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Iceland-focused interviews in 2022 numbered twenty-three. The interviewees were a diverse group of people indeed. They ranged from ambassadors, writers, activists, scientists, travel guides, podcasters, actors, and musicians, to name a few. The only thing many of them had in common was that they had a strong connection with Iceland and were all prepared to give great travel advice to my readers.
The most read of the Iceland-focused interviews in 2022
The most-read interview in 2022 was with Icelandic author Aldís Sigmundsdóttir. The second most read interview was with her daughter, actress Aldís Amah Hamilton. The third most-read of 2022 interview was with the lovely Icelandic singer Laufey.
Here are the 22 Iceland-focused interviews I published in 2022 in reverse chronological order
Nína Björk Jónsdóttir and Edda Magnús with their book How to live Icelandic.
My readers are curious about Icelandic culture. So that is why I was intrigued by a new book titled “How to Live Icelandic” by Nína Björk Jónsdóttir and Edda Magnus. The book features photographs by Gunnar Freyr. This was first of the 23 Iceland-focused interviews published in 2022.
One of the scientists who has earned the respect of Icelanders for her calm professionalism and ability to explain complex scientific facts is my friend Kristín Jónsdóttir, Program Director for Earthquake Monitoring at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO).
Suzuki Ryotaro, the Japanese ambassador to Iceland at Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon.
The Japanese ambassador to Iceland, Suzuki Ryotaro, has gone far beyond his formal role and endeared him to Icelanders. He has earnestly immersed himself in Icelandic culture, evident in his many appearances on Icelandic TV and Twitter. He is an experienced diplomat and a polymath who speaks many languages. I think he does such a good job representing the great country of Japan here in Iceland.
Aldís Amah Hamilton is the star of the hit Icelandic TV series Black Sands. Photo by Julie Rowland.
A new star is taking its place amongst the constellation of Icelandic celebrities; her name is Aldís Amah Hamilton, and she is proving to be an incredibly versatile talent.
All of the members of the legendary Icelandic band, The Sugarcubes, continue to flourish in their respective careers. One of these is the producer, T.V. presenter, music promoter, percussionist, and singer Sigtryggur Baldursson.
Icelander Saga Sig is an internationally renowned photographer, painter, and director. When perusing her photo portfolio, I can think of versatility. Her photos have many themes, but her unique style is still evident. Saga’s photos are crisp and full of life, color, and character with a dash of magic.
Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurðardóttir poses at Grótta.
Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurðardóttir is a master of the gritty crime novel. And sometimes, her books veer into the supernatural. For me, her books are an essential part of the Christmas season. Here in Iceland, the period before Christmas is known as the Christmas book avalanche. Books are a popular Christmas present, and authors and publishers compete for the top spots on the best-seller lists. And that is where Yrsa dominates for a good reason.
The word ‘legend’ is overused. But I will still want to use it for Icelandic kayaker, photographer, and environmental activist Veiga Grétarsdóttir. In 2019 she was the first person to paddle a kayak around the entire island of Iceland. Veiga traveled counter-clockwise against the prevailing currents, covering a distance of over 2.099 kilometers (1.1304 miles) in the frigid North Atlantic in 103 days. This incredible feat and Veiga’s journey of achieving her true self through gender affirmation are documented in the acclaimed documentary “Against the Current” by director Óskar Páll Sveinsson in 2020.
Icelandic singer and Grammy award winner Dísella Lárusdóttir
Soprano singer Dísella Lárusdóttir is one of Iceland’s brightest stars. She won a Grammy award for her magnificent performance in Phillip Glass’s acclaimed opera Akhnaten, which was put on stage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The opera is based on the Egyptian pharaoh Akhnaten, and Dísella plays Queen Tye, the mother of the Pharoah.
Do you dream about exploring Reykjavik on your own? Follow in the footsteps of renowned travel writer Marcia DeSanctis. She writes for such magazines and journals as TRAVEL + LEISURE, Vogue, Air Mail, Town & Country, BBC Travel, and Departures. Her New York Times travel bestseller, 100 PLACES IN FRANCE EVERY WOMAN SHOULD GO, was a Foreword Review INDIEFAB book of the year for Nonfiction/Travel. A Hard Place to Leave: Stories from a Restless Life was recently published. This is just a fraction of her accolades, authoring, and journalism work.
Adrian Walder wants to reforest with his project, Birch Tree Yurts in Iceland.
Adrian Walder is a man on a mission to reforest Iceland. He has registered his project Birch Tree Yurts Icelandon the crowdfunding site Karolina Fund to build a novel kind of accommodation, birch tree yurts, in the north of Iceland. His ultimate goal is to have eco-friendly yurts on over 6000 hectares of land. Furthermore, the project should enable the planting of 12 – 17 million trees in Iceland. Adrian will use 100% of the profits achieved by the project for environmental projects.
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson from Inspired by Iceland out hiking.
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson is the Director of Marketing Communications at Business Iceland and is one of the key people behind the fun and creative Inspired by Iceland campaigns.
Dr Bryony Matthew is the UK ambassador to Iceland.
One of the great people to follow on Twitter is Dr. Bryony Mathew, the UK ambassador to Iceland. Like her Japanese colleague, she has raised her profile successfully amongst us Icelanders through social media. Her feed gives a good insight into what it is like to be the UK ambassador to Iceland and demonstrates the great relationship Iceland and the United Kingdom have.
I have a kindred spirit in Jórunn Sigurðardóttir, who has recently launched a great blog called Siggadóttir. Siggadóttir is short for her full surname of Sigurðardóttir. Siggadottir.is has excellent articles on wonderful places such as Djúpalónssandur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, Fjadrargljúfur canyon, and Seljavallalaug. Jórunn also shares her perspective on what it is like to live right next to a volcano.
Lilja Sigurðardóttir with the Icelandic crime fiction awards, she has won twice.
I want to draw your attention to yet another master of the Icelandic crime novel, Lilja Sigurðardóttir. I recently discovered Lilja’s books, and I just completed her 2020 novel Red as Blood which is a real page-turner. Previously, I read her book Cold as Hell, which was relentlessly good, also. I am happy to report that she has many more novels for us to enjoy.
I first met the Icelandic singer and superstar Ásgeir about seven or eight years ago. He was performing at the IT company I was working for. I was in the marketing department and recorded his performance on my phone. Ásgeir was alone on a small stage with his guitar, and I remember clearly how surprised I was by this artist. Even if I had listened to his music, I was blown away by his earnest and touching performance I approached him to ask him permission to post my recording of his performance online. He was very modest, even shy, and replied: “Do with it what you want.”
Dan Cade is an illustrious actor who secured his Icelandic connection by acting in the TV series Black Sands. In this series, a serial killer wreaks havoc in a small town in Iceland, and I won’t give any more of the plot away. It suffices to say that it is an exciting piece of well-produced television. The Icelandic Aldís Amah Hamilton played the leading role of the police officer who takes on the cold-blooded killer, and you can read my interview with Aldís elsewhere on the site.
Alda Sigmundsdóttir is a force of nature when it comes to educating the world about Iceland, its
history, and its culture. She has written and published seven top-rated books in her Little Books
on Icelanders series, covering such topics as the Icelandic language, tourists to Iceland, high days
and holidays, Yule, the legend of the hidden people, Iceland’s history, and of course, the
Icelandic people themselves. She also has an Instagram account full of fun and educational
nuggets about Iceland. This interview was, like I mentioned above, the most read of the 25 Iceland-focused interviews that I published in 2022.
Kvikmyndapod is a podcast about Icelandic films by Rob Watts and Ellie Cawthorne
Kvikmyndapod by Rob Watts and Ellie Cawthorne focuses entirely on Icelandic films from the 21st century. I love the perspective they bring to Icelandic films. So they often comment on or point out little features of Icelandic culture that we Icelanders take for granted. This feature of Kvikmyndapod is especially enjoyable.
Helga Stína is an independent Iceland travel planner and the woman behind the travel company Iceland Unwrapped. She focuses on helping her customers to find hidden gems here in Iceland. She has a great website. Its blog section is a solid resource for anyone planning a trip to Iceland. You can follow Helga Stína on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
Helga Stína is an independent Iceland travel planner and the woman behind the travel company Iceland Unwrapped. She focuses on helping her customers to find hidden gems here in Iceland. She has a great website. Its blog section is a solid resource for anyone planning a trip to Iceland.
Sarah Thomas at Flatey. Photo credit: Ben Macfadyen
Sarah Thomas wrote The Raven’s Nest about living in Iceland
Sarah Thomas recently published her new and acclaimed memoir, The Raven’s Nest. The story is inspired by her experience of coming to Iceland on a brief visit in 2008, which turned into a transformative half-decade spent living in the rugged and beautiful Westfjords region, where she was changed by love, landscape, light, and language.
Icelander Jón Heiðar has run Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine since 2012. One person, no investors, just honest Iceland travel advice and exclusive discount codes. He has conducted over 200 interviews with local experts, guides, and artists — and built Nonni, Iceland's first Iceland focused AI travel companion.
