Öraefi: The Wasteland

Translated from the Icelandic by Lytton Smith

2020 Longlist

After a grueling solo expedition on Vatnajökull Glacier, Austrian toponymist Bernhardt Fingerberg returns to civilization, barely alive, and into the care of Dr. Lassi. The doctor, suspicious of his story, attempts to discover his real motives for venturing into the treacherous wastelands of Iceland – but the secrets she unravels may be more dangerous than they’re worth. Was he really researching place names out there, or retracing the footsteps of a 20-year-old crime involving someone very close to him?

About the Author

Ófeigur Sigurðsson is a poet, novelist and translator. Ófeigur has worked in many jobs from uniformed night watchman to dock worker. He studied Philosophy at the University of Iceland. His second novel, Jón became the first Icelandic novel to receive the European Union Prize for Literature. Ófeigur’s latest book, the bestseller. Öræfi received the Icelandic Literary Prize.

Librarian’s Comments

A sprawling and fiercely inventive novel, masterfully woven by Sigurðsson in his unique voice. Reykjavík City Library, Iceland