Lunch lecture: Writing from images: source material and fiction in The Natural Laws

The Lunch Lecture on Friday will be about "Writing from images: source material and fiction in The Natural Laws" and takes place at the University Centre of the Westfjords on the second floor at the cafeteria. The talk will be in Icelandic and starts at 12:10 and finishes at 13:00. It is also possible to attend via zoom, the link can be found here: https://eu01web.zoom.us/j/69947471079

Author Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl discusses his use of source material – photographs, local papers and historical work – while writing his new novel The Natural Laws. In the early summer of 1925, the youngest, most beautiful and most reluctant bishop in the history of Iceland summons the country’s priests to the small town of Isafjordur. His purpose is to solidify the power of Christianity and suppress the spread of spiritualism. However, his schemes set off an unforeseen chain of events that span seven tumultuous days. Life in the town takes a sharp detour as inexplicable and catastrophic phenomena unfold, leaving the townspeople grappling with the question of whether the nature of these occurrences is scientific or divine.

The Natural Laws is a captivating historical novel with a glittering tinge of fantasy that offers a distinctive and carnivalesque portrayal of life in a small Icelandic town. Fact and fiction are juggled freely, capturing the town's atmosphere and local memories, to weave an exhilarating and thrilling narrative.