Winners of the 2024 Great Reading Competition

Cultivating Icelandic in the Grand Reading Competition

Auðunn Sölvi Hugason, from Setbergsskóli, won the 2024 Grand Reading Competition, held in Víðistaðakirkja yesterday afternoon. Axel Høj Madsson, from Áslandsskóli, came second, and Gerður Lind Pálmadóttir, from Lækjarskóli, came third. The eighteen pupils received their awards from the hands of Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland.

„I want to thank the children for their fantastic contribution. They did, as those of you who listened here will know, absolutely brilliantly,“ the President said at the ceremony. „The future is bright with a generation like this.“

Yes, a polished, beautiful reading resounded through Víðistaðakirkja when eighteen pupils from the Year 7 classes of Hafnarfjörður's primary schools took part in the 2024 Grand Reading Competition. The pupils recited an extract from the novel Hero, by Björk Jakobsdóttir and a poem from the book Round 2 by the competition's poet, Bragi Valdimar Skúlason. Björk and Bragi Valdimar were in the hall and also listened to the reading.

You are all winners

Mayor Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir also encouraged them and praised them for their reading. „You are all winners for being here as representatives of your schools,“ she said. „As you get older, you will realise how important it is to be able to present yourself, to talk to people in small and large groups. To express your thoughts and opinions, both spoken and written.“

A panel of judges selected the winners from a strong group of representatives from their schools and presented them with a special award. This year's panel consisted of Björk Einisdóttir, chair, Anna Þorbjörg Ingólfsdóttir, Árni Sverrir Bjarnason and Vilhjálmur B. Bragason. The festival's presenter and host was Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir. Reynir Örn Sigrúnarson, who came 3rd in last year's competition, introduced the competition's poet, and Karen Hrönn Guðjónsdóttir, the winner of the 2023 competition, introduced the prose writer. Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir gave a speech.

Year 4 pupils and participants in the 2023 Mini-Speech Competition stepped forward as a talking choir. The choir is one of the hallmarks of the Mini-Speech Competition, a spin-off project from the Big Speech Competition. It is intended for Year 4 pupils in primary schools and has the same underlying aims and purpose as the main competition, but with a different approach. Antonella De Las Nieves Lopez then read a poem in Spanish.

Axel, Rósa the mayor, Gerður and Auðunn after a good harvest at Víðistaðakirkja.

Awards for short stories

At the festival, awards were presented for the short story competition for pupils in Years 9 to 11, and for the competition to design the poster for the closing ceremony.

Birta Jóhannsdóttir, a Year 9 pupil at Öldutúnsskóli, won a short story competition. In second place was Arnheiður Ísleif Ólafsdóttir in Year 9 at Áslandsskóli, and Sunna Björk Magnúsdóttir, a Year 9 pupil at Víðistaðaskóli, was in third place, just as she was last year.

Hildur Andrésdóttir from Year 6 at Lækjarskóli received an award for her design of the competition's invitation.

Fanney Dóróthe, Director of the Department of Education and Public Health, Hildur Andrésdóttir and Guðbjörg Dögg, Headteacher of Lækjarskóli.

It started as a pilot project 28 years ago.

The Great Reading Competition began as a pilot project on reading in Hafnarfjörður during the winter of 1996-1997. Since then, the competition has grown and strengthened considerably. For several years, it has also been held nationwide.

Raddir, an association for quality reading and public speaking, ran the competition for 25 years, but for the last three years, the competition has been organised by the local councils and the school community in each area. In Hafnarfjörður, the school community still benefits from the professional assistance of Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir, the founder of the Stóru upplestrarkeppninnar in Iceland, who still takes charge of the final celebration at Víðistaðakirkja.

„I would like to thank Ingibjorg in particular, whom we call the mother of the reading competition,“ the mayor said on this occasion.

This year's competitors:

Gerður Lind Pálmadóttir, Lækjarskóli

Arnar Logason, Skarðshlíðarskóli

Guðrún Telma Steindórsdóttir, Hraunvallaskóli

Adalheidur V. Ragnarsdóttir, Engidalsskóli

Elma Kolbrún Bjarnadóttir, Víðistaðaskóli

Axel HøJ. Madsson, Ásland School

Andrea Laxdal, Hvaleyrarskóli

Klara Lýðsdóttir, Öldutúnsskóla

Audunn Sölvi Hugason, Setbergs School

Lena Guðrún Birkisdóttir, Hvaleyrarskóli

Hulda Þorradóttir, Lækjarskóli

Thórey Eva Þórisdóttir, Hraunvallaskóli

Nokki Leo Kristjansson, Skarðshlíðarskóli

Viðja Elísabet Magnúsdóttir, Engidalsskóli

Eva Björk Sturludóttir, Víðistaðaskóli

Kolbrún Hilmarsdóttir, Áslandsskóli

Stormur Björnsson, Öldutúnsskóla

Sara María Sigþórsdóttir, Setbergsskóli