Few publishing houses in Iceland have influenced the country’s literary landscape as much as Mál og menning. Since its founding in 1937, the company has been connected with generations of prominent writers as well as major movements in Icelandic society. The name itself, translated as “Language and Culture,” hints at the scope of its ambitions from the beginning.
A new kind of book culture
Mál og menning originated through the merger of three smaller entities: the press Heimskringla, the company Smári og fleirum, and the Society of Revolutionary Authors (Félag byltingarsinnaðra rithöfunda). Among those involved were figures such as Kristinn E. Andrésson, Halldór Laxness, and Steinn Steinarr, all instrumental in shaping Icelandic literary life during the mid-twentieth century.
Originally, Mál og menning began as a book club. Icelanders could join by paying a subscription and regularly received new books in the post, a notable innovation at a time when books could be a luxury for many. Within seven years, the club’s membership had surpassed 6,000. Early publications included not only translated works, such as ‘Móðirin’ by Maxim Gorky, but also volumes significant to Icelandic identity, like ‘Vatnajökull’ by Niels Nielsen, and the literary journal ‘Rauðir pennar.’
Leadership, politics and transition
For decades, Kristinn E. Andrésson guided the company, serving as chairman until 1971. Later, Sigfús Daðason, Þröstur Ólafsson, and others directed Mál og menning, steering it through times of cultural change. In the 1980s, Halldór Guðmundsson and Árni Einarsson led the press as it grew to become Iceland’s largest publisher.
The house was long associated with socialist ideals, and during the Cold War, speculation swirled about Soviet financial support. Its headquarters, built on Reykjavík’s Laugavegur 18 in 1970, gained the popular nickname “Rúblan” (the rouble), reflecting these rumours in the national conversation.
Many of Iceland’s most revered writers have seen their works published by Mál og menning, among them Þórbergur Þórðarson, Svava Jakobsdóttir, Þórarinn Eldjárn, Jóhannes úr Kötlum and Einar Kárason. The company was also responsible for starting bookstores and the literary journal ‘Tímarit Máls og menningar’, which remains an important literary outlet today under the editorship of Guðmundur Andri Thorsson.
Changing structures, lasting influence
Mál og menning’s history has included mergers and reorganisations as publishing evolved in Iceland. In 2000, it joined with Vaka-Helgafell to form Edda, miðlun og útgáfa, moving into new premises and continuing to release books under its own imprint. After financial difficulties and ownership changes, the publishing arm returned to Mál og menning’s ownership in 2007. That same year, it merged with several other presses under the umbrella company Forlagið, which still issues books with the Mál og menning name. Silja Aðalsteinsdóttir is the current editorial director.
Despite changes in the structure and ownership of the business, Mál og menning has kept its reputation for helping to define the conversation around language, literature and cultural identity in Iceland, shaping what is read, and sometimes what is debated, across generations.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
