Icelandic writers have a limited audience, not many people speak or read the ancient language Norse. Icelandic literature is rarely translated into English or other non Scandinavian rooted languages.  So I would say the generally audience for Icelandic literature is 300, 000 readers. However Iceland has many writers, about half the population.

Halldór Kiljan Laxness is one of the most famous Icelandic writer- world wide. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1955. Like most writers his forms of expression took all forms. It was Laxness that put Iceland back on the world wide market. My favorite was paradise reclaimed.

Other writings that make up the history of Iceland include the Viking oral tradition that was inscribed on calf skin in the 12^th century, Nordic mythology, and the sagas.