The Norwegian publishing house Kagge kicked off the year by releasing the first volume of the 60 Kilo Saga: Sixty Kilos of Sunshine, translated by Maren Barlien. The second volume is set for release mid-year, with the third installment following in early 2027.

Sixty Kilos of Sunshine has garnered immense attention across Norway. Within just three days of sales, the book reached sixth place on the ARK bookstore bestseller list. By the following week, it climbed to second place at Norli, Norway’s other major bookstore chain. The over-all bestseller list from the Norwegian Bookseller Association for the first week of sales placed the book in third on the print list and 5th on the ebook list. After two week of sales, the book was placed in second place on the over-all list and after three weeks of sales, the book was at the top of the list!

Critical acclaim has also been exceptional:

6/6 stars
“A veritable bounty of drama, twists, and brutal incidents; a tale of life and death packed with burlesque humor and a wide array of vivid characters.”
SINDRE HOVEDSNAKK, VERDENS GANG NORWAY

6/6 stars
“A magnificent tale of loss, survival, and Iceland’s journey into modernity.”
SIGMUND JENSEN, STAVANGER AFTENBLAD NORWAY

6/6 stars
“This novel sparkles with the purest literary gold. … Lars Mytting meets Kim Leine in this tour de force of a narrative: Sixty Kilos of Sunshine is a mesmerizing and richly informed novel about modern Icelandic history, told in a language brimming with vitality and abundance. … Through the lives of both ordinary and extraordinary people in the novel, the portrait of an entire society, and the politics and religion of the age, emerges.”
ANNE CATHRINE STRAUME, NRK

“A vibrant novel about how modernity came to Iceland. … It is cheeky and comical, but more than that: Helgason refuses to let the reader sink into the novel’s (ice) bath to wallow in destitution and sad fates.”
CAROLINE TROMP, KLASSEKAMPEN

“Rowdy and assertive, but also entertaining and sharp-witted, with a narrative voice somewhere between Kjell Aukrust and Are Kalvø.”
MARIA ÅROLILJA RØ, ADRESSEAVISEN

“Tragedy, comedy, and linguistic playfulness … this, too, is a way to write historical novels, entirely without creaking, dust, or cobwebs.”
LEIF BULL, DAGENS NÆRINGSLIV

In addition to glowing reviews, Hallgrímur was featured in a major interview in the literary supplement of Klassekampen, which sported a cover photo of Segulfjordur, the setting of the books. He also appeared as a guest on the popular morning show on TV2.

The first two print runs of the book are already sold out, and a third printing is expected.