Editing Reykjavík (section)

==Literary heritage==
As Reykjavík is Iceland's capital and largest city, it plays a vital role in all cultural life in the country. The city is home to Iceland's main cultural institutions, boasts a flourishing arts scene and is renowned as a creative city with a diverse range of cultural happenings and dynamic grassroots activities. Most of the country's writers live in the city, and it also provides the setting for the majority of contemporary Icelandic literature – a development that has gone hand in hand with the rapid expansion of the city in the past 100 years or so.

Reykjavík is home to Icelandic medieval literature, including the [[Sagas of Icelanders|Sagas of the Icelanders]] and the [[Poetic Edda]], landmarks of world literature still widely read and translated today. This literary heritage is the core of the nation's identity and narrative art is the single most important part of its cultural history. The [[Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies]] in Reykjavík is the centre of this heritage. It preserves manuscripts, conducts research on them and publishes texts for the public, in addition to offering research facilities and tutoring to foreign scholars and students. The [[Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection]] was added to the [[UNESCO]] Memory of the World Register on 31 July 2009. Reykjavík city was designated as a [[UNESCO City of Literature]] in 2011 and joined then the [https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/home UNESCO Creatives Cities network.]

Iceland is one of the smallest linguistic areas in the world, with only around 330,000 inhabitants and very few speakers outside the country. The language has not changed much since the time of settlement in the 9th century and modern Icelanders can still read the original medieval texts with relative ease. Literature plays a vital role in cherishing and cultivating the language, both original Icelandic literature and translations. Language undergoes constant renewal and development in fiction, and translation of foreign work has also been instrumental in conserving this thousand-year-old literary language.

'''Award-winning authors'''
Several Reykjavík writers have received international and Nordic awards. [[Halldór Laxness]] was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Prize for Literature]] in 1955 for "vivid epic power which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland". The House of Halldór Laxness, [[Gljúfrasteinn]], in the capital area can be visited year-round. A number of writers have won the [[Nordic Council Literature Prize|Nordic Council's Literature Prize]], among them are [[Thor Vilhjálmsson]], [[Einar Már Guðmundsson]] and [[Sjón]], and authors such as [[Guðrún Helgadóttir]], [[Kristín Steinsdóttir]] and [[Ragnheiður Gestsdóttir]] are winners of The [[Nordic Children's Book Prize|Nordic Children's Literature Prize]]. Crime writer [[Arnaldur Indriðason]] has won prizes abroad, including The Golden Dagger Award. Among other prizes awarded to writers from Reykjavík are the Kairos Preis ([[Andri Snær Magnason|Andri Snaer Magnason]]), the Swedish Academy's Nordic Literature Prize ([[Guðbergur Bergsson]]) and the Prix de Page ([[Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir]]). Contemporary Icelandic writers are published in an increased number in translations throughout the world.