Why a Booktrail?
2000s: When a tale of folklore tale on the stage, starts to spill over into real life…
Season of the Witch
What you need to know before your trail
Editors at Reykjavik-based The Afternoon News decide to expand the newspaper into the north of the country – up in Akureyri – and send their sole reporter up there to report on the news away from the capital.
A small town is not the favourite spot for a reporter who is used to news fast and furious. So when he is put on an assignment to write about the local theatre production, he’s less than pleased. But this is no ordinary play – it’s one of Iceland’s most popular tale of folklore – Loftur the Sorcerer.
But what about when this popular tale of greed and ambition starts to spill over on to real life?
Travel Guide
Akureyri
Akureyri sits under snowcapped peaks at the head of Iceland’s longest fjord. It’s Iceland’s second biggest urban area, is relatively easy going compared to the bigger and bolder capital. It’s also a great base for exploring the north’s green landscapes and nature. Perfect for holidays and tales of folklore but not so much for a roving reporter…or tales of folklore if you think about it. When one suddenly starts to become all too real, this quiet placid town may not stay that way for long.
Loftur the Sorcerer
An Icelandic folktale of ambition and greed.
Jóhann Sigurjónsson wrote a Nietzchean-Faustian tragedy called Loftur the Sorcerer – It tells the story of an ambitious young scholar who dabbles in sorcery to acquire knowledge and power.
Icelandic folklore suddenly takes on a mind and life of its own.
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: Season of the Witch
Author/Guide: Arni Thorarinsson Destination: Reykjavik, Akureyri Departure Time: 2000s
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