Award for recitation

The Great Reading Competition took place at Hafnarborg yesterday, where a number of pupils from Hafnarfjörður's primary schools received recognition for their excellent reading and presentation, and the top three were also specially awarded. Hafnarborg was packed, as this is a festival that has become an important part of the school and parent community across the country. The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and is one of the longest-running reading projects in Iceland. A project that originated from an initiative enthusiasts for the promotion of the Icelandic language .

Fourteen pupils from the 7th grades of Hafnarfjörður's primary schools took part in this year's Great Reading Competition, reading texts by Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir and Guðmundur Böðvarsson, pre-arranged poems and a poem of their own choice. All fourteen students were declared winners and received books, swimming passes and the Átthagaspilið game about Hafnarfjörður as prizes. The President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, presented the students with certificates in recognition of their performance. The judging panel ultimately selected the three best readers: Anton Fannar Johansen from Setbergsskóli (3rd place), Mímir Kristínarson Mixa from Lækjarskóli (2nd place), and Anna Vala Guðrúnardóttir from Víðistaðaskóli (1st place).  The prizes and certificates were presented by the Minister of Education and Culture, Illugi Gunnarsson. The judging panel consisted of Anna Þorbjörg Ingólfsdóttir, Árni Sverrir Bjarnason, Hrefna Sigurjónsdóttir and Þórhallur Heimisson.  

Choir, concerts and short stories with a good message

Awards were presented for the festival poster and short stories in a short story competition that was launched on Icelandic Language Day for pupils in years 8 to 10 of the state schools. The young artist whose work was chosen for the poster was Mattías Makusi Kata, a pupil at Lækjarskóli. Three short stories were awarded prizes: All is not as it seems by Rakel Ósk Sigurðardóttir, a Year 10 pupil at Hraunvallaskóli, Rising Icelandic star by Ragna Dúa Þórsdóttir, a Year 10 pupil at Lækjarskóli and Whatever by Alexandra K. Hafsteinsdóttir, a Year 10 pupil at Víðistaðaskóli who won first prize. Six schools in Hafnarfjörður took part in this year's short story competition, and 22 stories were submitted. The theme of the short stories was fairly open, but the winning stories were found to have in common their focus on bullying and prejudice.  Students from the Víðistaðaskóli brass band added a festive touch to the gathering at Hafnarborg with lively brass tunes, a band from Tónhvísl with rock songs, and Year 4 pupils from Öldutúnsskóli with a talk choir. The talk choir has been practising all winter on their delivery of the mother tongue and performed the poem 'Words' by Þórarinn Eldjárn and a monthly rhyme by Kristján Hreinsson, which he composed especially for this year's Little Reading Competition.  

All Year 7 students nationwide take part in the competition.

The first reading festival was held in Hafnarfjörður on 4 March 1997, and other municipalities quickly joined. For the past 16 years, all Year 7 pupils nationwide have taken part in the competition. The aim from the beginning has been to raise awareness and interest in schools in good reading and pronunciation, and to create an opportunity for teachers and parents to make a concerted effort on one aspect of the mother tongue: good reading and pronunciation. Each school decides on its participation in the autumn and selects two representatives at a grand school ceremony to take part in the Great Reading Competition on its behalf. The regions then come together to hold a final festival where the chosen representatives meet and compete for their school.