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We met with Iceland's president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson in his residence, and he spoke to us about the importance of literature to the Icelandic people.


Here we are waiting for the president.

Here I am chatting with the president and other authors.

I got to see my book for the first time at the book signing in the Eymundsson bookstore.

All of the books are ready to be signed.

 

Just below you will see the translated text of the article about Publish America that appeared on pg.16 of the in the Icelandic paper, Morgunbladid. Our photo with president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson appeared with the article.

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New Icelandic publishing house


A new publishing house, PublishIslandica, was launched this weekend with the release of three books written by Icelandic authors. These past few months the publishing house has contracted 15 Icelandic authors. The three Icelandic authors are: Anna Dóra Antonsdóttir, Jón Skúli Traustason and Hólmgeir Helgi Hákonarson. PublishIslandica has also contracted a Swedish translation of the novel Stúlka med fingur, by Thórunn Valdimarsdóttir, the book was nominated for the Nordic Literary Award in 2000.

The parent company of the Icelandic house is American publishing company, PublishAmerica, based in Maryland, USA. The company has 5000 authors. At the occasion of the Icelandic daughter-companyís release a group of 40 authors and publishing professionals from America, Holland and Norway are visiting Iceland, and the president of Iceland held a reception for them in Bessastodum last Saturday.

Icelandic book market offers many exciting opportunities

PublishAmerica's president and senior partner of PublishIslandica, Willem Meiners, leads the foreign group, and he said when he was interviewed by the Morgunbla, that the only answer he could give to the question why he wanted to establish a publishing house in Iceland was that he loved Iceland. "I came here for first time in 1976 as a reporter to cover the cod war. Since then I have loved the country. We place emphasis on opening a way for talented, unknown authors, to let their voices be heard, and our international connection gives our authors a chance to be heard worldwide. I also see many exciting opportunities in the book market here that we would like to be a part of. The opportunities are in using the digital printing technology, printing books on demand, and never have books in stocks. We don't intend to participate in the price war that rages here before Christmas. We will publish our books steadily throughout the year," said publisher Willem Meiners.