Lupins are gorgeous flowers that beautify the landscape, prevent the erosion of the country, and can grow in even the most challenging conditions.
Our mission is to bring readers novels, short fiction and poetry from writers in Iceland on the margins of the literary scene. These are writers who have amazing works to offer that have gone overlooked by more mainstream publishing companies, writers whose works are brand new to the scene, and writers who explore subjects and styles that reach the cutting edge.
We want to serve writers in Iceland who fit those descriptions, providing an easily accessible platform for discerning readers to obtain their works, while offering terms of service to writers that are both fair and flexible.
Andie Sophia
Andie Sophia Fontaine is the founder and chair of Lupins Press. She worked as a journalist for over 20 years before making the move to fiction with her first novel, Eternity’s Flower, a work of satire about life in Iceland, and the experimental novella Litavis. She lives in Reykjavík, Iceland.
(Photo: Sadie Cook)
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andiesophia@lupins.is
Shruthi
Shruthi Basappa is the CEO of Lupins Press. She is a Dalit Indian-Icelander, award-winning architect, and long time food & culture writer. As CEO, Shruthi leads Lupins Press with the conviction that the most necessary stories are rarely the ones readily published. Who tells our stories, for whom, and why is essential to building equitable tables. With 15+ years of running an independent design studio and as a restaurant critic, she brings an exacting eye and a double-outsider's instinct to everything the press makes.
(Photo: Einar Hler Einarsson)
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shruthi@lupins.is
Josie Anne
Josie Anne Gaitens is the editor-in-chief of Lupins Press. She is a writer, cultural organiser and general Maker of Things. Originally from the Scottish Highlands, she is now based in Reykjavík, where she started her Icelandic career as Culture Editor for the Reykjavík Grapevine. Her professional work spans writing, teaching, producing, creating, managing and designing. She is a member of East of Moon, a laboratory for community-centred innovation, and is on the board of Vökufélagið, an association working to promote traditional cultural activities and to build a vibrant, inclusive folk arts community in Iceland. Her favourite book from the last five years is ‘Orbital’ by Samantha Harvey.
(Photo: Krummi)
Direct email
josieanne@lupins.is
Ish
Ish Sveinsson Houle is the creative director of Lupins Press, and is a poet, journalist and music industry professional based in Reykjavík. Ish has published work in Leirburður and The Reykjavík Grapevine, served on the board of two literary magazines in the United States, and wrote the zine Bland í (rusla)poka about a summer spent picking up trash in Hafnarfjörður. Writing in English and Icelandic, Ish draws inspiration from experimenting, so-called “outsider art,” and observing the mundane minutiae of life. Outside of writing, Ish has been the general manager of a radio station, is a crossword constructor, and works in a kindergarten.
(Photo: Agnar Freyr Stefánsson)
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ish@lupins.is
Iryna
Iryna Zubenko is the marketing director of Lupins Press. She is a Reykjavík-based journalist, writer and marketing professional interested in human-focused stories, culture and travel. For nearly a decade, she oversaw marketing and communications for the biggest tech event in Eastern Europe, has written about some of the most interesting people in Iceland, and went on a few wild adventures around the world (ask her about the year she spent living in a Finnish forest), yet her proudest professional achievement remains interviewing a talking raven. She has an ever-growing list of book ideas in her head, yet a remarkable talent for procrastinating on actually writing one.
(Photo: Art Bicnick)
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ira@lupins.is