NoMuLAB (Nordic Multimedia Writing LAB) is an online learning platform offering courses and resources for students, emerging writers, and educators. It supports multilingual, multicultural, and multimedia approaches to writing and literature.
NoMuLAB was created through a partnership between two independent organisations: Red Door (Denmark) and Ós Pressan (Iceland). The collaboration is built on a shared mission: to promote multilingual literature and highlight the artistic contributions of multilingual writers across the Nordic region and beyond.
The platform is developed within the Multilingual Writing LAB project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme and running from February 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026. Through this project, we were able to:
- conduct research on supporting multilingual writing
- deliver transnational training for educators and writers
- develop eight initial multilingual writing courses
- run pilot courses in Denmark and Iceland
- launch the NoMuLAB website
Our goal is to empower diverse older youth and adults, support educators working in multicultural learning environments, and promote multilingual writing through accessible digital tools and creative practice.
The collaboration between Ós Pressan and Red Door came as a timely partnership, bringing together two independent organisations with more than ten years of experience in supporting writers of foreign origin and minority authors, including LGBTQIA+ and Deaf communities, through literary initiatives, events, workshops, and publications. Drawing on that experience, we recognise the value of this cross-national analysis in informing and strengthening support structures in Denmark and Iceland, across the Nordic region, and throughout Europe.
Multilingual writing presents significant opportunities across both Denmark and Iceland, functioning as a powerful tool for inclusion, cultural exchange, and literary innovation. Digital platforms and grassroots networks play a crucial role in expanding access, visibility, and collaboration, often compensating for gaps in formal institutions while fostering more diverse and connected literary communities. At the same time, multilingual writing holds strong educational potential, supporting creative, language-aware approaches that reflect increasingly transnational and diverse societies. Together, these opportunities highlight the capacity of multilingual practices to enrich literary ecosystems.
In Iceland, where the first generation immigrants now constitute 21% of the population, multilingual writing is emerging thanks to the efforts of independent artists and support from Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature. Despite recent acknowledgment of the multilingual writing community, their visibility remains marginal. Only 2% of authors receiving national writing subsidies are from the multilingual community. High school educators and non-formal education providers lack access to multilingual writing materials. Limited opportunities exist, mainly through single workshops and private initiatives, for individuals for whom Icelandic is not their first language. Pressure to preserve the Icelandic language inadvertently discriminates against the development of knowledge in other native tongues, limiting their self-expression.
Similarly, in Denmark, efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in literature are nascent, with no established system supporting multicultural literature. Although Danish is predominant, 14% of the population comprises immigrants and their descendants. English is widely spoken as a second language. Many authors in other languages must seek publication abroad due to limited platforms in Denmark, hindering cultural representation. This underscores the need for more inclusive spaces.
NoMuLAB seeks to address these challenges by promoting multilingual richness, acknowledging multilingual writing, and empowering individuals and educators. NoMuLAB promotes linguistic diversity, multicultural writing talent, and professional knowledge in Iceland, Denmark, and Europe. Our initiative fosters inclusivity, understanding, and appreciation of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
