An Evening with Max Porter

Tjarnarbíó Theater

An Evening with Max Porter

An Evening with Max Porter

Tjarnarbíó Theater, Tjarnargata 12, 101 Reykjavík Directions

Sat 03.10.2026 20:00

ISK 1500.00
Tickets / Registration
ISK 1500.00
Tickets / Registration

Max Porter is undoubtedly one of the most exciting voices in contemporary British literature. He burst onto the literary scene in 2015 with the novella Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, a lyrical and innovative exploration of loss, grief and fatherhood. The book won numerous awards, was adapted for the stage and, in 2025, for film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Porter’s other works have also received widespread acclaim, most notably the novels Lanny and Shy. The latter was also adapted for film, starring Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy.
Icelanders may remember a recent interview in which Cillian Murphy spoke in glowing terms about Halldór Laxness’s novel Independent People. The man sitting beside him was none other than Max Porter, who had given Murphy the book.
One of the highlights of their long and fruitful collaboration is All of This Unreal Time, a 25-minute monologue Porter wrote especially for Murphy. The work, which has been both staged and filmed, is a rollercoaster ride through masculinity and anguish, corrosive shame, cycles passed down through generations – and hope.
On Saturday evening, 3 October, Max Porter himself will perform All of This Unreal Time at Tjarnarbíó, accompanied by improvisations from bassist Skúli Sverrisson and pianist Magnús Jóhann.
Each ticket includes a copy of the monologue in a new Icelandic translation by Þórdís Helgadóttir.
Following the performance, writers Brynja Hjálmsdóttir, Þórdís Helgadóttir and Fríða Ísberg will join Max Porter for a conversation about the creative process, experimentation in prose and fiction.
The event is supported by Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature and Reykjavík Music City.
Tickets are now on sale:
https://tix.is/event/22136/kvoldstund-med-max-porter

Performers