Icelandic Novelist Sjón’s Secret Weapon
Icelandic writer Sjón shows the BBC’s Andrea Kidd his secret weapon - an antiquarian bookstore in Reykjavik, before travelling to his other place of inspiration , his writing hut
As well as being one of Iceland’s most popular novelists, Sjón is also a poet, screenwriter and lyricist - he was Oscar nominated for “I’ve seen it all,” the song he created with the singer Björk . He takes his inspiration from the country’s rugged, icy landscape, Icelandic history and myths. He shows the BBC’s Andrea Kidd his secret research weapon, his favourite antiquarian bookstore in central Reykjavik, as he scours its shelves for books to inform and inspire his latest novel, based on the dark history of Icelandic neo-Nazis. We then travel to his small hut on the south coast of the island, a place where he finds the peace and quiet he needs in order to create his works.
Producer: Andrea Kidd
Last on
More episodes
Clips
![]()
"This is the space I can think into"
Duration: 01:30
![]()
Why Sjón’s sofa helps his creativity
Duration: 01:22
Broadcasts
- Tue 6 Jun 201702:32GMTBBC World Service Online, East Asia, Europe and the Middle East, UK DAB/Freeview & West and Central Africa only
- Tue 6 Jun 201703:32GMTBBC World Service South Asia
- Tue 6 Jun 201704:32GMTBBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Tue 6 Jun 201706:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Tue 6 Jun 201710:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Tue 6 Jun 201721:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Tue 13 Feb 201800:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
- Tue 13 Feb 201803:32GMTBBC World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & Europe and the Middle East only
- Tue 13 Feb 201804:32GMTBBC World Service South Asia & East Asia only
- Tue 13 Feb 201805:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Tue 13 Feb 201811:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Tue 13 Feb 201821:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Tue 13 Feb 201823:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia, Online, UK DAB/Freeview, Americas and the Caribbean & Europe and the Middle East only


