Articles​

This article documents the factual timeline, public funding context, and unresolved statutory obligations regarding author attribution in the television series Húsó. On January 24, 2026, all major media outlets in Iceland reported that RÚV, the national public broadcaster, removed the television series Húsó from its platform. The removal was made at the request of the producer, Glassriver. No explanation was published to viewers, despite the series previously being advertise

The Icelandic Writers’ Union (RSÍ) sent a letter on 17 November of 2025 to the Director General of RÚV and to the production company Glassriver, stating that the lack of name attribution violates copyright and moral rights. RSÍ formally requests that my name and my pseudonym be included in all contexts where Húsó is shown, nominated, or discussed. No response has been received. The production company Glassriver has acknowledged in written correspondence that correct author c

What does it look like to be erased from your own story? Excerpt from my book Outcast from the School of Housewives – Behind the Scenes of the Icelandic Film Industry ( working title – soon to be published in English ) . In January 2025, the director of Húsó and our co-writer were nominated for the Nordic Series Script Awards. My lawyer asked the production company Glassriver to add my name to the nomination and to invite me to the Gothenburg Film Festival, where the awards

In Icelandic copyright cases, winning still means losing – financially. Can it be called justice if it costs more to claim your rights than you can ever recover for winning them? Legal aid  (Icelandic: gjafsókn ) is financial assistance provided by the state to individuals who lack the means to pursue a court case. To qualit y, a case must have general or precedential significance, or the applicant’s financial situation must make it impossible for them to claim their legal

Today, November 8th, is the International Day Against Bullying. Bullying is not always visible or organized. It exists among adults just as much as among teenagers or children. Covert bullying, also called indirect or psychological bullying, can be so hidden that victims struggle to recognize or describe their experiences. People who speak up about violence, injustice, or corruption often face social exclusion, silencing, and reduced career opportunities after sharing their e

The TV series Húsó  won for Best Screenplay and Best Scripted TV Series of 2024. “…but maybe the strangest thing about these television awards is that, what… they’re not shown on television?” – Símon Birgisson ( Menningarvaktin (The chandelier in the photo looks like a Disney princess crown!) I am deeply grateful for the recognition. I have never felt such a deep and personal connection to any project I´v

It’s a day of mixed emotions. My graduation from the Master’s program in Creative Writing at the University of Iceland happens to fall on Iceland’s Women’s Strike. The first Women’s Strike was held in 1975, when 90% of Icelandic women stopped working, both paid and unpaid jobs, to demonstrate the importance of women’s labor. The event had a profound impact on Icelandic society and helped pave the way for the world’s first democratically elected female president, Vigdís Finnbo

In 1986, I was six years old when I saw the film Stella í orlofi  (titled in english: Stella on Holiday) in the cinema. A critic for the newspaper Vísir gave the film two and a half stars and described the movie as characterized by “female chauvinism.” He praised the male lead actor but found other aspects of the film “less successful and flat” (FRI). The Icelandic public, however, was much more positive and the film became one of the most beloved Icelandic movies of all tim

In light of the Icelandic Television Awards, I want to share an excerpt from my autoethnographic essays in creative writing, where I reflected, among other things, on Húsó (The School of Housewives) , a project based on my own experience as a student at the school after completing rehab. Screenshot from an Instagram story I posted while a student at the school (@dorajohanns – highlights: Húsó)

Although I am deeply grateful for the recognition that came with Húsó receiving awards for Best Script and Best Scripted Show at the Icelandic Television Awards last week, and proud of my work, what matters most to me is shedding light on the systemic issues underlying Húsó, both before and after production. In an era of artificial intelligence and growing information chaos, when freedom of expression can no longer be taken for granted, the protection of authors’ rights is