EMIL HJÖRVAR PETERSEN
“Emil has established himself as one of Iceland’s main authors of speculative fiction.” ‒ Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature
Contact: emilhpetersen@gmail.com
Emil Hjörvar Petersen is a prominent Icelandic author of fantasy, science fiction and horror. Considered a pioneer of the genres in Iceland, he has thirteen novels and three poetry collections under his belt. He debuted in 2007.
His most recent work, Eilífðarvetur (Winter Eternal), is a post-apocalyptic novella published in 2025. It has been widely praised and has already been sold to Kraxa förlag in Sweden, launching in September 2026. “A gripping story with a well-developed plot and characters. The ideas are fresh, offering countless possibilities.” ‒ Lestrarklefinn.is
The TV and publishing rights to his debut trilogy, Survivors of Ragnarök were sold to Skybound Entertainment in LA (The Walking Dead, Invincible). It is an extensive tale about the Norse gods who survived Ragnarök and their struggles and voyages in a world they lost control of.
His awarded series The Shroud (see below) is a combination of urban fantasy, folklore and Nordic Noir, published in Iceland by Bjartur-Veröld, Króníka and the audiobook giant Storytel, who also published five best-selling horror novels by him. Two of them, Hælið and Dauðaleit, were nominated for the Icelandic Audiobook Awards.
A short story in English by Petersen, “The Cryptid”, was included in the praised and Locus nominated anthology The Best of World SF vol. 1.
He was a Guest of Honour at Icecon 2024. There he was awarded for his outstanding contribution to the fantastic in Iceland.
Petersen teaches literature, gives lectures on SFF and has participated in numerous conventions and conferences. He has written screenplays for the leading Icelandic production company Sagafilm, who also optioned the first instalment in The Shroud. Petersen lives in Kópavogur with his wife and two children.
THE SHROUD
A highly praised book series. Urban fantasy and folklore meet Nordic noir.
“Very entertaining and exciting … Tremendously well done … The story is full of fantastic female characters … A brilliant idea, combining Icelandic reality with the hidden worlds … It’s intriguing how Nordic crime merges with fantasy.” ‒ Kiljan, the main Icelandic literary TV-program
A broke Icelandic medium and her psychic twenty year old daughter get caught up in crime investigations connected to the world of supernatural beings.
The story takes place in an alternate contemporary where the hidden world from folklore is in parallel with our world, but very few can interact with the beings: the elves, trolls, hidden people, ghosts, revenants, spirits, cryptids etc. The few who can are called sensitive. In this alternate reality, there are three worlds: Our World, The Hidden World (the world of supernatural beings) and The Beyond (the world of the dead and all things paranormal). The Shroud is the invisible veil that both separates the worlds and holds them together. Most people in Our World go about their lives, not wanting anything to do with the supernatural, even though it really exist. It’s frowned upon and prejudice is common.
Bergrún is a broke medium who’s divorced and consumed by her work, but currently faces a dry spell in employment, that is, until the police calls her to check on damaged construction equipment, a common vandalism by the supernaturals but now, something more sinister is behind the sabotage; much more. Brá is Bergrún’s restless daughter who lives with her father’s family. Her unstable powers are manifesting. In the series it gradually leads her to meddle in dark affairs. In each book there is a new case and a new theme, related to specific creatures and mysteries from folklore. The series is correlated with the dramatic story of mother and daughter: their struggles, their relationship, their flaws, hopes and dreams. And their destiny — which is revealed in the fourth and last instalment, Skuld.
Synopsis for each book and a sample translation from the first one are available. Contact: emilhpetersen@gmail.com
MORE PRAISING FOR THE SHROUD:
★ ★ ★ ★ “A thrilling and entertaining Icelandic fantasy.” Morgunblaðið daily
“The author succeeds terrifically in combining a classic noir, Nordic reality and fantasy.” Literature.is
“Emil creates an exciting and chilling story that he interweaves with Icelandic folklore and modern crime fiction. To us, this story is the perfect material for a thrilling television series.” Sagafilm
★ ★ ★ ★ “With artistic excellence, Emil succeeds in combining the settings of crime fiction and fantasy … The fast and exciting course of events are visual and entertaining.” Morgunblaðið daily
‟A well written and thrilling crime-fantasy where the folktales are used in an interesting and creative way … Tremendously entertaining … Very exciting … Sólhvörf grabs the reader from the first page.” Fréttablaðið daily
★ ★ ★ ★ ‟A terrific novel where Icelandic folklore is intertwined with everyday life … It’s fantastic to see so many strong female characters … It’s very fun to read and keeps you turning the pages.” Nörd norðursins, the main Icelandic online magazine on fantasy & sci fi, video games, board games etc.