Jón Kalman Stefánsson

Jón Kalman Stefánsson was born in Reykjavik. He is considered one of the greatest European writers of our time. In a poetic and vivid style, he writes novels set in Iceland. Among his works are Fish Have No Feet and Heaven and Hell. At BorderKitchen, he will talk about his latest novel Yellow Submarine.

A middle-aged writer sitting on a bench in a park in London sees Paul McCartney sitting nearby. He wonders if he should approach him to offer him a book, the Epic of Gilgamesh. But first, he needs to organize his thoughts. His imagination runs wild, and he thinks back to his own childhood. A mother plays "Yellow Submarine" on the harmonica for her seven-year-old son. She passes away, leaving a void. A few months later, The Beatles break up, creating another great emptiness in the boy's life. A distant father does not make it any easier for him. Only when the boy starts reading books from the library does he understand the direction his life should take. Yellow Submarine is a masterpiece, linking the childhood of a boy to the grand story of the Epic of Gilgamesh, The Beatles, and Iceland in the 1980s.

Jón Kalman Stefánsson will sign books after the interview. His books (Eng/Dutch) will be for sale at the event.