.R. Martin is a celebrated author, master storyteller and creator of worlds. He is undeniably one of the most influential voices in modern fantasy literature, having captivated readers around the globe with his epic series A Song of Ice and Fire, the basis for the groundbreaking HBO series Game of Thrones.
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, George began writing science fiction and fantasy short stories in the early 1970s, earning acclaim for works like Sandkings and Fevre Dream.
The driving force behind the Wild Cards anthology. He has also worn many creative hats - novelist, screenwriter, producer, editor - and his passion for richly layered narratives and morally complex characters has redefined the fantasy genre and inspired his sponsorship of multiple writing workshops across the US.
George R.R. Martin furthermore helped bridge the gap between literature and television through his work as Executive Producer on the Dark Winds television show and short film adaptations of the late great Howard Waldrop stories.
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, George began writing science fiction and fantasy short stories in the early 1970s, earning acclaim for works like Sandkings and Fevre Dream.
The driving force behind the Wild Cards anthology. He has also worn many creative hats - novelist, screenwriter, producer, editor - and his passion for richly layered narratives and morally complex characters has redefined the fantasy genre and inspired his sponsorship of multiple writing workshops across the US.
George R.R. Martin furthermore helped bridge the gap between literature and television through his work as Executive Producer on the Dark Winds television show and short film adaptations of the late great Howard Waldrop stories.
Colm Tóibín is an Irish novelist, essayist, and journalist known for works exploring themes of exile, identity, and family. His acclaimed novels include Brooklyn, The Master, and Nora Webster. Tóibín has received numerous literary awards, including the Costa Novel Award and the International Dublin Literary Award. He is also a professor of humanities at Columbia University. His writing is celebrated for its lyrical prose and deep psychological insight.
Eliza Reid is a bestselling writer, public speaker, gender equality advocate, and cofounder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat. She was born and raised in Canada but has lived in Iceland for over twenty years. Her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World, was an instant bestseller in Canada and Iceland, and a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Pick. Death on the Island (Death of a Diplomat in the UK) is the first of a series. From 2016 to 2024, Eliza served in the unofficial role of First Lady while her husband was President of Iceland, an adventure which greatly informed the writing of the book. She lives in the outskirts of Reykjavík with her husband and four children.
Siri Hustvedt, born to a Norwegian mother and American father, is a novelist, essayist, and scholar known for exploring neuroscience, philosophy, and identity in her work. Her much praised and bestselling novels include What I Loved, The Blazing World, and Memories of the Future. Siri has also written extensively on art, psychiatry, and feminism. Hustvedt holds a Ph.D. in English literature and has received numerous literary and academic honors. Her work blends fiction and intellectual inquiry, making her a distinctive voice in contemporary literature.
Photographer © Marion Ettlinger
Photographer © Marion Ettlinger
Hildur Knútsdóttir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. She writes fiction for both adults and teenagers, as well as plays, screenplays and short fiction. Hildur is known for her evocative fantastical fiction and spine-chilling horror. Her horror novella The Night Guest was chosen one of the best thrillers of 2024 by The New York Times. Her work has received various nominations and awards, including The Icelandic Women’s Literary Prize, The Icelandic Literature Prize, The Reykjavík Children’s Literature Prize for best original work and The Icelandic Bookseller’s Prize.
Will Tudor is an English actor hailing originally from Stratford-Upon-Avon; born into a medical family as one of three siblings, he eschewed the sensible path of his parents and forbears to instead pursue acting. He trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 2011. He is best known for his roles in Game of Thrones, Humans, Industry and Shadowhunters, most recently appearing in the BBC’s Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light and Moonflower Murders.
Chris Whitaker is the author of the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling All The Colours Of The Dark. His other acclaimed and bestselling novels include We Begin At The End, Tall Oaks, and All The Wicked Girls. Chris’s novels have been translated into thirty-one languages and have won the CWA Gold Dagger, the CWA John Creasey Dagger, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, the Ned Kelly International Award, and numerous awards around the world.
His books have also been selected for the Read With Jenna Book Club, Waterstones Thriller of the Month, Barnes & Noble Book Club, Good Morning America Book Club, and for BBC2’s Between The Covers. All The Colours Of The Dark is currently in development with Universal Pictures and We Begin At The End is in development with A24. Chris was born in London and lives in the UK. Photo: © David Calvert
His books have also been selected for the Read With Jenna Book Club, Waterstones Thriller of the Month, Barnes & Noble Book Club, Good Morning America Book Club, and for BBC2’s Between The Covers. All The Colours Of The Dark is currently in development with Universal Pictures and We Begin At The End is in development with A24. Chris was born in London and lives in the UK. Photo: © David Calvert
Emily St. John Mandel is the author of six novels, including Sea of Tranquility, The Glass Hotel, and Station Eleven. Her work has been translated into thirty-six languages and she has been the recipient of numerous prestigious literary awards.
Emily's most recent work, Sea of Tranquility, was selected by President Barack Obama as one of his favourite books of 2022. Her previous novel The Glass Hotel, was also on Obama’s list and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. She lives in New York City and Los Angeles.
Emily's most recent work, Sea of Tranquility, was selected by President Barack Obama as one of his favourite books of 2022. Her previous novel The Glass Hotel, was also on Obama’s list and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. She lives in New York City and Los Angeles.
Satu Rämö is a Finnish-Icelandic author and entrepreneur. She moved to Iceland two decades ago, initially studying economics before shifting her focus to Icelandic culture and literature. Rämö has authored numerous bestselling non-fiction works, including travel guides and memoirs. Her crime fiction debut, the Hildur series, has been a critic and commercial success, having sold over 1 million copies worldwide and now being adapted for television. Satu resides in Ísafjörður with her husband and two children.
Andri Snær Magnason is an Icelandic writer and documentary film director. He has written poetry, fiction, non-fiction and science fiction. His work has been published or performed in more than 40 languages and he has won the Icelandic Literary Awards in all categories.
Andri Snær has received international awards such as the Philip K Dick honorary mention for LoveStar, the Prima Tiziano Terzani in Italy for On Time and Water and The Green Earth Book Award for his books for children. He has co-directed three documentary films that have premiered in various international festivals. Andri Snær has also been active in the fight to preserve the highlands of Iceland and raising awareness about our fast changing climate. His eulogy for the first glacier that Iceland lost to climate change, the Ok glacier was shared by millions in 2019.
Andri Snær has received international awards such as the Philip K Dick honorary mention for LoveStar, the Prima Tiziano Terzani in Italy for On Time and Water and The Green Earth Book Award for his books for children. He has co-directed three documentary films that have premiered in various international festivals. Andri Snær has also been active in the fight to preserve the highlands of Iceland and raising awareness about our fast changing climate. His eulogy for the first glacier that Iceland lost to climate change, the Ok glacier was shared by millions in 2019.
