Iceland’s Library Fund cut by 82 million krona

The Library Fund will be reduced from 224.5 million to 142.3 million krona under the Icelandic government’s 2027 budget proposal, mbl.is reports. Margrét Tryggvadóttir, chair of the Writers’ Union of Iceland, called the cut a severe blow to writers.

“We are very disappointed,” she said.

Tryggvadóttir said the fund had recently been increased, but that the change now appeared to have been reversed.

“We received a partial correction through Parliament last year, but now it seems to have disappeared again,” she said, describing the developments as “the never-ending story”.

The fund was increased by 78.5 million krona, but Tryggvadóttir said the rise had not kept pace with price increases. She said the same applied to artists’ salaries, despite an increase in the number of months covered.

The Writers’ Union will again seek adjustments to both measures from the parliamentary budget committee, according to Tryggvadóttir.

“The Library Fund is hugely important to us writers. Those who receive the highest amounts from it may even earn all their income there,” she said.

She said these writers often did not receive artists’ salaries, including children’s book authors and others who write books primarily intended for entertainment. Such books were often inexpensive, she said, resulting in limited sales.

Tryggvadóttir called the government’s decision cold-hearted, given that the importance of the Icelandic language was often emphasised on ceremonial occasions.

“We cannot continue writing unless we are paid for our work,” she said.

“These are payments for loans, and the Library Fund makes up an absurdly large part of many authors’ income models. This is a severe blow,” she said.