Freedom in the Nordics

 

2024 marks the 80th anniversary of Iceland becoming an independent republic. The Nordic Literature Week wants to celebrate this historic milestone, and are therefore focusing on Iceland and its rich literary heritage this year. Through reading texts by Icelandic authors, we will explore the country's multifaceted stories, and honor its cultural contributions to the Nordic community.

This year's theme, Freedom in the Nordics, allows us to reflect on what freedom means for people in the Nordic countries, and how it is embodied and explored in literature.

Freedom is a concept that can have many expressions: from personal freedom to express oneself and live as one wishes, to nations' pursuit of independence and sovereignty.

By linking Iceland's 80th anniversary with the theme Freedom in the Nordics, we hope to make the Nordic Literature Week a platform to discuss and explore thoughts on freedom and community. We aim to inspire conversations about what freedom means to each of us, and how we can work together to strengthen freedom and community in our societies - now and in the future.