I'm Ed. I met Francesca when she read my book, Iceland, Defrosted and got in touch to say who much she enjoyed it. We certainly share a passion for Iceland, but it got me thinking about friendship, support and how I couldn't do this out with either of them.
I've long been bowled over by the sheer friendliness of Icelanders. It was recently revealed by World Economic Forum (WEF) that Iceland was found to be the friendliest nation in the world. I, for one, was not surprised. I've known it for years.
Icelanders, it seems, have friendliness as a national trait. Yes, the old stereotype of Icelanders being frosty and aloof can be true initially, but this can soon thaw to show a genuine friendliness, helpfulness and welcome that cannot be beaten across the world.
Add a hotpot, or a glass of beer, and that thaw can take place even more quickly.
Let me give you an example of this.
My book, Iceland, Defrosted, is based on the people, places and music of Iceland. It is self-published, which means I should have done all the work that a publisher would normally do myself. Except I didn't. Icelanders were there to help at every juncture. An Icelandic friend suggested the that I put pen to paper in the first place. That was six years ago. Since then, Icelanders have shown me the best of their country; from the obvious such as the Blue Lagoon to obscure underground hot pots, from vast glacial plains to the best places to spot the elusive Northern Lights. They have shown me the best, and worst Icelandic food. Icelanders passed me on to friends who might know about this, or a relative who knows that, but complete strangers also offered advice on the Icelandic language, and rhubarb jam making. Icelanders have invited me into their homes, their weddings and shown me the minutiae of their lives; seeing the duck a 9 year old girl was getting for her birthday on Grímsey for example.
Crowd-funding the book proved successful due to Icelandic support. Icelanders got me included in daily newspaper morgunblaðið. Icelandic musicians have provided a soundtrack to these adventures, and some of them (Sóley, Ólafur Arnalds, Laylow and others) have shared a coffee with me and tried to explain what makes Icelandic music so special.
But the hand of friendliness keeps reaches out, not just from Icelanders, but all over the world. Its been overwhelming. Iceland seems to bring out the very best in people. People like Francesca, previously complete strangers, are lending their support. A librarian from Switzerland, asking her library to stock my little book? It doesn't get any better than that. They write the loveliest emails, telling me how much my book has meant to them, how much they can relate to my experiences of Iceland and now I get blamed by people buying airline tickets to Iceland. It's been a wonderful experience, but I couldn't have done it alone. Like I say, Iceland seems to bring out the best in people.
For more details, please see: Icelanddefrosted.com
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