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By Shaune Jonasson This book review presents The Young Icelander – The story of an immigrant in Nova Scotia and Manitoba . A classic in Iceland that has been translated and published in English, offering insight to the challenges of emigration and settling in a foreign land. The emigrants are resilient. Their spirit, motivated by hope and determination, molds their greatest desire of creating a better life for their families. In 1899, Jóhann Magnús Bjarnason wrote the story

By Katrín Nielsdottir < Katrin.Nielsdottir@umanitoba.ca > The Icelandic language, verbal or written, holds importance not only for us to learn about our past, but to preserve the very same for our future. Katrín Nielsdottir, the Icelandic Liaison Librarian at The University of Manitoba, explains a recent online project regarding the preservation of the Icelandic language, produced through the Digital Museums of Canada. What does it mean to carry a language across an ocean—

By Heather Goodman Lytwyn Join our host, Heather, when she invites the author and the translator of our next book, HARM. After reading the intriguing journey of the detectives, both at work and their home lives, you won't want to miss the Book Club on Thursday, 9 April. Please note the timings: this will be a daytime event. Icelandic Roots Book Club on April 9, 2026, features the murder mystery Harm with author Sólveig Pálsdóttir and translator Quentin Bates. Our two guests

By Bryndís Víglundsdóttir We welcome this article by Bryndís Víglundsdóttir who tells us about a promise she made to her ten-year-old self. When first arriving in New York City she was presented with a much different cultural experience leaving her to wonder what the rest of the country was like: is this the Promised Land? I was ten years old when I promised myself that one day I would go to America. I had read about remarkable Americans whom I deeply admired, and I longed

Every year the Icelandic Roots Newsletter team considers the articles contributed to the newsletter by IR members and others. These are not the "best" posts, but they appealed to us for various reasons. We have compiled a short list of our favourites for your consideration: The 50th anniversary of the Women’s March was the most inspirational event in 2025 for me. We featured several articles as a tribute to the women in Iceland who fought for gender equality back in 1975. The

by Ken Barr Reprinted with permission from Icelandic Connection v67(1): pp12–13, 2015. Living in caves out of town, They wait all year for their chance, For mischief in December, To dance their holiday dance. The thirteen sons of Grýla, ýla, Their father Leppalúði, Each yuletide season they come, For mischief, wait and you’ll see. Each one is so different, In at the antics that they choose, But they’re brothers after all, Each one with nothing to lose. So starting De

The story is based on Jón Árnason's Icelandic Folktales and taken from the book Hildur, Queen of the Elves, and Other Stories: Icelandic Folk Tales retold by J. M. Bedell. Story is used with permission. Hildur, Queen of the Elves And Other Stories: Icelandic Folk Tales, retold by J. M. Bedell, Interlink Books, 2007. amazon.com Around the middle of the 7th century, on a poor farm in the Kelda district, there lived two sisters, Sigrídur and Geirlaug. For reasons no one else

This wonderful new Christmas legend is currently only available in Icelandic, but will be out next year in English. If you have been learning Icelandic a children's book can be a good way to practise, and I did surprisingly well with reading it, I was very encouraged! You will have heard, I am sure, of the festive peril that awaits you should you not be gifted any new clothes for Christmas - Jólakötturinn , or the Yule Cat, will come to devour you! Jólabókaormurinn introd

By Sharron Arksey Celebrating Thanksgiving is held at different times in Canada and the United States. Our Writers' Group wrote stories about thankfulness for both holidays. With our American cousins anticipating its arrival, Sharron shares her thoughts on thankfulness after the trip to Iceland this past September. I did not try to count the sheep I saw in Iceland during the 2025 Icelandic Roots tour; there were too many. I did, however, smile often as I watched their woolly

by Doreen Borgford McFarlane This is an excerpt from a yet unpublished book Leirarskotta by Doreen Borgfjord McFarlane. Author's Note: This book that I wrote tells the story of an Icelandic girl ghost who, according to Icelandic records, lived and followed the Borgfjord family for no less than eight generations. I learned about her quite accidentally around 2015 by reading a lecture on "Icelandic Immigrant Ghosts" that was delivered at the University of Victoria, B.C. in 200

My mother once, after reading one of my short stories, said, “How did you know that?” “That” was a description of ice forming on rocks...

By Cathy Josephson Cathy volunteers for Icelandic Roots and also at the East Iceland Emigration Center in Vopnafjörður. She also serves...

Editor Note: There is a change in the usual timing for this event. It will be taking place at 1200 noon Central Time (DST) on October 2...

Reviewed by Sharron Arksey Jonas Ebaneser is in a midlife crisis and when he discovers that his daughter is not biologically his, he...

Here are ten suggestions on how to do genealogical research. Even experienced genealogists might find these tips worthwhile. Plus, we've...

By Sharron Arksey Þórdís Gísladóttir at Göteborg Book Fair (2016) ...

By Doreen M McFarlane Ah, what can a person write about in regard to CHANGE? That is the question. Too many ideas come to mind. Which...

Heather hosts William Valgarson at Book Club in June 2025

By Bryndís Viglundsdóttir The Icelandic Roots Writers' Group submits short stories about Icelandic life and lore after given a prompt for...

Bill tells of his ancestral arrival to New Iceland and his memories.