Iceland is known for a thriving literary scene that spans from the first sagas to modern fantasy and mystery genres. The government directly supports writers through The Artists’ Salaries, which go as well to designers, visual artists, theater groups and others working in creative fields. In 2018, one female artist of foreign origin and one male writer of foreign origin received a salary for three months from the fund (Rannís, 2018). The situation in 2017 was the same, but both immigrant recipients were female (Rannís, 2018). Funding, as represented by the Artists’ Salaries, is one of the main gatekeepers for the arts in Iceland. The publishing industry is another gatekeeper. The Union of Icelandic Publishers has 41 members, all companies that are headed by Icelandic directors, with only 12 headed by women (Félag Íslenkra Bókaútgefenda, 2018). Ós Pressan was born into this landscape in 2015 as a continuation of a multilingual writing workshop offered by UNESCO Reykjavík City of Literature and the Reykjavík City Library. A literary collective and publishing nonprofit, Ós Pressan was started by eight women of foreign origin and one Icelandic woman to address the lack of diversity in Icelandic publishing and to offer space for marginalized authors. Since its inception, Ós has printed an annual literary magazine that includes works from authors on, about or connected to Iceland. The nonprofit organization has organized readings with visiting and local authors, writing events, workshops and a book club targeted at women of foreign origin in Iceland. Members of Ós Pressan have attended Icelandic and international conferences and spoken publicly on how literature intersects with marginalization, including gender and national origin. This paper presents Ós Pressan as a case study in creating spaces for otherwise marginalized voices in the traditional and highly closed literary scene in Iceland. It looks specifically at the democratic processes of running Ós Pressan, choosing pieces for publication and the inclusion of artists that may not otherwise be thought of as authors. The focus is also on the reception of Ós Pressan and its members into the literary landscape of Reykjavík and Iceland.

Randi W. Stebbins is a founding member of Ós Pressan and past chair of the board of directors. Several languages, several careers and several countries have shaped Randi’s views of the world and of words. Ós Pressan is a non-profit initiative designed to support and promote new authors, to create an inclusive writing community and to challenge the reality of the publishing industry in Iceland

Angela Rawlings, PhD candidate, University of Glasgow, ospressan@gmail.com
Lara Hoffmann, PhD candidate, University of Akureyri, laraw@unak.is