BORGARBÓKASAFNIÐ
Móheiður Hlíf Geirlaugsdóttir, a librarian at Gerðuberg City Library, is a devoted comic book fan. She grew up in France, where there is a rich tradition of comics for both children and adults. It is therefore not particularly surprising that Fnæs by Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir, writer and illustrator, is the book Móheiður has chosen to take with her on her summer holiday. But what is it about Lóa’s work that appeals to Móheiður?
“Lóa has a sharp sense of humour and a unique drawing style—very expressive, playful, seventies/eighties-inspired,” she replies, adding that both also remind her of many of her favourite artists, such as Chagall, Quino, and Ilon Wikland. “I really connect with her humour and her characters. She is absolutely a favourite of mine, and I try to read everything I can get my hands on by her. I’m also a big fan of her visual art.”
Móheiður admits that she is simply a “fangirl” when asked why Fnæs was her choice. In her view, Lóa is Iceland’s foremost comics creator, and she thinks we are also quite lucky that she writes for children as well.
“I find everything she draws funny and entertaining, and her social commentary is so sharp, political, and feminist. I love her depictions of everyday life, and I suspect her of peeping through the windows of my home. Lóa is a genius at portraying human flaws in a beautiful way, with self-irony and understanding. She also deals with very serious topics such as genocide with humanity and fairness.”
Móheiður’s overall enthusiasm for comics is unmistakable.
“I grew up in France, where there is a strong comics tradition for both children and adults. You could say I was practically raised on comics,” she explains, adding that when she first learned to read, she read almost exclusively “bédé” comics, Mafalda, Asterix, Spirou and Fantasio, Lucky Luke, Gaston Lagaffe, and many other good companions. “Comics and humour are widely used in social commentary in France,” she notes, “and are often an underrated tool of resistance.”
In that context, she says she was also very taken with Lóa’s book Dæs, in which she drew one illustration per day in 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. “Lóa’s perseverance in documenting this strange modern time is admirable, and I look forward to diving further into Fnæs!”
If you had to choose between Marvel and DC comics?
“Marvel, of course! The Hulk was my favourite when I was a little French girl.”
Are there other literary genres you particularly enjoy, or do you simply read whatever interests you at the time?
“I probably read the most poetry and fiction, but I’m really a reader of everything and a true bookworm.”
What’s on your bedside table these days?
“Oh dear, my bedside table is collapsing, and my cat Coco is always knocking over the piles. I just borrowed Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash and Minor Detail by Adania Shibli from the Reykjavík City Library. I’ve just finished Ótíð í víti by Gyrðir Elíasson, a beautifully written book by the great author about his own experience of depression, and M Train by Patti Smith. Then there are the heavyweights waiting patiently on the side, Dostoevsky’s The Devils and Turgenev’s A Hunter’s Sketches. And of course, gardening books pile up at this time of year, among which the funniest is Gardening for the Busy, Aging and the Insolent by Ruth Stout.”
Móheiðurr is skilled in many areas, but when she is not on duty at Gerðuberg City Library, she keeps herself busy, including with translation and writing.
“I am translating a book by Vonbjarta Vang, a Faroese poet and chief librarian in Tórshavn. The book is called Black Orchid and won the Nordic Council Literature Prize last year. I am also, of course, working on a groundbreaking poetry collection that will most likely never be published except in the realm of imagination,” she says with a smile.
Can you recommend any specific books for avid readers to take on holiday?
Móheiður nods. “Yes, absolutely. I strongly recommend Kayak Full of Ghosts: Inuit Stories by Lawrence Millman. I love this book and can read it again and again and again.”