Book collector keeps his vintage collection at the office

Icelandic book collector Jón Gunnar Geirdal keeps his shelves of nostalgic titles at his office because there is no room for them at home, mbl.is reports.

Geirdal, an idea-maker and self-described book nerd, has filled the office of Kontent with books he read as a teenager, many still in their original covers. His collection includes translated thrillers by Alistair MacLean, Sven Hassel, Hammond Innes, Duncan Kyle and Desmond Bagley, as well as editions of Halldór Laxness’s books with green, blue and red covers.

He also collects comic books, including Icelandic editions of Lucky Luke, Spirou and Fantasio, The Four Aces and Tintin, along with children’s books, Agatha Christie paperbacks, Morgan Kane novels and Tarzan books. He said he began collecting seriously five or six years ago, though books had always interested him.

Geirdal looks for books at Góði hirðirinn, a second-hand shop, and at second-hand markets when travelling around Iceland. He keeps a list on his phone of titles he already owns. The collection may not be worth much financially, he said, but finding a book for 200 krónur at the shop is a pleasure. His wife is understanding as long as the collection does not fill their apartment; there is not enough wall space for it at home.

A longer interview with Geirdal appears in Morgunblaðið’s Sunday supplement.