Book Description

The Seawomen of Iceland: Survival on the Edge is the first large-scale study of the important — and as yet largely invisible — group of women working at sea, their lives, contributions, and knowledge. It is based on extensive historical research and fieldwork, including formal and informal discussions with hundreds of Icelandic seawomen who fished from the 1950s to the present day. These women have held positions at all levels of the on-sea fishing industry, from skipper and engineer to deckhand and cook, in all sectors and tonnages of ships, and in all areas of the country. A rich historical record in Iceland has preserved accounts of helmswomen taking the tiller in the roughest weather, women consistently bringing in the best catches, female captains hiring all-female crews, and seawomen giving birth at sea or just upon reaching shore. The book’s narrative structure focuses on the women’s voices, letting the realities and complexities of their lives come through lived experience. It will appeal to general readers interested in Iceland as a unique country with a booming tourist trade, in fishing, in stories of the sea and the people who live on it, in adventure, and in what happens when women work in a realm generally considered male-dominated. The author collaborated with the Reykjavik Maritime Museum for a 2015 exhibition documenting the seawomen of Iceland.