A reading festival that gives and brings joy

The grand finale of a new reading competition builds on a good foundation.

Around 250 guests, artists and 18 participants took part in the final celebration of a new Hafnarfjörður reading competition, entitled the 7th Grade Reading Competition in Hafnarfjörður's Primary Schools. The celebration was held last. Tuesday at Víðistaðakirkja, succeeding the Stóra upplestrarkeppnin, which has been very popular for years. Two pupils from each primary school took to the stage to give a professional and beautiful reading on behalf of their school, performing texts and poems by the competition's poets. The poets for this competition were Gunnar Helgason and Vilborg Dagbjartsdóttir, and Gunnar addressed the guests at the event. 

^{Here are all the participants with the President of Iceland, a minister, the mayor, the competition's poet and a godmother.}  

The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, honoured the readers and guests with his presence, presented book gifts and delivered a short address. Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Children's Affairs, and Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, were also among the guests and gave a short speech, offering their thanks and praise to the group and the festival. The festival was hosted by Ingibjorg Einarsdottir, the festival's godmother. 

^{Mayor Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir and the President of Iceland, Mr Guðni Th. Jóhannesson.} 

Emil Arthúr, Vilhjálmur and Kristín Vala won the competition this year.

The aim of the festival has, from the outset, 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. This year, 18 pupils took part, an increase of two on the previous year, as Year 7 at Engidalsskóli joined the competition. The 2021-2022 school year is the first since Engidalsskóli became an independent primary school again that the school's pupils are in Year 7. The competition spirit was high and the selection difficult. The 2022 judging panel consisted of Björk Einisdóttir, Hafrún Dóra Júlíusdóttir, Símon Jón Jóhannsson and Þórður Helgason. The winners this year were Emil Arthúr Júlíusson from Víðistaðaskóli in 1st place, Vilhjálmur Hauksson from Setbergsskóli in 2nd place, and Kristín Vala Björgvinsdóttir from Engidalsskóli in 3rd place. Hafnarfjörður sends its heartfelt congratulations to the winners and all participants, with thanks for their participation and for a great time.

^{These students took the top three places. Emil Arthúr Júlíusson from Víðistaðaskóli, who finished in 1st place; Vilhjálmur Hauksson from Setbergsskóli in 2nd place; and Kristín Vala Björgvinsdóttir from Engidalsskóli in 3rd place. Here with Mayor Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir.}

Prizes for slogans, drawings and short stories

A tradition has developed over the years of awarding a variety of prizes, and this year they are for a slogan, a drawing for the invitation, and short stories. The slogan for the new competition was created by Stefán Hrafn Egilsson, a Year 7 pupil at Víðistaðaskóli, as only Year 7 pupils were eligible to enter the slogan competition. The competition's new slogan is considered to be highly descriptive of its spirit: Let's read together – it's fun. Stefán Hrafn received an award for his slogan, and Isabella Hrönn Arnardóttir of Year 6 at Ásland School won a prize for her drawing on the competition's poster. Prizes were also awarded in a short story competition for pupils in the 8th to 10th grades of Hafnarfjörður's primary schools. First place went to Ingi Árnason in Year 9 at Víðistaðaskóli, and second place to Krista Hranar Davíðsdóttir in Year 10 at Öldutúnsskóli. Third place was shared by two students: Heiðrún Vala Hilmarsdóttir in Year 8 at Hraunvallaskóli, and Laufey Pálsdóttir, a Year 10 student at Víðistaðaskóli.

From Voices to Municipalities

The Great Reading Competition celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. The first reading festival was held in Hafnarfjörður on 4 March 1997, and other municipalities quickly joined. For the last 20 years, all Year 7 pupils nationwide have taken part in the competition, and it has become an indispensable and important part of school life. After 25 successful years, Raddir decided to stop organising the competition themselves and proposed that the local councils take over the festival.

The City of Hafnarfjörður held the competition on its own for the first time this year, but the organisation is in many ways similar to that of Röddum. Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir, godmother of the competition, former office manager at the Office of Education and Public Health of Hafnarfjörður municipality and chairperson of Radda, was specially hired to oversee the competition in Hafnarfjörður this year, just as she had for the previous 25 years. 

Hafnarfjörður sincerely thanks Ingibjörg, the jury and all those who made the festival a reality this year for their professional and important contribution!