Iceland hit by ‘Christmas Book Flood’!

If a book lover could choose an ideal country to spend their lives, it would be Iceland, a nation that publishes more books per capita than any other country. As per the records, there are five books published for every 1000 readers in Iceland. Thus, there is little wonder in the fact that Iceland was hit by Jolabokaflod, or the Christmas Book Flood. Of course, nobody is complaining about being hit by the flood this time!
The Christmas Book Flood hits the country right before Christmas, with book sales spiking from the month of September till the rundown to Christmas. This is when a majority of Icelanders pick Christmas gifts, books being the favourite gifts in the nation. In fact, a good number of Icelanders spend the Christmas eve reading.


With a reading culture and traditions like that, Reykjavík was named as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2011. What is more interesting is the fact that the citizens here read a wide variety of books from different genres. So yes, you will find people reading everything from fiction, biographies, fantasy, Scandanavian crime fiction, Icelandic traditions to something as quirky as a book on the history of tractors! Yes, that was one of the bestsellers a few years back.

So yes, if you are a book lover seeking a perfect vacation, Iceland is where you should be. This is where you will an ample number of libraries, reading clubs and cafes, and streets lined with bibliophiles.