Living Inside the Meltdown

by Alda Sigmundsdóttir

In October 2008, Iceland went from being one of the wealthiest countries in the world to one of the poorest, within the space of about two weeks. During those sensational few days, regular citizens stood by helplessly and watched as Iceland's three large commercial banks folded and Iceland's currency, the króna, plummeted in value, eventually becoming worthless outside of Iceland. Fear and uncertainty permeated Icelandic society during those strange days, extending to every nook and cranny of daily life. People worried whether or not they would have a job the next day, whether there would be food in the shops the following week, whether their children's playschools would stay open, whether Iceland would retain its sovereignty and everything else in between. Nothing was certain, and from one day to the next everything that had seemed hands-down solid seemed fleeting and unpredictable. Living Inside the Meltdown is the first published collection of interviews with ordinary people about Iceland's economic meltdown. In this selection of candid interviews, ten individuals share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences of living through those extraordinary days. How did a police officer feel who had to take a stand against protesters during the ensuing political crisis, which culminated in the Kitchenware Revolution? Did he sympathize with them, or was he opposed? Did he want to join the protesters? And looking back, how does he view this time? How did someone who worked in a bank feel going to work on the day the bank melted down? What was the atmosphere like? What was her workday like? What about those people who were students abroad when currency controls were suddenly implemented and who were cut off from their financial source? Some of them had small children-how did they cope in a foreign country with no access to money? The answers to those questions, plus many, many more, may be found in this book.