Syng, mín sál: 40 söngvar úr íslenskum handritum fyrri alda
6.890 kr.Ómissandi bók fyrir allt áhugafólk um íslenska tónlistarmenningu. Lögin sem hér eru loks gerð aðgengileg eru af margvíslegum toga en eiga það sameiginlegt að hafa fyrir óralöngu lífgað upp á til veruna í hrjóstrugu landi á hjara veraldar.
Íslensk handrit frá fyrri öldum hafa að geyma hundruð sönglaga en fæst þeirra hafa verið aðgengileg flytjendum og áhugafólki um tónlist. Nú hefur Árni Heimir Ingólfs son safnað saman 40 lögum úr þessum handritum. Þau eru af margvíslegum toga en eiga það sameiginlegt að hafa fyrir óralöngu lífgað upp á til veruna í hrjóstrugu landi á hjara veraldar.
Elstu lögin eru frá fimmtándu öld en þau yngstu frá þeirri átjándu og gefa þau góða mynd af tónlistarlífi á Íslandi í ríflega þrjár aldir. Í bókinni er einnig að finna greinargóðar skýringar á uppruna laganna og sögulegu samhengi þeirra.
Árni Heimir Ingólfsson er mikilvirkur fræðimaður á sviði íslenskrar tónlistarsögu. Hann hefur í þrígang verið tilnefndur til Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunanna fyrir bækur sínar, nú síðast Tónar útlaganna.
Syng, mín sál er ómissandi bók fyrir allt áhugafólk um íslenska tónlistarmenningu.
Són 23 (2025)
5.390 kr.Ársritið SÓN birtir greinar á sviði ljóðlistar og skáldskaparfræða, ný ljóð og ritdóma. Sónarskáldið 2025 er Kristín Ómarsdóttir. Þetta hefti hverfist að miklu leyti um samtímaljóðlist en varpar líka ljósi samtímans á eldri ljóðlist. Þannig sinnir tímaritið hlutverki sínu, hugar að liðnum tímum en líka ólgu dagsins, lesið meira:
Í heftinu er að finna ítarlega grein, SKURÐPUNKTUR SKÖPUNAR, þar sem rýnt er í hlutskipti íslenskra ljóðskálda nú á dögum og hugað að þeim breytingum sem hafa átt sér stað í útgáfu ljóðabóka á Íslandi síðustu áratugina. Fjallað er sérstaklega viðamikla sjálfsútgáfu íslenskra ljóðskálda. Greinin er góður upptaktur að þeim fjölda umsagna um ljóðabækur sem eru í þessu hefti og hafa aldrei verið fleiri. Fjallað er um 44 ljóðabækur, þar af 36 frumsamdar, sex ljóðaþýðingar og tvö ljóðasöfn.
Auk Sónarskáldsins, Kristínar Ómarsdóttur, birta sex önnur íslensk samtímaskáld ljóð í heftinu og einnig birtist íslensk þýðing á mögnuðu ádrepuljóði Emily Gorcensky sem fangar vel þá undarlegu tíma sem við lifum á.
Ein ritrýnd grein er í SÓN að þessu sinni og er hún um margt óvenjuleg því hún er afrakstur samvinnu á milli umhverfistónskálds og bókmenntafræðings og kallast ÞEGAR FYRIRBÆRI FLÆÐA. Greininni mætti lýsa sem fræðilegum hugleiðingum sem sprottnar eru af hendingunni „Í jöklinum hljóða dauðadjúpar sprungur“ í Sofðu, unga ástin mín. Hendingin verður höfundum kveikja hugleiðinga sem tengjast jöklum, ekki síst hopun þeirra og loftslagsbreytingum.
Þá er í heftinu merkilegt fræðslukvæði í rímnabúningi frá nítjándu öld. Kvæðið er eftir Jón Bergsted og kallast FÆÐINGARHJÁLPIN en þar er lýst í 114 erindum getnaði, meðgöngu, fæðingu og fæðingarhjálp.
Ritstjóri tímaritsins er Soffía Auður Birgisdóttir og hægt er að gerast áskrifandi hjá henni á soffiab@hi.is. Áskrift kostar 5000 kr. Að baki útgáfu tímaritsins stendur óðfræðifélagið BOÐN og eru ljóðaunnendur hvattir til að leggja tímaritinu lið með áskrift.
In Writing
3.690 kr.In these intimate and frank conversations with some of our best-loved writers, Hattie Crisell uncovers the mysteries of the creative process, asking: Where do ideas come from? How do stories find their shape? What happens when confidence falters or the work fails – and what does success look like?
The answers range from the thought-provoking to the hilarious. Here we meet the novelist who makes a playlist for each manuscript; the screenwriter who considers swearing an art form; the author who prefers to work in near-darkness, and the confessional writer at risk of revealing too much. Taken as a whole, these inspiring interviews amount to an insider’s guide to the writing process: its disciplines and demands; its ecstasies and agonies; its coffees, word counts and publishing hurdles. Most of all, they reveal how it really feels to write and be read.
With contributions from James Acaster, André Aciman, Ayobami Adebayo, Rumaan Alam, Amer Anwar, Mona Arshi, Andrew Billen, Holly Bourne, Charlie Brooker, Wendy Cope, Cressida Cowell, John Crace, Elizabeth Day, Grace Dent, Kit de Waal, Geoff Dyer, Wendy Erskine, Tor Freeman, Will Harris, Anna Hope, John Lanchester, Sophie Mackintosh, Emily St. John Mandel, Meg Mason, Mhairi McFarlane, Liane Moriarty, David Nicholls, Mary Norris, Graham Norton, Maggie O’Farrell, Ruben Östlund, Robert Popper, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Kiley Reid, John Rentoul, Hugo Rifkind, Jon Ronson, Michael Rosen, Sathnam Sanghera, George Saunders, David Sedaris, Elif Shafak, Alexandra Shulman, Curtis Sittenfeld, Raven Smith, Will Storr, Brandon Taylor, Craig Taylor, Barbara Trapido, Emma Jane Unsworth, Robert Webb, Zoe Williams, Meg Wolitzer.
Stríðsárin 1938-1945
5.990 kr.Í þessu magnþrungna stórvirki er Ísland fært inn á landakort heimsstyrjaldarinnar síðari og sýnt hvernig það varð órofa hluti af hildarleiknum sem fram fór um víða veröld – og ekki síst á hafinu kringum landið. Grimmd, lífsþorsti, hetjudáðir og hryllingur stríðsátakanna er dreginn fram í fjölda frásagna, fréttaskeyta, leyniskjala, dagbóka og minningabrota, auk þess sem verkið geymir aragrúa ljósmynda, innlendra og erlendra, sem margar koma nú í fyrsta sinn fyrir almenningssjónir.
Páll Baldvin Baldvinsson, bókmenntafræðingur og menningarrýnir, hefur um árabil haft brennandi áhuga á þessu einstæða tímabili í sögu þjóðarinnar. Verkið er afrakstur gríðarlega umfangsmikillar vinnu hans við söfnun ljósmynda, endurminninga og annarra heimilda um stríðsárin.
The Will to Change
3.690 kr.Everyone needs to love and be loved – even men. But to know love, men must be able to look at the ways that patriarchal culture keeps them from knowing themselves, from being in touch with their feelings, from loving. In The Will to Change, bell hooks gets to the heart of the matter and shows men how to express the emotions that are a fundamental part of who they are—whatever their age, marital status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
But toxic masculinity punishes those fundamental emotions, and it’s so deeply ingrained in our society that it’s hard for men to not comply—but hooks wants to help change that. With trademark candor and fierce intelligence, hooks addresses the most common concerns of men, such as fear of intimacy and loss of their patriarchal place in society, in new and challenging ways. She believes men can find the way to spiritual unity by getting back in touch with the emotionally open part of themselves—and lay claim to the rich and rewarding inner lives that have historically been the exclusive province of women.
A brave and astonishing work, The Will to Change is designed to help men reclaim the best part of themselves.
Grænland og fólkið sem hvarf
6.390 kr.Hvað varð af norrænu byggðinni á Grænlandi sem hvarf með dularfullum hætti fyrir 500 árum? Hér er reynt að ráða gátuna auk þess sem rýnt er í sögu landsins frá komu danskra nýlenduherra, mikilla þjóðfélagsbreytinga á 20. öld og svo umsvifum Bandaríkjanna eftir síðari heimsstyrjöld og fram á okkar daga. Aðgengilegt sagnfræðirit og ferðasaga í bland.
Árið 1408 var brúðkaup haldið í Hvalseyjarkirkju á Grænlandi. Í kjölfarið héldu brúðhjónin til Íslands og hefur ekki spurst til byggðar norrænna manna á Grænlandi síðan. Þremur öldum síðar kom danski presturinn Hans Egede til landsins í leit að afkomendum norrænna manna. Þeir fundust ekki en Danir tryggðu sér yfirráð yfir eyjunni, sem með einhverjum hætti standa enn. En hvað varð af þessu samfélagi norrænna manna á Grænlandi sem hafði fyrirfundist í næstum 500 ár?
Sagnfræðingurinn Valur Gunnarsson veltir hér upp ráðgátunni um þetta dularfulla hvarf heillar siðmenningar. Sagt er frá byggð norrænna manna á miðöldum, allt frá Eiríki rauða til brúðkaupsins í Hvalseyjarkirkju. Einnig er saga landsins fram á okkar daga rakin. Grænland sem hluti af nýlenduveldi Dana, þjóðfélagsbreytingarnar miklu á 20. öld, umsvif Bandaríkjamanna sem hófust í síðari heimsstyrjöld og hin ýmsu hneykslismál sem hafa flækt samband Grænlands og Danmerkur undanfarið.
Valur dvaldi á Grænlandi og skoðaði þar fornminjar jafnt sem að taka heimamenn tali og dvaldi auk þess á hreindýrabúi um stund. Bókin er aðgengilegt sagnfræðirit og ferðasaga í bland eins og höfundar er von og vísa.
A Thousand Feasts
3.990 kr.For years, Nigel Slater has kept notebooks of curiosities and wonderings, penned while at his kitchen table, soaked in a fisherman’s hut in Reykjavik, sitting calmly in a moss garden in Japan or sheltering from a blizzard in a Vienna Konditorei.
These are the small moments, events and happenings that gave pleasure before they disappeared. Miso soup for breakfast, packing a suitcase for a trip and watching a butterfly settle on a carpet, hiding in plain sight. He gives short stories of feasts such as a mango eaten in monsoon rain or a dish of restorative macaroni cheese and homes in on the scent of freshly picked sweet peas and the sound of water breathing at night in Japan.
This funny and sharply observed collection of the good bits of life, often things that pass many of us by, is utter joy from beginning to end.
Galdrastafir – Historical Icelandic magic symbols
4.990 kr.In the 1800s and early 1900s, the tradition of Icelandic magical symbols (galdrastafir) was in decline. At the same time, these symbols, once forbidden upon penalty of death, became the subject of increased interest in the scholarly community. One such scholar was Jónas Jónasson, a priest, folklore collector, and antiquarian who collected and compiled historical Icelandic symbols before his death in 1918. His labors resulted in a manuscript he titled simply Galdrastafir. Now, for the first time, this lush and beautiful book translates and reproduces material and presents
Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and the Philosophy of Fashion
3.990 kr.Why do we wear what we wear? To answer this question, we must go back and unlock the wardrobes of the early twentieth century, when fashion as we know it was born. In Bring No Clothes, acclaimed fashion writer Charlie Porter brings us face to face with six members of the Bloomsbury Group-the collective of creatives and thinkers who were in the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution. Each of them offers fresh insight into the constraints and possibilities of fashion today: from the stifling repression of E.M. Forster’s top buttons to the creativity of Vanessa Bell’s wayward hems; from the sheer pleasure of Ottoline Morrell’s lavish dresses to the clashing self-consciousness of Virginia Woolf’s orange stockings; from Duncan Grant’s liberated play with nudity to John Maynard Keynes’s power play in the traditional suit. As Porter carefully unpicks what they wore and how they wore it, we see how clothing can be a means of artistic, intellectual and sexual liberation, or, conversely, a tool for patriarchal control. As he travels through libraries, archives, attics and studios, Porter uncovers new evidence about his subjects, revealing them in a thrillingly intimate, vivid new light. And, as he begins making his own clothing, his own perspective on fashion-and on life-starts to change. In the end, he shows, we should all ‘bring no clothes’, embracing not just a new way with fashion but a new philosophy of living-one which activates the connections between the way we dress and the way we think, act and love.
Nýja stjórnarskráin
2.690 kr.Nýja Íslenska stjórnarskráin – 2. útgáfa.
Líkt og fram kemur í formála bókarinnar hefur viðleitni til stjórnarskrárbreytinga einkennst af því að sniðganga vilja kjósenda og þjóðaratkvæðagreiðsluna um nýja stjórnarskrá 2012.
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, forseti Íslands 1980-1996, ritar formálsorð þessarar fallegu bókar, sem hefur að geyma nýju stjórnarskrána ásamt ítarlegum sögulegum inngangi eftir Þorvald Gylfason prófessor emerítus.
Nýja stjórnarskráin var samþykkt í þjóðaratkvæðagreiðslu 20. október 2012 af yfirgnæfandi meirihluta kjósenda.
Bókin lætur ekki mikið yfir sér en lýsir þó afreki þjóðar, afreki sem almenningur á Íslandi vann í kjölfar áfalls sem hann varð fyrir árið 2008. Það á vel við að gefa þessa bók, bæði sjálfum sér og öðrum.
On Writing
3.690 kr.Twentieth Anniversary Edition with Contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King – with a new foreword, ON JOY, by Stephen King.
Part memoir, part masterclass by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have.
King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999 – and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it – fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.
Icelandic Pop: Then, Today, Tomorrow, Next Week
3.990 kr.Iceland punches well above its weight in the world of music, producing global icons like Björk, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, and Laufey, while at the same time nurturing a vibrant local scene. This book explores how Iceland’s unique social habits, institutions and everyday practices contribute to its thriving music culture. Tracing the development of Icelandic popular music since the rock ’n’ roll era, it examines key influences shaping the scene, from Reykjavík’s musicians to national institutions like radio and concert venues.
With engaging explanations of sociological factors, the book sheds light on why Iceland has become a powerhouse in music. An illuminating journey through Iceland’s music history, this is a celebration of the artistry and cultural forces behind its global impact.
Is a River Alive?
6.490 kr.From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book – which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title. At its heart is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings – who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law. Is a River Alive? takes the reader on an exhilarating exploration of the past, present and futures of this ancient, urgent concept.
The book flows first to northern Ecuador, where a miraculous cloud-forest and its rivers are threatened by goldmining. Then, to the wounded rivers, creeks and lagoons of southern India, where a desperate battle to save the lives of these waterbodies is under way. And finally, to north-eastern Quebec, where a spectacular wild river – the Mutehekau or Magpie – is being defended from death by damming in a river-rights campaign.
At once Macfarlane’s most personal and most political book to date, Is a River Alive? will open hearts, spark debates and lead us to the revelation that our fate flows with that of rivers – and always has.
On Freedom
3.690 kr.A brilliant exploration of freedom – what it is, how it’s been misunderstood, and why it’s our only chance for survival – by the acclaimed, bestselling author of On Tyranny.
Freedom is the great Western commitment, but we have lost sight of what it means – and this is leading us into crisis. Too many of us look at freedom as the absence of state power: we think we’re free if we can do and say as we please, and protect ourselves from government interference. But true freedom isn’t so much freedom from, as freedom to – the freedom to thrive, to take risks for futures we choose by working together. Freedom is the value that makes all other values possible.
Drawing on the work of philosophers and political dissidents, conversations with contemporary thinkers and his own experiences, Snyder identifies the practices and attitudes – the habits of mind – that will allow us to design a government in which we and future generations can flourish. We come to appreciate the importance of traditions but also the role of institutions. Intimate yet ambitious, this book helps forge a new consensus rooted in a politics of abundance, generosity and grace.
Snyder’s book On Tyranny has inspired millions around the world to fight for freedom; On Freedom helps us see exactly what we’re fighting for. It is a thrilling intellectual journey and a tour de force of political philosophy.
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Daughters of the Bamboo Grove
Original price was: 4.390 kr..2.195 kr.Current price is: 2.195 kr..In 2000, a Chinese woman gave birth to twins in a bamboo grove, trying to avoid detection by the government because she already had two daughters. Two years later, an American couple travelled to Shaoyang to adopt a Chinese toddler they thought had been abandoned. Their understanding had been that China’s brutal one-child policy was leading to hundreds of abandoned girls, desperate for the care of adopted parents.
What they didn’t know – and what award-winning journalist Barbara Demick uncovered in 2007, while working as a correspondent in Beijing – was that their daughter had been snatched from her beloved family and her identical twin. Under China’s one-child policy hundreds of poor Chinese were giving up their children due to soaring fines and threats of violence. More sinister still, international demand for adoptees was sky-rocketing, and local officials were forcibly seizing children and trafficking them to orphanages, who were selling them abroad.
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove tells the gripping story of separated twins, their respective fates in China and the USA, and Barbara Demick’s role in reuniting them against huge odds. Painting a rich portrait of China’s history and culture, it asks questions about the roots, impact and consequences of China’s one-child policy, the ethics of international adoption, and, ultimately, the assumptions and narratives we hold about the quality of lives lived in the East and the West.
Kitchen Confidential: 25th Anniversary Edition
3.990 kr.After twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behaviour and haute cuisine, chef and novelist Anthony Bourdain decided to tell all – and he meant all.
From his first oyster in the Gironde as a child, to his lowly position as a dishwasher in a honky-tonk fish restaurant in Provincetown; from the kitchen of the Rainbow Room atop the Rockefeller Center to drug dealers in the East Village, from Tokyo to Paris and back to New York again, Bourdain’s tales of the kitchen are as passionate as they are unpredictable, as shocking as they are funny.
Kitchen Confidential will make your mouth water and your belly ache with laughter and leave you wanting more.
Elemental Rebirth
7.490 kr.Elemental Rebirth is a deeply personal healing journey, poetically woven through the voices of the elements – water, fire, air and earth.
In her early thirties, Jósa Goodlife faced the life-altering challenge of overcoming cervical cancer through a hysterectomy. Yet, what began as a physical transformation became the gateway to a profound personal rebirth… one that you are invited to witness in this book.
Elemental Rebirth is a gift to those willing to receive – a narrative that transcends the physical and dives into the heart of – what it means to be a human being, with all its struggles and sensitivities, grace and much beauty. It is not merely a story of survival, but a living testament to the power of embracing change and finding purpose along unexpected paths.
With the energetic and poetic support of the elements, Jósa’s story invites readers on a creative journey through the swirling layers of the mind – touching the mysteries of life and death. It carries a wish for renewed hope, a call for more intentional living on this magical planet, and a gentle shedding of the heavy shadows cast by a mind-conditioned, results-driven society.
At its heart, Jósa’s hope is to reconnect humanity with its innate purpose: to fall back in love with the miracle of existence. Through the restorative forces of the elements, we are reminded of our essential kinship with the natural world and with one another. And above all, to remember how the power of love will always guide us back home.
Ef ég væri birkitré
4.590 kr.Hildur Hákonardóttir vefur hér saman persónulegar hugleiðingar, náttúrufræði og listræna sýn á birkið sem hefur mótað íslenskt landslag og menningu allt frá landnámi. Með næmu auga listamannsins og virðingu fyrir náttúrunni leiðir hún lesandann inn í heim þar sem mörk manns og náttúru eru óljós.
Þetta er bók fyrir þá sem þrá að tengjast náttúrunni á nýjan hátt og finna innblástur með því að ímynda sér: Hvað ef ég væri birkitré?