The First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid on her writing habits, her creative life and why the Iceland Writers’ Retreat is a perfect place for writers.
We also discuss her fiction and nonfiction, navigating self-doubt, being tenacious with time and how she balances her responsibilities as a writer with her role in public service.
*
ABOUT ELIZA REID
Eliza Reid is a journalist, editor, and cofounder of the annual Iceland Writers Retreat. Eliza grew up in the countryside near Ottawa, Canada, and moved to Iceland in 2003, five years after winning a student raffle for a date with the man who became her husband, Gudni Jóhannesson. When he took office as president of Iceland on August 1, 2016, Eliza became the country’s First Lady. In that capacity, she has been active in promoting gender equality, entrepreneurship and innovation, tourism and sustainability, and the country’s writers and rich literary heritage. Being the spouse of the head of state is an immense privilege, full of surreal and wonderful experiences. Eliza has been candid about the role, which is an unofficial position with no job description, penning a lauded op-ed in the New York Times and delivering a TEDx Talk on the topic. Her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar, was an instant bestseller in Iceland and Canada, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick, and was recommended by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Margaret Atwood and many others.
*
RESOURCES & LINKS
*
Join our 24-hour Writing Sprint!
Between April 12-13, we’re hosting our epic, annual, online, FREE 🌏 24-hour Writing Sprint! Join us for 1,2 or 24 hours of writing, bring a friend or two, and make serious progress on a creative project.
For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com
For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com
*
FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON
Twitter: twitter.com/WritersSalon
Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon
Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon
If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
#088: Seth Godin — The Practice of Making & Shipping Work That Matters, Marketing, Creative Courage, The Resistance, Finding Purpose, Building Community
#087: Victoria Hislop — Writing Bestselling Historical Fiction, Researching History, Character Development, Evoking Sense of Place, Planning A Novel
#086: Gwyn Bennett — Navigating & Succeeding in Self-Publishing, Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing, Writing Sales Copy, Amazon Categories, Building an Audience, Handling Rights, Hiring Help
#085: Maggie Smith — Crafting Viral Poems, Writing Memoir, Becoming a Better Poet, Narrative Device, Substack, Commercial vs Creative Work
#084: Jean Kwok — Writing Family Drama & Constructing Thrillers, Successful Daily Writing Routines, Handling Failure & Pressure, How to Stay Focused On Your Craft
#083: Peter Komolafe — Rewriting Your Relationship with Money & Visualising Success, Writing Non-Fiction, Building A Brand
#081: Publisher Natalie Doherty — The Magic of Writing for Children, Market Trends, Behind the Scenes of Publishing, Children’s Book Categories, Social Media
#081: Ellie Middleton — Writing While Neurodivergent & Building An Audience, Writing Nonfiction, Content Creation & Going Viral
#080: Benjamin Hutchinson — Writing & Reading as Tools for a Meaningful Life, Writing Big Idea Nonfiction, Learning from Literary Greats
#079: Herminia Ibarra — Navigating Career Transitions & Owning the Writing Identity. Also, Writing Big-Idea NonFiction, Being a Confident Writer, Learning Goals Vs Performance Goals
#078: Chris Guillebeau — Embracing Experimentation in Money-Making and Creativity, Plus Writing Non-Fiction and Tools for Creators
#077: Guinevere Turner — Writing 'Go Fish', 'American Psycho', Crafting Memoir & Excavating Memories of Growing Up in a Cult
#076: Harriet Johnson — Writing Non-Fiction, Storytelling Like a Barrister & Writing to Inspire Change
#075: Natasha Lance Rogoff — Bringing Sesame Street to Russia & Writing Memoir, Behind the Scenes Of A Global Television Series, Art in Times of War
#074: Joy Sullivan — Growing a Community Around Your Poetry & Writing, Dealing With Creative Blocks, Avoiding Cliches, Tips for Reading & Writing Poetry
#073: Nicola May — Self-Publishing Bestselling Rom-Coms, Using Price To Drive Sales, Writing From The Heart, Marketing Tips and The Importance of Persistence
#072: Cyndie Spiegel — Writing NonFiction, Microjoys, Finding Joy in Difficult Times & Navigating Transitions
#071: Ed Wilson — Submitting to Agents & Navigating Publishing, Junior vs Experienced Agents, How to Follow up with Agents, Smaller vs Larger Literary Agencies
#070: Hannah Bos — Writing TV From The Heart, HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, Artistic Partnerships, Writing Friendships For The Screen
#069: Polina Marinova Pompliano — Writing Newsletters and Non-Fiction, Ambition vs Delusion, How to Study & Learn From Geniuses
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Anne of Green Gables
The Federalist Papers
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends