
The Mark
ABOUT
THE BOOK
The Icelandic Psychological Association has prepared a test: a ‘sensitivity assessment’ that measures a person’s empathy and identifies the potential for anti-social behaviour. Some believe the test makes society safer; others decry it as a violation. In a few days’ time, Iceland will vote on whether to make the test compulsory for every citizen. As the referendum draws closer, four people – Vetur, Eyja, Tristan and Ólafur – find themselves caught in the teeth of the debate.
ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Larissa
Kyzer
Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, Larissa lived in Reykjavík for five years after receiving a Fulbright grant in 2012. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature, an MS in Library and Information Science, and an MA in Translation Studies. Her translation work includes Kristín Eiríksdóttir’s Nordic Council Literature Prize-nominated A Fist or a Heart, which was named one of Library Journal’s 10 Best World Literature titles in 2019. Larissa was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s Nadia Christensen Translation Prize for her translation of this remarkable work.
Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, Larissa lived in Reykjavík for five years after receiving a Fulbright grant in 2012. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature, an MS in Library and Information Science, and an MA in Translation Studies. Her translation work includes Kristín Eiríksdóttir’s Nordic Council Literature Prize-nominated A Fist or a Heart, which was named one of Library Journal’s 10 Best World Literature titles in 2019. Larissa was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s Nadia Christensen Translation Prize for her translation of this remarkable work.
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
The Reykjavík City Library nominates the novel The Mark by Fríða Ísberg for the Dublin Literary Award 2025. The book has generated a lot of interest and conversation in the Icelandic literary scene and was published by Forlagið in 2021. The novel was published in English in June 2024 by Faber Publishing House, translation by Larissa Kyzer. The Mark is the author’s debut novel, having previously published two poetry books and a collection of short stories. The novel has been well received by library users and Fríða Ísberg has participated in numerous literary events to present her book, both in Iceland and abroad. The Mark raises ethical questions about sympathy, polarization, information chaos and ideological conflict. The author takes a philosophical but approachable stance for the average reader. The book is unquestionably relevant to modern society and is innovative in style, form, and subject matter. Forlagið Publising House’s description of the book:The novel Merking (The Mark) is a multi-faceted work that deals with attitudes and polarization, prejudice and empathy. The nation is divided in its stance on the empathy test, a revolutionary technique that can predict antisocial behavior; one half wants a safer society, the other wants a just society. The protagonists have all had to adapt to the new moral foundation of society and ahead of them is a national referendum that will decide whether people will be obliged to submit to the test. Fríða Ísberg lives and works in Reykjavík. She has published the poetry books Slitförin (2017) and Leðurjakkavedur (2019) and the short story collection Kláði (2018). She has published three poetry books and one novel with the female writers collective Imposter Poets. Fríða Ísberg’s work has been translated into many languages.