Icelandic crime writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir loves kayking and kleina

I love crime thrillers; fortunately, Iceland is blessed with many great authors of that genre, so there is no shortage of quality page-turners for me to enjoy. Authors such as Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Arnaldur Indriðason, and Ragnar Jónasson are all great authors. Still, I want to draw your attention to yet another master of the Icelandic crime novel, Lilja Sigurðardóttir. I recently discovered Lilja’s books, and I just completed her 2020 novel Red as Blood which is a real page-turner. Previously, I read her book Cold as Hell, which was relentlessly good also. I am happy to report that she has many more novels for us to enjoy.

Lilja Sigurðardóttir is what the Netflix series Katla and pedagogy have in common

As Lilja’s Wikipedia indicates, Lilja Sigurðardóttir is talented, experienced, and versatile. In addition to being a crime fiction writer, she is a playwright and screenwriter. Lilja wrote the second episode of the Netflix series Katla and participated in writing the script for many other episodes. She has a BS degree in pedagogy and has written professional material for preschools. Her crime novels have been published worldwide.

Hey Lilja, thank you for taking the time for the interview. What inspired you to start to write crime novels?

I have always loved writing. That is my luck in life. So many writers don’t like the writing itself, but I do. I used to write professional material, handbooks, websites, etc., in the field of education. One day in early 2008, I saw an advertisement from a publisher saying they were looking for new crime novels. So I thought to myself: why not? So I wrote a story and sent it in, and it was published. It got excellent reviews but didn’t sell much. The publisher wanted another one, so I wrote another, and the same thing happened. Good reviews but little sales. For the next few years, I was busy with my day job and also got an opportunity to participate in a program for playwrights at the National Theater of Iceland. I enjoyed that very much and wrote a play called Big Babies, which was staged by the Lab Loki theater and was very successful. It ran for a long time and won awards. But in 2015, I went back to crime(writing). This time Iceland’s biggest publisher Forlagid took on the book, and that book was Snare. The first is in a trilogy about the gay cocaine smuggler Sonia. The rest is history. It went international, and now my books are published in 18 languages, and I am a full-time crime writer.

Your books are very ‘Icelandic,’ but you have been very successful internationally. Do you think it has helped you to be an Icelandic author?

It has for sure! I can be a full-time writer. Access to bigger readerships is a key for us Icelandic writers writing in this mini-language. But in other aspects too. I always set out to write my books for Icelandic readers, but now I am more conscious that people from different cultures will be reading them too. So I add in the occasional little explanation here and there. Maybe about cultural phenomena or something regarding the nature of the land. So writing for readers from all around the world has probably made me a better writer.

What was it like to work on the story for the Netflix series Katla?

It was fun! It was an opportunity for me to work with Sigurjón Kjartansson, who is Iceland’s most experienced TV writer, and it was also a joy to work with Davíð Már Stefánsson, who had just finished a degree in screenwriting. So I learned a lot about the craft and the industry. It was excellent to work with Netflix. They were fabulously professional but, at the same time, all for creative freedom. Baltasar Kormákur, the creator I knew before, and we have been working on other projects together, and he is a true star. A very clever, talented, and driven man. I recommend people check out his films. We are all very proud of Katla. It is very, very dark and visually stunning.

Any change your books will be adapted for television or turned into a film?

Yes. There is a chance of that. Palomar pictures/66North has the option for Snare and is currently out on submission. I am moderately optimistic as I have gotten to know the TV industry now and know what a long time projects take in development. But hopefully, we can see Sonia on the TV screen in the next couple of years.

What Icelandic authors or artists do you recommend to my readers?

Oh. where to begin!? It is hard to select as we have many talented people in the arts that your readers would love to discover. But I’ll recommend a few authors from my crime fiction field that are available in English and new on the scene. Check out Eva Björg Ægisdóttir´s “The Creak on the Stairs,” Óskar Guðmundsson´s “The Testaments” and Sólveig Pálsdóttir´s “The Fox”. Also, check out Quentin Bates’s novels that take place in Iceland. Quentin is an honorary Icelander and has lived here for a long time. His stories about detective inspector Gunnhildur are fab. Quentin is also an efficient translator from Icelandic and translates many crime authors, including myself.

Please tell me you are working on a new book. Right? If so, what can you tell me about that?

I am! I have just finished a book due for publication in Icelandic in October. It is the fourth in the Áróra series that starts with Cold as Hell. So for English readers, that one will be available in 2024, as Quentin, the translator, will need some time to work his magic. But next up in English is Red as Blood. It will be released as an eBook in August and on paper in October. In the story, a businessman named Flosi comes home to find his wife gone and a ransom note on the kitchen table. And Áróra comes to the rescue to try and help Flosi deal with the kidnappers.

What are your favorite places or activities here in Iceland?

I like kayaking, so I would recommend people try that. There is a place in Eyrarbakki that offers kayak rentals and tours. Reykjavík has a variety of exciting restaurants to try now, partly thanks to tourism. I love Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland, and I try to go there at least once a year. It is a stunning town, very peaceful and perfect for walks and relaxing.

What advice would you give those visiting Iceland for the first time?

Yes. Please don’t buy bottled water. It is a waste of your money and plastic as we have mineral water on tap. Don’t underestimate nature. Check weather forecasts and try kleina. Dip in your coffee and enjoy.