Step inside a fin-de-siècle bordello, where the poets are for hire.

Rauða Skáldahúsið – the Red House of Poets – was a fully bilingual poetry cabaret that transformed Iðnó, one of Reykjavík's oldest cultural houses, into a living performance for one night at a time.

Guests bought poker chips at the door, then spent them on private, one-on-one readings from a rotating cast of poets, each living inside a carefully built character. Around them, burlesque dancers, aerialists, magicians, body painters, a portrait artist and a resident witch reading tarot filled the house, while a live jazz band played late into the night.

The Poetry Brothel began in New York in 2008, and has since spread to cities across the Americas and Europe. Poet and translator Meg Matich, who had been involved since its early days, brought it to Reykjavík in May 2017 – and after a tip from cabaret star Miss Mokki, came to Huldufugl to make it happen.

Nanna became the 'Madame of the House', Madame Karitas, producing and hosting the evenings alongside Meg (Madame of Poetry) and Jess LoMonaco (Madame of Beauty). Each night brought around 35 performers, a new theme, and a star poet from Iceland's literary scene – with poetry performed in Icelandic, English, Spanish, French and even Latin.

Every show had its own theme, from a Masquerade to The Seven Deadly Sins, and guests were encouraged to dress for it. The house even went on tour of sorts, closing the very first Reykjavík Fringe Festival in 2018, and returning to the Fringe in 2019 with a hellish Inferno.

Read more at raudaskaldahusid.wordpress.com.

"Takk fyrir að bjóða mér hér í Rauða skáldahúsið. Þetta er ágætis áminning um það af hverju ég fór út í skáldskap yfirleitt, það var til þess að vera í svona dásamlegum félagsskap, þar sem að allir straumar huga og hjarta og líkama fá að… fá að fljóta fram."

"Thank you for inviting me to Rauða skáldahúsið. It's a fine reminder of why I went into poetry in the first place – to be in wonderful company like this, where all the currents of mind and heart and body get to… get to flow forth." – Sjón

Photography by GeiriX, Kaspars Bekeris and Gísli Friðrik Ágústsson, and Roberto Serrini for Reykjavík Fringe Festival.