There is a widely held belief by locals and travellers alike that Helsinki is – above all else – far from a tourist’s paradise. Just what to do when visiting Finland’s capital is a question that stumps many holidaymakers. Sure, the city is well-connected by ferries to Sweden, Estonia and Russia; and if you plan to...
When he turned 20, Jeremy Corallo had a realisation: he wanted to be an actor. Leaving behind his hometown and old life in Marseille for the bright lights of Paris, he enrolled in an acting course at the Cours Florent School of Theatre and soon gained parts in several French TV series. But Jeremy’s big break came when...
It says a lot about Iceland as a country that giving books on Christmas Eve is a long-held tradition. With Christmas just around the corner, we’ve compiled a list of recommended reading for anyone wanting to read more by Icelandic writers. Like any list, this one is neither definitive nor complete, (where are the...
Iceland’s funny loner – an interview with Hildur Sif Thorarensen
When Hildur Sif Thorarensen was getting ready to move from Iceland to Norway she didn’t realise just how much her life was about to change. The 32-year-old had always wanted to live in Norway, and a course in medicine at Oslo University have her the opportunity she’d long been looking for. “I feel like I’m in Iceland...
It is 11 p.m. and all of Trondheim is awash with light. Not the man-made light of electricity that powers up the streets for the safety of motorists, but a sea of honey unleashed from the sky. On what was an otherwise drab summer day with only the most cursory sprinkling of blue amongst clouds and greyness, this scene...
If pop-culture is to be believed, Iceland – and indeed much of Scandinavia – must have more murderers than anywhere else in the world. Adding to Nordic noir’s already venerable reputation this year’s worldwide release of Icelandic drama, Trapped (Ófærð), further cemented Scandinavia as the hot-spot for crime...
I am standing on the most dangerous street in Copenhagen and I’ve never felt safer. Istegade, a one kilometre-long street just north of Copenhagen Central Station has long been notorious and continues to be defined by its indelibly rough past. Porn shops, prostitutes and migrants are the words commonly associated with...
Sounds of the seas: an interview with Hera
Icelandic-born, New Zealand-based singer-songwriter, Hera, has swapped one island for another. The prolific artist recently took some time out to talk with us about her work, and why it’s the water that inspires her most. You were born in Iceland, how did you end up in New Zealand? I grew up in Iceland, both in...
With a population of just 323,000 it can be easy to see Iceland as quaint, but the Scandinavian country is a world away from Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Yet it was their creator, Agatha Christie, who had such an effect on one Icelandic teenager, Ragnar Jonasson, that he went on to write his own best-selling murder...
It’s early evening in California and the sun is still shining. Nine hours away, the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik is also enjoying its summer where the midnight sun burns relentlessly. For Reykjavik-born actor Atli Óskar Fjalarsson, the two are both worlds away. Since leaving Iceland to study acting at college, both...
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