Children in Iceland

An intimate and evocative photographic portrayal of children and childhood in rural Iceland by photographer Nancy Libson.

Iceland is best known for its stunning scenery and majestic landscapes. When photographer Nancy Libson first visited Iceland for a hiking trip some twenty years ago, she immediately fell in love with the country and its dramatic landscape. She vowed to return again, camera in hand. Beginning in 2015, Libson did just that, revisiting Iceland for four additional summers to photograph the land and its people.When Libson began her project, she chose to get to know the Icelandic people in rural areas. As she continued to experience this remote and beautiful land, she developed an awareness of the unique qualities of childhood in Iceland, and so her emphasis shifted from people of all ages to children at home and at play. Libson noticed that Icelandic children were granted an unusual level of freedom while living securely in close-knit families and supportive communities. She was further inspired to capture Iceland’s remoteness and beauty and its impact on the children who live there.As portrayed in Children in Iceland, Libson’s photographs provide an intimate and evocative view of the lives of the children surrounded by Iceland’s natural landscape. By photographing Iceland’s children, Libson began to better understand not only the children, but through them the culture and spirit of growing up in this remarkable country. The book is further enhanced by an afterword by Kristín Helga Gunnarsdóttir, the well-known Icelandic children’s author, who shares her thoughts about the freedom that Icelandic children feel from living with and close to nature.