The Love Speech is Spreading

This spring, the Reykjavik City Library launched a new project called Love Speech. And despite being in its early stages, it has already attracted many participants!

Love speech is a project that emphasizes lived experience, emotional literacy, and ownership of the language. All those involved in the project are encouraged to create new Icelandic words. The project was developed in consultation with Achola Otieno (Inclusive Iceland), Chanel Björk Sturludóttir (Mannflóran), Eiríkur Rögnvaldsson próf. emeritus in Icelandic grammar and linguistic activist and Miriam Petra Ómarsdóttir Awad expert in anti-racism work.

At the beginning of May, the Love Speech project went to Hvassaleitisskóli.
R.E.C. Arts and Juan Camilo held workshops for teachers and students of the 6th and 7th grades who played with the language and created new Icelandic words.

The project then travelled to the Reykjavík City's Intercultural conference where more words were collected with the conference participants. The project was introduced as a tool to fight against hate speech.

At the beginning of May, Mao Alheimsdóttir and Karolina Rós hosted our first open workshop at the library, focusing on the development of new sayings. This was followed by an open mic session in June where new queer words were discussed and created with Samtökin 78.

Most recently, Love Speech was presented on the final day of the Reykjavík Art Festival on June 16th. Pedro Gunnlaugur Garcia moderated a panel discussion where the City Library's project managers, Martyna Daniel and Dögg Sigmarsdóttir, together with Ágústa Þorbergsdóttir from Árnastofnun, discussed new words and word creation considering social changes and the relationship between immigrants and Icelandic. Although the project is young, it is fair to say that it already spread far and wide in its first two months.

The goal of the project is to find new ways to open up the language community and promote more respectful communication. Icelandic is the language of all of us, just like the fight against hate speech. We were lucky enough to receive a grant from the Immigration Development Fund and the Start-up Fund to continue this journey, and we would like to invite everyone to join us in it. The next open workshops and reading events will be scheduled this fall.

More information:
Martyna Karolina Daniel, specialist of intercultural affairs
martyna.karolina.daniel@reykjavik.is