Hulda Sigrún Bjarnadóttir

Hulda Sigrún Bjarnadóttir was born in Reykjavík in 1971. She studied library and Information science and psychology at the University of Iceland and completed her master’s degree in psychology at the University of Copenhagen. She has been writing books for children and young adults since 2007, initially under the pseudonym Rune Michaels.

Together with Arndís Thórarinsdóttir, she wrote »Blokkin á heimsenda« [2020; tr: The Island on the Edge of the Universe]. The novel was awarded the Icelandic Literature Prize and nominated for the 2024 German Youth Literature Prize. »It is a bizarre thought that the Icelandic duo so imaginatively and subtly shape a story that is as funny as it is moving«, said the German jury. The book is about twelve-year-old Dagny, who visits her grandmother for the first time with her family. She lives on a small island that is completely cut off from the mainland during the winter. Just under 200 people live here – all together in a twelve-storey tower block. The grandmother is the janitor and oversees everything that happens in the building, and as new arrivals, Dagny and her family have to make themselves just as useful as everyone else: Generating electricity, milking cows, preparing meals, etc. But acts of sabotage put the community’s cohesion to the test. Dagny has to find out who is behind it.

The author duo’s second novel, »Mömmuskipti« [tr: Mommy Swap], was recently published in 2023. It tells the story of Linda, whose mother is a social media influencer who shares her family life online. Linda would rather have her peace and quiet. Linda would rather have her peace and quiet. When her mother applies for a place on a new TV show in which mothers temporarily swap their families, things only get more turbulent …

Hulda Sigrún Bjarnadóttir lives in Reykjavík.

Blokkin á heimsenda
[with Arndís Thórarinsdóttir]
Mál og menning
Reykjavík, 2020

Mömmuskipti
with Arndís Thórarinsdóttir
Mál og menning
Reykjavík, 2023