Sverrir Norland
is an Icelandic author, translator, publisher, public speaker, and scriptwriter.
His latest books are Kletturinn (Rockface, 2023), a novel, and Stríð og kliður (War and Noise, 2021), a personal essay on nature, technology, and the human imagination.
Sverrir has also published two novels with Forlagið, Iceland’s leading publishing house: Kvíðasnillingarnir (Masters of Anxiety, 2014) and Fyrir allra augum (In Plain Sight, 2016); and many short stories and poems in various literary journals and magazines.
Sverrir also runs a small publishing house called AM forlag along with his wife Cerise Fontaine, with the aim of making available to Icelandic readers beautifully written, illustrated and designed books for both children and adults.
In fall 2018, Sverrir published what he terms, in Icelandic, a bókaknippi, or book bundle: a collection of five thematically related books that fit in your pocket and can happily replace a smartphone while you wait for the bus.
After living in London, Paris, and New York, Sverrir has now happily returned to his native city, Reykjavík, where he lives with Cerise and their two children.
Rockface
International rights: Copenhagen Literary Agency
Twenty years have passed since Gúi fell to his death on a camping trip in Hvalfjörður. Since then, his friends Einar and Brynjar have had to deal with the trauma, each in their own way – but neither with much success.
Now their paths cross again, and they must confront the truth. What happened? Why? How? And what kind of people are they?
Rockface is a captivating novel about forgiveness, ambition, and the emotional ties between men.
Sverrir Norland is the author of critically acclaimed essays and novels. He is also a translator, publisher, screenwriter, radio host, and one of Iceland’s most recognized public intellectuals. Rockface is his twelfth book and his third novel.
Readers on Rockface
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An exceedingly well-written story about what it means to be human; it is masterfully written, suspenseful, beautiful, and moving.
Ragnar Jónasson, bestselling author of Snowblind
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Great start to the Christmas book flood! A group of friends with a secret, a love story, a bit of comedy ... It's a very fun read, I cannot recommend it enough ...
Joachim Schmidt, bestselling author of Kalmann
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I really loved this book, this story.
Jakob Bjarnar, Vísir
Rockface is a captivating read that held me from the first page to the last. Sverrir creates interesting and believable characters, especially in the case of Einar, the narrator, who is a complex person; neglected, angry, talented, loving, ashamed and riddled with guilt ... A book that stays with you, provoking a multitude of thoughts and ideas.
— Sæunn Kjartansdóttir, established author and psychotherapist, founder of The Center for Parents and Children
We often use the rock as a metaphor for human strength, but we can also turn to stone on the inside, and then, slowly, the rock starts to crumble. Sverrir tells a simple story pregnant with complex ideas. He’s writing about male friendships, mostly focusing on two men who are burdened by an awful event that shaped them both in different way. A story about whether secrets should sometimes remain secrets.
— Jóhannes Ólafsson, Bara bækur
Sverrir Norland is such a brilliant stylist. His command of the language is unique and his scenes are incredibly well-written ... Sverrir Norland is a brilliant writer and everyday life is his homemade dessert which he brings to the dinner party to the delight of everyone. This is of course something his readers already know ...
— Ingibjörg Iða Auðunardóttir, Morgunblaðið
War & Noise
International rights: Copenhagen Literary Agency
A few years ago, Icelandic writer Sverrir Norland found himself despairing in the face of the enormous challenges facing the world: pollution, mass extinction, the takeover of technology, the concentration of wealth in the hands of a select few.
In War & Noise, Sverrir takes us along for his journey out of that abyss, daring to explore some of the biggest and scariest questions of our times while developing an optimistic approach toward the demanding work the future requires from us.
Innovative, moving, and provocative, War & Noise sheds a surprising light on how we might fight climate change and natural destruction. Sverrir writes from a unique point of view, rooted in the small island where he was born and developed in the global metropolises where he has spent most of his adult life. He offers a brilliant personal essay on the future of our imagination and creativity in a post-natural world: a book that should speak to readers across all borders.
Readers on War & Noise
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An exceedingly well-written story about what it means to be human; it is masterfully written, suspenseful, beautiful, and moving.
Ragnar Jónasson, bestselling author of Snowblind
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Great start to the Christmas book flood! A group of friends with a secret, a love story, a bit of comedy ... It's a very fun read, I cannot recommend it enough ...
Joachim Schmidt, bestselling author of Kalmann
-
I really loved this book, this story.
Jakob Bjarnar, Vísir
Rockface is a captivating read that held me from the first page to the last. Sverrir creates interesting and believable characters, especially in the case of Einar, the narrator, who is a complex person; neglected, angry, talented, loving, ashamed and riddled with guilt ... A book that stays with you, provoking a multitude of thoughts and ideas.
— Sæunn Kjartansdóttir, established author and psychotherapist, founder of The Center for Parents and Children
We often use the rock as a metaphor for human strength, but we can also turn to stone on the inside, and then, slowly, the rock starts to crumble. Sverrir tells a simple story pregnant with complex ideas. He’s writing about male friendships, mostly focusing on two men who are burdened by an awful event that shaped them both in different way. A story about whether secrets should sometimes remain secrets.
— Jóhannes Ólafsson, Bara bækur
Sverrir Norland is such a brilliant stylist. His command of the language is unique and his scenes are incredibly well-written ... Sverrir Norland is a brilliant writer and everyday life is his homemade dessert which he brings to the dinner party to the delight of everyone. This is of course something his readers already know ...