POETICS

Past Events

Reykjavík Poetics is a community-oriented organisation that runs two literary event series: the monthly open mic nights, Reykjavík Open, and our curated events. Supported by Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature and Mengi, Reykjavík Poetics encourages multi-lingual participation from local and international writers. We invite readers of all levels and languages to come to our events and share their work. We believe in making literature accessible and inclusive for everyone. Our goal is to foster a vibrant literary community where diverse voices and stories can be heard, creating a dynamic cultural exchange that enriches the literary scene of Reykjavík.

For current events, please view our Facebook or Instagram.

Featured
Reykjavík Poetics #14: Mad as a Hatter
Reykjavík Poetics #14: Mad as a Hatter

Reykjavík Poetics #14: Mad as a Hatter

Featuring: Rachel Corvo, Momo Hayashi, Einar Valur Másson, Miriam Petra Ómarsdóttir Awad, Zachary Melton, Bergrún Anna Hallsteinsdóttir and more!

Writers O’Clock at Menningarnótt
Writers O’Clock at Menningarnótt

Writers O’Clock at Menningarnótt

Featuring: Biswamit Dwibedy, Gabe Dunsmith, Dan Roh, Margrét Ann Thors, and Michelle Spinei.

Orðið er Frjálst Reykjavík Open #3
Orðið er Frjálst Reykjavík Open #3

Orðið er Frjálst / Reykjavík Open #3

Featuring: Anna Valdís Kro, Biswamit Dwibedy, Pungur Silungs, Daníel Daníelsson, Steinunn Ýr Einarsdottir, Oliver Paglia and more!

Reykjavík Poetics #13: Skynsegja – Neurodivergent Words
Reykjavík Poetics #13: Skynsegja – Neurodivergent Words

Reykjavík Poetics #13: Skynsegja – Neurodivergend Words.

Featuring: Kathy D’Arcy, Ragnheiður Guðmundsdóttir, Elias Knörr, Brynhildur Magnúsdóttir, Guðjón Þór Lárusson, and more!

Orðið er Frjálst Reykjavík Open #2
Orðið er Frjálst Reykjavík Open #2

Reykjavík Open #2

Featuring: Emily Pitt, Oliver Paglia, Hannah Rós Sigurðardóttir Tobin, Ari Allansson, Andie Sophia Fontaine, Ingiriður Halldórsdóttir, Friðrik Hákonarsson, Ada Christine and more.

Reykjavík Poetics #12: Til Hamingju!
Reykjavík Poetics #12: Til Hamingju!

Reykjavík Poetics #12: Til Hamingju!

Featuring: Anton Helgi Jónsson, April Dobbins, Hildegard Hansen, Karólina Rós, Kristín Svava Margrét Ann Thors, Marion Poilvez, & Sara Manceras

Orðið er Frjálst Reykjavík Open #1
Orðið er Frjálst Reykjavík Open #1

Reykjavík Open #1

Featuring: Sparkle [Sindri Freyr], Néfur, Christopher Marcatili, Andie Sophia Fontaine, Grayson Del Faro, Maria Guinness, Kay Cook, Tóti, Rut Ríkey, Chris Murphy, Bryndís Bjarna and Ewa Marcinek.

Writers O’Clock
Writers O’Clock

Writers O’Clock

Featuring: Ann Eriksson, Gary Geddes, Leslie Schwartz, Martyna Daniel, and Miku Sophie Kühmel.

Reykjavík Poetics #11 / Open Mic
Reykjavík Poetics #11 / Open Mic

Reykjavík Poetics #11 / Open Mic

Featuring: Dan Roh, Miku Sophie Kühmel, Friðrik Valur Hákonarson, Anna Valdís Kro, Martyna Daniel, Arnaldur Ingi Jónsson, Mao Alheimsdóttir and more.

Reykjavík Poetics #10 / Að Jökla
Reykjavík Poetics #10 / Að Jökla

Reykjavík Poetics #10: Að Jökla

Featuring: angela rawlings, Andervel, Galadriel González Romero, Guðbjörg R. Jóhannesdóttir, Juan Camilo, jöklakór, Khairkhan, Martyna Daniel, and Néfur.

Reykjavík Poetics #9 / Open Mic
Reykjavík Poetics #9 / Open Mic

Reykjavík Poetics #9 / Open Mic

Featuring: Kathy D’Arcy, Atli Viðar Þorsteinsson, Sindri Freyr Bjarnason, Halldóra Mogensen, April d'Afrofuturist, and more.

Reykjavík Poetics #8 / Francesca Cricelli & Friends
Reykjavík Poetics #8 / Francesca Cricelli & Friends

Reykjavík Poetics #8 / Francesca Cricelli & Friends

Featuring: Rossana Silvia, Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir, Pedro Gunnlaugur Garcia, Isadora Alves, Deepa R. Iyengar, Gabe Dunsmith and more.

Reykjavík Poetics #7 / Open Mic
Reykjavík Poetics #7 / Open Mic

Reyjavík Poetics #7 / Open Mic

Featuring: Veronique Favero, Einar Steinn Valgarðsson, Francesca Cricelli, Björn Halldórsson, Helen Cova, Sigrún Björnsdóttir and more.

Reykjavík Poetics #6 / A Tribute to angela rawlings
Reykjavík Poetics #6 / A Tribute to angela rawlings

Reykjavík Poetics #6 / A Tribute to angela rawlings

Featuring: Ewa Marcinek, John Rogers, Elías Knörr, Bergþóra Ægisdóttir, Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl, Ós Pressan and more.

Reykjavík Poetics #5 / Open Mic
Reykjavík Poetics #5 / Open Mic

RVK Poetics #5 / Open Mic

Featuring: Brynja Hjálmsdóttir, José Luis Anderson, Juan Camilo Roman Estrada, Leslie Schwartz, Margrét Ann Thors, and Véronique Favéro.

Reykjavík Poetics #4 / Mazeen Marouf & Joachim B. Schmidt
Reykjavík Poetics #4 / Mazeen Marouf & Joachim B. Schmidt

Reykjavík Poetics #4: Maazen Marouf & Joachim B. Schmidt

Featuring: Maazen Marouf and Joachim B. Schmidt.

Reykjavík Poetics #3
Reykjavík Poetics #3

Reykjavík Poetics #3

Featuring: Rachel Britton, Martyna Daniel, Elías Knörr, Jakub Kiliszek, and Jakub Stachowiak.

Reykjavík Poetics #2
Reykjavík Poetics #2

Reykjavík Poetics #2

Featuring: Björk Þorgrímsdóttir, Karólína Rós Ólafsdóttir, Maria Guindess, Meg Matich, Natasha S., and York Underwood.

Reykjavík Poetics #1
Reykjavík Poetics #1

Reykjavík Poetics #1

Featuring: Mao Alheimsdóttir, Ewa Marcinek, Francesca Cricelli, and Giti Chandra, Arnór Kári, and Gabe Dunsmith.

Instagram

Grayson and Martyna first crossed paths almost a decade ago at an indie art haven called @listastofan. Grayson was the mastermind behind the multilingual literary event series, Stranger Than Fiction—a BYOB shindig where we lounged on funky carpets, sipped wine, and sported hats so over-the-top they could’ve had their own exhibition. Fast forward a few years, and the duo, feeling a bit nostalgic, decided it was time for a reunion. With Grayson freshly back in town, they teamed up to bring you a special Reykjavík Poetics event that’s all about rants—because what’s life without a little (or a lot of) passion, anger, sadness, and, did we mention, anger? So, come armed with your best rant! We’re giving the audience a chance to let loose too. And if you’ve got a cool hat collecting dust at home, this is its time to shine! Thank you @martyranosaurus and @graykjavik for curating RVK Poetics 14: Mad as a Hatter!
See you on Wednesday for Mad as a hatter with @miriampetra! Miriam Petra Ómarsdóttir Awad is (amongst other things) a freelance educator from Iceland who specialises in racism, cultural prejudice and de-colonialization from an Icelandic perspective. She has a BA in French and a MA in Global Relations from the University of Iceland. She likes writing and painting, but because of ingrained prejudice she thought studying the arts in Iceland “was not for people like her”. One day she would like to publish something but she doesn’t quite know yet what it could be. Miriam Petra Ómarsdóttir Awad er manneskja með marga hatta en meðal annars sinnir hún fræðslu um kynþátta- og menningarfordóma og afnýlenduvæðingu í íslensku samhengi. Hún er með BA í frönskum fræðum og MA í Hnattrænum tengslum frá Háskóla Íslands. Miriam er skúffuskáld sem finnst gaman að skrifa og mála, en útaf fordómum sem hún upplifði á yngri árum fannst henni listnám „ekki vera fyrir fólk eins og hana”. Einn daginn myndi hún gjarnan vilja að gefa eitthvað út en hún veit ekki alveg enn hvað það gæti verið.
Come by @mengi_iceland on Wednesday, meet Zach and hear his rant! Zachary Melton is from Fairmount, Indiana, home of James Dean, where Cool was born. He has lived in Reykjavík for nine years while getting his MA and PhD at the University of Iceland. He is now a post-doctoral researcher at the Árni Magnússon Insitute where he worries about what he will do next.
Happy Menningarnótt! 🥳 Writers O’Clock celebrating the local authors during the Reykjavík Culture Night. The event is part of the collaboration between @reykjavikartmuseum and @hafnarhaus curated by @christophermarcatiliwriter and Gabe Dunsmith 🧡 with @margretannthors @trodcastdan and others ✨
Meet another one of our Mad as a Hatter readers: Rachel Corvo! "• Tech worker (user experience stuff) • TedX Reykjavík veteran • Sometimes I write - vents & rants, of course • Like time, I persist" @nocturniatx
Come by @mengi_iceland on the 28th August and meet Bergrún! BERGRÚN ANNA HALLSTEINSDÓTTIR is an artist and writer who grew up in the south island of New Zealand. She has a BFA in Visual Arts from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts and an MA in visual anthropology from Freie Universitat Berlin. She currently floats around in the no man's land between poetry, art and environmental anthropology. / Bergrún Anna Hallsteinsdóttir er listakona og skáld sem ólst upp á suður eyju Nýja Sjálands. Hún stundaði BA nám við myndlistardeild Listaháskóla Íslands, og MA nám í sjónrænni mannfræði við Freie Universitat í Berlín. Eins og er flýtur hún um í einskismannslandi milli ljóðlistar, myndlistar og umhverfismannfræði.