1. Which Icelandic writer won the Nobel prize for literature in 1955?

   1. Ólafur Jóhann Sigurdsson

   2. Halldor Laxness

   3. Gunnar Gunnarsson

   4. Einar Örn Benediktsson

2. In Iceland, “ad ganga med bok I maganum" - everyone gives birth to a book. What proportion of the population will publish a book in their lifetime?

   1. 1 in 2

   2. 1 in 5

   3. 1 in 10

   4. 1 in 25

3. The Edda are Norse poems and stories written down in the 13th century. What etymology HASN’T been suggested for ‘edda’?

   1. It means ‘great-grandmother’

   2. It derives from the Old Norse word for poetry

   3. It means ‘Viking helmet’

   4. It’s linked to the Icelandic place name 'Oddi'

4. Icelanders are renowned for their belief in folklore, and up to 80% of the population is said to believe in one mythical creature in particular. Which is it?

   1. Goblins

   2. Trolls

   3. Pixies

   4. Elves

5. Poet and novelist Sjón has performed with which band?

   1. The Sugarcubes

   2. Sigur Rós

   3. Of Monsters and Men

   4. A-ha

6. Hannah Kent’s novel Burial Rites is based around which historic event?

   1. The last person to be executed in Iceland in 1830

   2. Independence from Denmark in 1944

   3. The eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010

   4. The passing of the 1925 law requiring all citizens to use patronymic , or matronymic family names

7. Which of the following is NOT a character from saga?

   1. Thorstein the Cod-Biter

   2. Fishy Jack

   3. Audun The Uninspired

   4. Sarcastic Halli

8. According to Icelandic saga, Norse explorer Leif Ericsson discovered an island he called Vinland. What do we know it as now?

   1. Svalbard

   2. Greenland

   3. Ireland

   4. America

9. Which English author published an account of his travels in Iceland?

   1. William Morris

   2. JRR Tolkien

   3. CS Lewis

   4. HG Wells

10. With which of his crime novels featuring Inspector Erlendur did Arnaldur Indridason win the CWA Gold Dagger award, the UK’s top crime writing prize?

    1. Strange Shores

    2. Silence of the Grave

    3. Black Skies

    4. Dancer in the Dark

Solutions

1:B, 2:C, 3:C, 4:D, 5:A, 6:A, 7:B, 8:D, 9:A, 10:B

Scores

1. 1 and above.

   #Ffail

2. 3 and above.

   Not Ééompletely awful, but Þþretty bad. Heed William Morris's example.

3. 5 and above.

   Þþretty good, but no Nobel prize for you.

4. 8 and above.

   Áámazing. You're on fire today.