The 2021 Iceland Writers Retreat will be online. Please click here for all the details of the virtual event.
This page contains information on how our usual Iceland Writers Retreat operates each April.
THE EVENT
Workshops & Panels

Over the course of the retreat, each participant is enrolled in a total of five two-hour small-group writing workshops (max. 15 participants) led by internationally acclaimed authors, a Q&A panel with all faculty, and numerous readings and social functions.
Each of our Featured Authors teaches two different workshops, and you have plenty of time to interact with faculty, including those with whom you do not have any workshops.
Workshops were amazing. Down-to-earth discussions in a small group atmosphere.”
– Sam, Canada, 2015 participant
FEATURED AUTHORS
Possible 2022 Faculty
These authors were initially booked to lead workshops at the 2020 event, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. We have invited them all to join us instead in 2022 and will confirm here once the date approaches.
Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Bestselling author of "The Nest"Dan Kois
Editor at SlateDavid Chariandy
Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize winnerElnathan John
Betty Trask Award WinnerGretchen Rubin
New York Times bestselling authorHeather Harpham
Writer, teacher and theatre artistKamila Shamsie
Women's Prize for Fiction winnerKristín Helga Gunnarsdóttir
Award-winning writerPatrick Gale
Sunday Times best-selling authorWill Ferguson
Giller Prize WinnerPAST FACULTY
Adam Gopnik
New Yorker staff writerAdania Shibli
Award winning author and teacherAdelle Waldman
Bestselling authorAlison Pick
Man Booker Prize nomineeAndrew Evans
Author, travel writer, and TV hostAndrew Westoll
Charles Taylor Prize winnerAndri Snær Magnason
Icelandic Literary Prize winnerAnn Hood
NYT bestselling authorBarbara Kingsolver
Orange Prize for Fiction winnerBret Anthony Johnston
Head of Creative Dept, Harvard UniversityCarsten Jensen
Olof Palme Prize winnerChigozie Obioma
Man Booker Prize finalistChris Cleave
New York Times bestselling authorClaudia Casper
Author, IWR AlumnaCraig Davidson
Scotiabank Giller Prize nomineeDavid Lebovitz
Chef, AuthorElina Hirvonen
Author, journalist, and filmmakerElizabeth Renzetti
Bestselling author and journalistEsi Edugyan
Giller Prize WinnerGeraldine Brooks
Pulitzer Prize winnerGerður Kristný
Icelandic Literature Award winnerGwendoline Riley
Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction nominee (2017)Hallgrímur Helgason
Icelandic Literary Prize winnerIain Reid
Award winning authorIvan Coyote
Hilary Weston Roger's Trust prize nomineeJames Scudamore
Man Booker Prize nomineeJohn Vaillant
Governor General’s Award winnerJoseph Boyden
Giller Prize winnerKate Williams
Historian, novelist, and broadcasterLauren Groff
National Book Award finalistLina Meruane
Chilean writer and scholarLina Wolff
August Prize winnerLinn Ullmann
Critically acclaimed Norwegian authorLouis de Bernières
Commonwealth Writers' Prize winnerMadeleine Thien
Man Booker Prize nomineeMarcello Di Cintio
Award-winning travel writerMark Kurlansky
Journalist and bestselling authorMeg Wolitzer
Bestselling AuthorMiriam Toews
Governor General’s Award winnerNadifa Mohamed
Somerset Maugham Prize winnerNeel Mukherjee
Man Booker Prize nomineePamela Paul
The New York Times Book Review editorPaul Murray
Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse winnerPaul Yoon
Harvard University lecturerPaula McLain
Author of The Paris Wife & morePriya Basil
Commonwealth Writers' Prize nomineeRagnar Helgi Ólafsson
Icelandic Literary Prize nomineeRandy Boyagoda
University of Toronto English professorRory Maclean
Bestselling travel writerRuth Reichl
Bestselling food writer and editorSara Wheeler
Internationally bestselling travel writerSarah Moss
Creative Writing Prof and award-winning authorSjón
Nordic Council Literary Prize winnerSusan Orlean
New Yorker staff writerSusan Shreve
Guggenheim Award winnerTaiye Selasi
Granta “Best Young British Novelist”Terry Fallis
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour winnerTessa Hadley
Windham Campbell prize winnerVilborg Davíðsdóttir
Author, Ethnologist, JournalistVincent Lam
Giller Prize winnerTOUR OPTIONS
Explore Iceland
IWR participants take part in an exclusive full-day outing into the Icelandic countryside, in addition to a literary walking tour of Reykjavík (the latter is for all participants). IRR participants attend two unique all-day tours. All the day tours are led by and feature contemporary Icelandic writers, and include a stop and reading at Gljúfrasteinn, the former home of Nobel Prize winning author Halldór Laxness.
Literary-themed Golden Circle Tour
A unique variation on Iceland’s most popular excursion that includes stops at Geyser geothermal fields, Gullfoss waterfall, and the UNESCO-listed Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir), as well as a visit to Iceland’s ancient seat of learning, Skálholt. All IWR and IRR can take this tour.
Literary Borgarfjörður
This trip travels west to the Borgarfjörður region, setting of the famous Egil’s Saga, as well as numerous other Icelandic sagas. We’ll circle the picturesque Hvalfjörður “Whale” fjord and visit the cultural centre Reykholt, where chieftain and writer Snorri Sturluson lived in the 13th century. Natural wonders on this tour include Europe’s largest hot spring, Deildartunguhver, and the waterfalls Barnafoss (“Children’s Falls”) and Hraunfossar (“Lava Falls”).
Geology, Ecology, and Literary Inspiration
This trip begins near geological wonders in the Reykjanes peninsula, including the spectacular Lake Kleifarvatn (made famous in Arnaldur Indriðason’s novel The Draining Lake) and the Krýsuvík geothermal area. We’ll also have a reading at the Strandakirkja Church, a visit to the Sólheimar Eco Village, and a stop at the Laugarvatn Fontana Spa to sample some delicious rye bread baked in the hot geothermal ground.
Reykjavik Literary Walking Tour
During the retreat, all participants are also invited to join a literary walking tour of Reykjavik, organized by the UNESCO City of Literature.
TIME TO WRITE
Focus on Writing
Once you’ve been inspired by Iceland and by the writing workshops, why not spend some additional, quieter time in Reykjavík to work on your writing and enjoy the continued company of some of your fellow writers? We’ve dedicated blocks of time for writers to focus on writing. Participants can choose to stay in the quiet hotel or wander over to a café in town.

Relax, Read, & Write Optional Extension
This optional, two-day extension gives you free time during the days to take additional tours, walk through town, shop for souvenirs, or write in a local café. The group will then gather in the evenings for dinner together. At the second dinner we’ll have an open mic night where you’ll have an opportunity (if you wish) to share some of your own work with your fellow IWR participants.
The extension was a great idea, good mix between time off and gathering.”
– Martine, Netherlands, 2015 & 2018 participant
EXCLUSIVE RECEPTIONS
Music, Food, & More

Late night offerings include a chance to hit the streets of Reykjavik to see live music, listen to readings by local writers, and dine at some of Reykjavik’s best eateries. And you’ll be well fed: IWR enrolment includes breakfast (for those who have booked accommodation at the hotel), three lunches and one dinner, plus coffee during breaks and cocktail receptions.
The one-on-one contact with the faculty during meals and at the extracurricular activities made this a completely different conference experience.”
–Megan, Iceland, 2014 & 2017 participant
I love the internationality of the participants. I met people from so many different countries and it was wonderful hearing about their experiences.”
–Muddy, USA, 2017 participant
BRING A GUEST
Spouse & Partner Program

If you are two people who wish to share a room and take part in the IWR / IRR or a combination of the two, you’ll be able to book a double room as part of registration.
If you’d like to bring a guest with you who will not take part in IWR workshops or IRR lectures, tours, and panels, that’s fine too. A “non-participating partner” can attend the welcome drink and dinner, all receptions, literary walking tour of Reykjavík, pub night, and one all-day tour in the Icelandic countryside. We can also advise on how they wish to book additional tours while you are busy in the workshop sessions and panels. Full details are available on the registration page.
My partner felt very welcome and accommodated.”
–Renate, Ottawa, Canada, 2014 participant
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Award

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 event in the Covid-19 pandemic, we regret that we will not be able to offer Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Awards in 2021; the 2020 award recipients will be able to attend our 2021 virtual event and we endeavour to send them in person in 2022. We are unsure yet if we will be able to offer additional grants for 2022, but will post any updates here as soon as we find out.
We offer a special IWR Alumni Award granted based on merit and financial need. This program is open to all, and funded entirely by our great alumni.
In previous years we have run a writing contest to win a spot at the Retreat (excluding flights). Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest information on how to apply. (This will also not be offered for 2021, but we may be able to offer for 2022.)
Also, check out arts bodies in your home country. Many of our participants have attended thanks to support from arts councils in countries like Switzerland, Australia and Singapore.
The IWR was not only a world-class writing retreat. It was … a chance to cut to the heart of my writing and immerse myself in five glorious days of literary splendor.”
–Megan Ross, 2016 Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Award recipient
Á Íslensku

Ritlistarnámskeiðið Iceland Writers Retreat verður haldið í sjöunda sinn dagana 28. apríl – 2. maí, 2021. Á þessari alþjóðlegu ráðstefnu og vinnustofu gefst rithöfundum og fólki sem hefur bók í bígerð kostur á að taka þátt í námskeiðum og vinnustofum sem þaulreyndir höfundar og ritstjórar sjá um. Námskeiðið verður á ensku.
Auk námskeiða og vinnustofa fá ráðstefnugestir að kynnast hinum ríka bókmenntaarfi Íslendinga. Þeir munu hitta íslenska höfunda, halda á söguslóðir og njóta sérskipulagðra ferða að náttúruperlum landsins.
Iceland Writers Retreat er ætlað að höfða til erlendra gesta sem vilja æfa sig í skrifum og kynnast um leið sögu, menningu og náttúrufegurð Íslands. Heimafólk getur líka skráð sig á námskeiðið.
Ég held að IWR sé mikill hvalreki fyrir íslenska bókmenningu. Leiðbeinendur á heimsmælikvarða ásamt þáttakendum færa heim fjölbreytt og góð áhrif.”
–Andri Snær Magnason