Summer Reading 2025 – How many treasures can you find?
No doubt, keen-eyed Hafnarfjörður residents and visitors to the town will have noticed brightly coloured, laminated boards dotted around the town. They are part of the Hafnarfjörður Library's summer reading and treasure hunt, which invites the whole family on a fun exploratory journey around the beautiful fjord this summer.
Over one hundred quality works
In collaboration with the Hafnarfjörður school libraries, boxes, forms, envelopes and promotional material were placed in all the town's schools, where pupils were encouraged to submit poems and short stories. As a result, over 107 valid entries were received within the deadline, which have now been laminated and are on display throughout the town.
Encourages exercise and togetherness
„The project encourages people to get moving, to get to know their town even better, encourages socialising, and spreads children's culture, creative writing, and the voices of children throughout the town,“ says Hugrún Margrét Óladóttir, Head of the Children's and Young People's Departments at Hafnarfjörður Library.
The wasps and The Worker, an employment-related resource for people with disabilities or reduced work capacity, carry out regular inspections of the badges and replace any that have been damaged or lost.
Where are the treasures hidden?
Where were the entries submitted for the competition? For example, the treasures from Áslandsskóli will be in the West End and the North End, while the treasures submitted to the library can be found on the Hill (regardless of which school the author attends).
„The neighbourhoods were deliberately mixed and shuffled to encourage the children and their good people to explore their town and possibly find new places they have never been to before,“ says Hugrún.
How do I take part?
People take part by checking in. special form the works they find around the town, but all works bear a unique number.
A token of appreciation for participation
For one completed form, the participant receives a modest reward; two to four forms provide an even more generous reward, and over five forms provide a major reward.
In September, splendid prizes will then be awarded to three authors for their brilliant works!
Mother and daughter, Hafdís Erla and Hanna Líf, took advantage of the fine weather over the Whit Bank holiday weekend and went for a good bike ride around town, returning nearly four completed forms.
Bookworm of the week – Submit a book review and you'll be entered into the prize draw!
„“Bookworm of the Week (one book review equals one ticket in the weekly draw)' is still running all summer, but we're making more of it by cutting out the personal details and putting all the entry forms up on the notice board (on the forms, we ask the children to draw a picture, write what they thought and who the main characters are)", says Hugrún.
You can get forms in Icelandic, English and Polish from the library or here.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the whole family to get to know our beautiful fjord even better; who knows, you might just find your new favourite place!
