Reykjavík Poetics is a community-oriented organisation running two literary event series: the monthly open mic, Reykjavík Open, and curated events. The organisation encourages multilingual participation from local and international writers, aiming to make literature accessible and inclusive, fostering a vibrant literary community where diverse voices and stories can be heard and contribute to Reykjavík’s literary life.

Ewa Marcinek

Ewa is the author of a collection of short stories and poems Polishing Iceland (Ísland pólerað) and the editor of an essay collection by foreign-born writers in Iceland, Writer’s Adrift (Skáldreki). Ewa started Reykjavík Poetics in 2023, and has hosted, curated, produced, and performed at events in this series.

Gabriel Dunsmith

Gabriel Dunsmith is an Appalachian writer and musician based in Reykjavík, Iceland. His poems have appeared in Poetry, Tikkun, Lake Effect, Hunger Mountain, Appalachian Review, and elsewhere. He is a Brett Elizabeth Jenkins Poetry Prize finalist and Pushcart Prize nominee.

Martyna Daniel

Martyna Daniel is a writer, painter, cinematographer, and co-founder of Listastofan, an artist-run space that operated between 2015 and 2019 in Reykjavík. Martyna is currently working on her debut novel, “I Spin”. 

Margrét Ann Thors

Margrét Ann Thors is a writer based in Reykjavík, Iceland. Originally from Fairfield County, Connecticut, she holds a BA, MA, and MFA from Columbia University and teaches at the University of Iceland. In 2025, she earned her PhD with an emphasis on literature after 9/11. Her creative writing has been published in Glamour, Creative Nonfiction, Ós Pressan, Storychord, and other outlets. Her debut novel, FREYJA, is forthcoming from Spiegel & Grau in August 2026.

Michelle Spinei

Michelle Spinei is an American writer based in Iceland. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Catapult, Hinterland Magazine, Ós Pressan, Points in Case and elsewhere.

Grayson Del Faro

Grayson del Faro is the author of The Sagas and Shit: Icelandic Literature Crudely April_DobbinsAbridged (Forlagið, 2019) and The Edda or Whatever: Norse Mythology Crudely Abridged (forthcoming from Forlagið, 2025). He was also the editor of Mutilations on a Theme: Best Innovative College Writing (Jaded Ibis Press, 2015). His poetry has appeared in The Baffler, The Stinging Fly, Evergreen Review, and SPECTRA, among others.

April Dobbins

April Dobbins is an artist, writer, and educator based in Iceland. She received her Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University, where she was also presented with the Intellectual Contribution Award. Her writings and photographs have been published in a number of places, including Miami New Times, Sugarcane Magazine, Calyx Journal, Cimarron Review, Redivider, Philadelphia City Paper and Harvard’s Transition magazine. She received an Alumni Award from the Iceland Writers Retreat in 2023. She holds an M.F.A in film from the University of Miami, where she also served as Director of Prestigious Awards and lectured in the Department of Cinema and Interactive Media. Her films have been supported by Sundance Institute, Firelight Media, International Documentary Association, Abigail Disney's Fork Films, and many others.

Daniel Escobar

From Colombia, based in Iceland, Daniel holds a BSc in Civil Engineering, BA in Literary Studies, and MSc in Environmental Engineering. His stories have appeared in Stories of a Country (2018), The Funeral: The Banquet of the Flies (2021), Vórtice 21 (2021), and 20/20 (2021-2022). He is the author of Everyday's Light (2023), winner of Best Short Story Book of the Year in 2022. His work explores memory, silence, and domestic life. His BA thesis was a comparative analysis between Juan Rulfo and Halldór Laxness, and he is now doing his MA in Literature, Media and Culture.