In Fed to Red Birds, award-winning short-story writer Rijn Collins has written a love story about Iceland, its language and the magic of isolation. That may sound strange, but for protagonist Elva-Bjalla, it is a balm.

Named after a character from an infamous children’s book written by her Afi (grandfather), Elva has left her hometown of Melbourne for Iceland, where she is looking for some connection to her mother, who disappeared when she was a child. The life she has built for herself is small, but cosy. She travels between her sparse apartment, where she keeps her darkest secret locked behind a hidden door, to work at a shop of curiosities with her close friend and boss, Grace, to language classes, swimming, and her friend Tollie’s bar. All the time the threat of deportation hangs over her if she doesn’t pass the language exam. But also, the threat of something more – a compulsion. A compulsion that grows when her Afi falls ill, and she finds herself unable to keep things under control. To others, her interest in taxidermy may be what sets her apart, but in fact it is her connection to her fairy-tale namesake.

Collins has drawn on Nordic tradition, and successfully created a world where the possibility of magic seems real. The magic does not overwhelm the story, but thrums in the background, propelling Elva forward, while her friends enfold her in their arms and turn her in the right direction. The friendships Elva makes, like her efforts at taxidermy, are things of unique beauty. Collins has captured the joy and love that friendship can bring, even to one who thinks they seek solace, because, ultimately, we are all seeking connection and acceptance – exploring that is where Collins excels.