The Fires

Icelandic author Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir studied history in Reykjavík and Salamanca and journalism at Columbia University in New York. She worked in Copenhagen before moving back to Reykjavík, where she lives with her husband, children, and stepchildren. Her bestselling debut, Island (2016), was nominated for the Icelandic Women's Literature Prize in 2017. When she isn't writing, Björnsdóttir works as a journalist and television news anchor at the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. Björnsdóttir's highly anticipated third novel, The Fires, is a bestseller and viral hit in Iceland.

Larissa Kyzer is a writer and translator of Icelandic literature. She holds an MA in literary translation from the University of Iceland as well as an MS in library and information science and a BA in comparative literature. Her published translations include novels, short stories, children's literature, nonfiction, and poetry. Her translation of Kristín Eiríksdóttir's A Fist or a Heart (Amazon Crossing) was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation's 2019 translation prize. The same year, she was one of Princeton University's translators in residence. Larissa served as cochair of PEN America's Translation Committee from 2019 to 2021 and runs Jill!, a virtual Women+ in Translation reading series. Find her online at www.larissakyzer.com.