Hjálmar Sveinsson

About Hjálmar

I was born on the tenth of December, 1958, and grew up in Hafnarfjörður and the town of Hlíð in Gnúpverjahreppur. I got to know a wide range of jobs in the countryside, construction, and care sectors, and I later worked for many summers as a guide in the highland of Iceland. In 1986 to 1997, I lived in Berlin. There I saw the Berlin Wall fall, and since then I know that nothing is impossible. The most rugged fortresses of injustice can fall in a moment.

I have a BA from the University of Iceland and a magistracy degree in philosophy, literature, and German studies from the Freie Universität in Berlin. I worked in the media for a long time, including 12 years as a Radio Programmer at the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (I. “Ríkisútvarpið”). There I was the host of “Krossgötur” or Crossroads, show and one of the hosts of “Spegillinn” or The Mirror. I have written and published several books. In 2000, I founded in 2000 the non-fiction book publication series “ATVIK” or Incidents, with my friends Geir Svansson and Irma Erlingsdóttir, and the book publication OMDÚRMAN in 2007.

I am an outdoors person, and run long distances. I love cycling around Reykjavík, and every city I visit.

I am married to Ósk Vilhjálmsdóttir. Our children are called Borghildur, Hulda Ragnhildur, and Vilhjálmur Yngvi.

Since the spring of 2010, I have worked on City Council.

Education

BA in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Iceland
MA in Philosophy, German Studies, and Literature from Freie Universität Berlin

Office Hours

Interview requests for matters of planning can be sent to marta.grettisdottir@reykjavik.is.