AGP Executive Report

Screen Culture: Greek period drama The Great Chimera has been picked up by Iceland’s RÚV, bringing the six-part series to local viewers. Icelandic drama Elma is also heading to Síminn. Icelandic Art: A winning photograph in Australia spotlights Contemplation, a sculpture by Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir. New features revisit painter Jóhannes Kjarval’s mystical vision of Iceland’s lava fields and Ragnar Kjartansson’s exhibition at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. Norse Heritage: A look at the sagas and archaeological finds traces Leif Erikson’s voyage to North America centuries before Columbus. Travel Links: Icelandair is adding nonstop St. Louis flights, opening a new route for U.S. visitors.

Film Industry: Iceland is among 10 territories represented in the Baltic Event’s 15-project co-production slate, set to pitch at Tallinn Black Nights; eight films come from debut feature directors. Travel: Icelandair will begin nonstop St. Louis–Iceland flights in May 2027, with up to four services a week and onward connections to Europe. Books: Writer Pam Houston’s new essay collection includes several pieces inspired by Iceland, whose landscape, horses and literary culture she celebrates. Screen and Art: Icelandic drama “Elma” is slated for a Síminn release, while new features spotlight painter Jóhannes Kjarval and artist Ragnar Kjartansson.

Norse Heritage: New coverage of Leif Erikson’s voyage highlights Iceland’s place in the story: Norse explorers reached North America around 1,000 AD, with Iceland and Greenland serving as stepping stones centuries before Columbus. Education: Iceland ranks second in Europe for average gross teacher salaries, at €73,752 a year, according to a new comparison. Travel: A visitor group is exploring Iceland’s waterfalls, while luxury travel company Scott Dunn reports U.S. bookings to the island have more than quadrupled year over year. Books & Iceland: Author Pam Houston’s new essay collection draws on life at her cabin in Iceland, where she writes about the landscape, Icelandic horses and a culture she describes as deeply literary.

Travel: A U.S. luxury travel company reports bookings to Iceland have more than quadrupled year on year. A visiting travel club is exploring the country’s waterfalls, and Icelandair will launch nonstop St. Louis flights in May 2027, with up to four services a week. Education: Icelandic teachers have Europe’s second-highest average annual salaries, at about €73,752, according to figures cited by Bulgaria’s education union. Books & Art: American writer Pam Houston says Iceland’s horses, landscape and love of books inspired essays in her new collection. A profile also revisits painter Jóhannes Kjarval’s mystical vision of Iceland’s lava fields.

Books & Careers: Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jónasson has joined law firm LOGOS as a special adviser, bringing a career in finance and law to the role while continuing his international writing work. Screen Culture: Icelandic drama Elma is set for a Síminn debut, while production company Glassriver is presenting new series NCU at MIPCOM. Travel: A luxury travel company reports that U.S. bookings to Iceland have more than quadrupled year on year, pointing to growing interest beyond the country’s usual adventure-travel audience. Icelandair is also adding nonstop St. Louis flights and bringing back Madrid service in 2027. Art: A new feature revisits painter Jóhannes Kjarval’s mystical side, including fantasy works shaped by religious themes, symbols and enigmatic figures.

Iceland Travel: U.S. bookings to Iceland have more than quadrupled year over year, according to luxury travel company Scott Dunn. Icelandair is also adding St. Louis flights and bringing back Madrid service in 2027. Literature: Nobel laureate Anne Carson has close ties to Iceland, where she spends part of the year and became a citizen in 2022. Her award gives Iceland its second Nobel laureate in Literature, after Halldór Laxness. Visual Arts: A feature revisits painter Jóhannes Kjarval’s mystical side, including the fantasy works shown in Reykjavík’s 2025 “Dreamland” exhibition.

Travel: U.S. bookings to Iceland with luxury travel company Scott Dunn have more than quadrupled year over year, as travelers seek black-sand beaches, hot springs and the northern lights. Icelandair will add St. Louis flights in May 2027 and bring back its Madrid route in April. Literature: Nobel laureate Anne Carson was in Iceland when she learned of her win. The Canadian writer lives there part of the year and became an Icelandic citizen in 2022, making her the country’s second Nobel laureate in Literature after Halldór Laxness. Arts: A new feature revisits painter Jóhannes Kjarval’s mystical works, including the Reykjavík museum’s 2025 “Dreamland” exhibition. Family Life: A review of paternity leave research cites Iceland’s addition of four weeks of reserved leave for fathers, followed by a 12-percentage-point drop in couple separations. Screen: Icelandic drama Elma is set for a Síminn premiere, while production company Glassriver plans to present NCU at MIPCOM.

Literature: Anne Carson won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature while in Iceland, where she lives part of the year and became a citizen in 2022. Her win gives Iceland its second literature laureate, after Halldór Laxness. Visual Arts: A profile revisits Jóhannes Kjarval’s mystical paintings, spotlighted in Kjarvalsstaðir’s “Dreamland” exhibition alongside works by sculptor Einar Jónsson. Screen: Icelandic crime series Elma, adapted from Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s novels and set in Akranes, arrives on Síminn on October 15. Travel: Icelandair will launch nonstop St. Louis flights and bring back Madrid service in 2027, adding new routes ahead of the airline’s 90th anniversary.

Travel Links: Icelandair will launch nonstop St. Louis flights in May 2027 and resume Madrid service in April, expanding options for Iceland-bound travellers ahead of the airline’s 90th anniversary. Art & Heritage: A profile revisits painter Jóhannes Kjarval’s mystical, imaginative work, spotlighted in Reykjavík’s 2025 “Dreamland” exhibition. Literature: Nobel laureate Anne Carson was in Iceland when she learned of the award; she lives here part of the year and became an Icelandic citizen in 2022, making her the country’s second Nobel Prize winner in Literature after Halldór Laxness. Screen: Icelandic crime drama Elma, set in Akranes and adapted from Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s novels, debuts on Síminn on October 15. Food Traditions: Icelanders brought dried stockfish to a Slow Food gathering in Turin, highlighting a tradition stretching back more than 1,100 years.

Literature: Anne Carson has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Canadian writer, who holds Icelandic citizenship and spends part of the year here, heard the news in Iceland while “listening to the wind.” Icelandic Screen: Crime drama Elma, adapted from Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s novels and set in Akranes, arrives on Síminn’s streaming service on October 15. Art: Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson’s exhibition at Buffalo AKG Art Museum explores the social rituals and familiar roles people repeat. Media: RÚV has joined Nordic public broadcasters in a crisis-cooperation pact, promising to share reliable updates if a neighbour loses access to its own news services. Youth Wellbeing: Icelandic young people’s wellbeing is improving, but bullying is also rising, according to a recent report.

Icelandic TV: Crime drama Elma, adapted from Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s bestselling books and set in Akranes, arrives on Síminn on October 15. Literary Spotlight: Anne Carson won the Nobel Prize in Literature while in Iceland, where she has lived for several years and became a citizen in 2022. The Swedish Academy reached her as she was “listening to the wind.” Reykjavík Film Festival: If Luck Will Come, a documentary following two Afghan children under Taliban rule, won RIFF’s A Different Tomorrow Award; La Gradiva took the festival’s Golden Puffin. Volleyball: Iceland’s U20 women won gold at a regional tournament in San Marino, securing direct qualification for the 2027 European Championship.

Literature: Iceland was part of Anne Carson’s Nobel moment: the Canadian poet was listening to the wind here when she learned she had won the 2026 Literature Prize. Carson has lived in Iceland for several years and became an Icelandic citizen in 2022. Reykjavík Film Festival: Danish director Camille Bildsøe’s If Luck Will Come won RIFF’s A Different Tomorrow Award. The documentary follows two Afghan children finding room for creativity and freedom in a circus under Taliban rule. Icelandic Arts: Björk’s influence reached the runway as she appeared in the Mugler collection she inspired. And a profile revisits sculptor Einar Jónsson’s distinctive artistic legacy.

Reykjavík History: Höfði opens to the public on October 10, marking 40 years since the Reagan–Gorbachev summit. A new exhibition explores the house’s history, with free entry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Film: La Gradiva has taken home Reykjavík’s Golden Puffin. Youth Wellbeing: Bullying is rising among Icelandic young people even as overall wellbeing improves, according to a new report. Public Safety: Police recorded 346 sexual-offence reports in the first half of 2026, up 21% from the same period last year; about half of reported victims were under 18. Eurovision: Iceland’s national broadcaster’s board supports boycotting the 2027 contest if Israel is allowed to compete.

Film: Reykjavík’s “La Gradiva” took home the Golden Puffin, while Sara Dosa’s Oscar-contending documentary “Time and Water” brings Iceland’s melting glaciers to the screen. Music & Fashion: Björk appeared in a Mugler collection she inspired, unveiled in Paris. Public Debate: Iceland’s national broadcaster backed a boycott of Eurovision 2027 if Israel is allowed to compete. Gender Equality: Iceland leads the 2026 Global Gender Gap Report, with a score of 93%, though the worldwide report says progress toward parity remains slow.

Reykjavík Film Festival: Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF) wrapped up with Marine Atlan’s La Gradiva winning the Golden Puffin in the New Visions strand, praised for avoiding “easy sentimentality” and capturing subtle human dynamics. Tallinn Film Scene: Tallinn Black Nights (PÖFF) revealed its official selection and first feature competitions, with 21 world premieres and a lineup spanning coming-of-age stories, family tensions, and social issues. Iceland Travel & Lifestyle: A new travel roundup spotlights Europe’s winter-ready islands, including Iceland, as a quieter alternative for autumn school holidays. Culture & Community: A Reykjavík human-rights office update lists 10 important projects, keeping local civic work in the spotlight. Wellness Branding: Minor Hotels launched “Life Longevity,” a new wellness ecosystem linking destinations and services across seasons of life. Public Health Watch: WHO says a suspected pneumonic plague case in Russia is a very low risk outside the country, as investigations continue and countries tighten precautions. Politics & Democracy: Europe’s Council of Europe is preparing a “Democratic Pact” and launching a citizens’ consultation on how to rebuild trust in democracy.

Public Health: The WHO says a possible pneumonic plague case in Russia is a “very low” risk outside the country, after a Siberian lab worker died; officials are still investigating and contacts have been placed under observation, while the US says it’s watching closely. Iceland Culture: Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF) wrapped up with Marine Atlan’s La Gradiva winning the Golden Puffin in the New Visions competition, praised for avoiding “easy sentimentality.” Politics & Media: Hungary’s PM Péter Magyar hit out at Norway’s NRK over a report on press freedom, calling it “full of lies,” as tensions over access and interviews continue. Social Issues: A new WHO/Europe study finds over two in three young adults across the EU, Iceland and Norway report at least one adverse childhood experience, linking higher ACE exposure to worse mental health and life outcomes. Crime & Safety (Iceland): Iceland’s police report a sharp rise in sexual offence reports in the first half of 2026, with children making up about half of victims. Travel & Lifestyle: Condé Nast Traveler readers again ranked Viking #1 for both rivers and oceans for a sixth straight year, while National Geographic Traveller highlights European islands that stay open for winter, including Iceland.