The Big Reading Competition for 30 Years

Generations know the competition

“People must stop at some point,” Ingibjörg said so beautifully in the television news yesterday evening. The competition has flourished, and now some parents watch their children read just as they themselves once did – yes, generation after generation.

Eighteen children from the primary schools of Hafnarfjörður read. The atmosphere was very festive. “Thank you for having me,” said Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, as she thanked everyone for an exceptionally magical moment. She encouraged the children further.

The bright future of the children

“The future is truly bright when children read as well as they did here and perform the poems with such insight and emotional intelligence.” The President spoke about stepping outside one’s comfort zone, just like the story the children read from was about. She spoke of anxiety and knots in the stomach before assignments like this during childhood.

“I am telling you this today because I am endlessly proud of you.” They had surely felt butterflies in their stomachs, perhaps even a small knot and some nervousness. “But what changed my life is that I went to a speech course when I was thirteen and practiced speaking in front of people.” People go through moments when they feel they are not enough, but with practice each one becomes stronger. “You have a bright future ahead of you.”

The reading was from the book Fjársjóðsleit í Granada by Ólafur Páll Jónsson. He said the story reached perfection in the children’s reading and was proud. He sat, just like Halla and Inga Sæland, Minister of Education and Children, in the front row and listened to the children.

The competition originated in Hafnarfjörður

The Big Reading Competition began here in Hafnarfjörður in 1996 and five years later spread across the whole country. Thousands have taken part over the years. In 2010, Ingibjörg established the Little Reading Competition for fourth graders, and in 2013 she received the Order of the Falcon for her contribution to strengthening children’s reading skills.

“It always needs to be kept alive,” Ingibjörg said in the television news.

The children who participated:

Ásthildur Friðriksdóttir, Setbergsskóla
Óli Freyr Arnórsson, Skarðshlíðarskóla
Aldís Von Árnadóttir, Víðistaðaskóla
Andrea Líf Grétarsdóttir, Áslandsskóla
Ómar Þór Karlsson, Hraunvallaskóla
Saga Sif Agnesardóttir, Hvaleyrarskóla
Edda Margrét Reid, Engidalsskóla
Arna Hlín Ýmisdóttir, Lækjarskóla
Ásdís Inga Stephensdóttir Midgley, Öldutúnsskóla
Þórir Sveinn Leósson, Áslandsskóla
Anika Rut Stefánsdóttir, Skarðshlíðarskóla
Áróra Lea Goðadóttir, Lækjarskóla
Bríet Ýr Daðadóttir, Öldutúnsskóla
Sara Sif Matus, Setbergsskóla
Elmar Óðinn Davíðsson, Engidalsskóla
Anna Sól Ísbrá Eiríksdóttir, Víðistaðaskóla
Lára Sóley Erlendsdóttir, Hraunvallaskóla
Hilmar Trausti Ingvarsson, Hvaleyrarskóla

There were four members on the judging panel: Anna Þorbjörg Ingólfsdóttir (chair), Þórður Helgason, Hafrún Dóra Júlíusdóttir and Árni Sverrir Bjarnason.

A band made up of students from the Hafnarfjörður Music School opened the program. The group included Daníel Myrkvi Ólafsson, Matthías Werner Ólafsson, Nökkvi Leó Kristjánsson and Snorri Rafnar Birkisson.

Then a talk choir of students from 4th grade at Ásvallaskóli performed with powerful delivery. Inga Sæland, Minister of Education and Children, delivered a speech as the competition began and spoke of the perseverance needed to maintain such a strong tradition. “I hope it lives on as long as possible, for all time.”

A number of performances in the competition

A break was taken after an hour. Guests had coffee and muffins. Before the results were announced, many beautiful moments took place. Students Oleksandr Zahorodnyi and Víkingur Hrafn Steinarsson from Skarðshlíðarskóli performed the song Aldrei fór ég suður, and Pietro Sismo Fortugno, a student at Setbergsskóli, performed a poem in Italian. Then Valdís Silja Daðadóttir, who placed second in the competition last year, presented a poetry segment.

Valdimar Víðisson, the mayor, delivered a closing speech and thanked the children.

“It has been truly pleasant and a joy to listen to you, dear students, read with such sincerity, confidence and ambition. You have done exceptionally well and deserve a great deal of praise.”

He also thanked Ingibjörg for her immense contribution.

“It is one thing to have a good idea, but another thing entirely to follow it through, to nurture it and care for it so that it lives and thrives for decades,” he said.

“That is what Ingibjörg has done, along with good colleagues, with exceptional dedication and diligence all these years. For that, we owe her much gratitude. Her contribution has touched countless children and young people here in Hafnarfjörður and across the country.”

And that is not all. The competition always features its own award illustration on the invitation card. This year’s card was designed by Ari Fannar Eðvaldsson in class 6 SH at Áslandsskóli.

The winners of the short story competition are:

• 1st place: Lára Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Áslandsskóli, Gáttin til friðar
• 2nd place: Moritz Wilke Kjartansson, Lækjarskóli, with the story Hugarvinur
• 3rd place: Kári Steinar Magnússon, Víðistaðaskóli, with Hvað ertu að hlusta á, Elísa Guðrún Magnúsdóttir, Setbergsskóli, with the story Í skugga bókasafnsins

Ingibjörg then closed the program and thanked everyone for the thirty years. “My heartfelt thanks, this is wonderful.”

Dear Ingibjörg – heartfelt thanks for all the years and for the strong leadership you have shown in this important and beautiful moment.