always home, always homesick: a memoir

'In my brief breath of life, might I find a way to fit light to paper?'

In a land of ethereal beauty, within a culture soaked in myth, a young woman discovers the story that will change her life.

In 2003, seventeen-year-old Australian exchange student Hannah Kent arrives at Keflavík Airport in the middle of the Icelandic winter.

That night she sleeps off her jet lag and bewilderment in the National Archives of Iceland, unaware that, years later, she will return to the same building to write Burial Rites, the haunting story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last woman executed in Iceland. The novel will go on to launch the author's stellar literary career and capture the hearts of readers across the globe.

Always Home, Always Homesick is Hannah Kent's exquisite love letter to a land that has forged a nation of storytellers, her ode to the transcendent power of creativity, and her invitation to us all to join her in the realms of mystery, spirit and wonder. 

Praise for Always Home, Always Homesick

'Always Home, Always Homesick is an absorbing memoir that will appeal to existing readers of Kent’s work, and will undoubtedly see new ones seek out her earlier writing in all its mystery and glory.' - The Guardian

'A shimmering love letter to Iceland.' - The Big Issue

‘Superbly and gently written, the book muses on whether a person can truly feel whole when their heart and mind reside in two separate places.’ Judges’ comments, 2026 Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction

‘To read Kent’s memoir, Always Home, Always Homesick, about her experiences in Iceland and the genesis of Burial Rites was both moving and revealing.’ Judges’ comments, 2026 Indie Awards