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Sverrir Sigurdsson, an Icelander living in the Washington, DC area, has recently published his memoir, Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir. His reminiscences of growing up in Iceland in the mid-20th century tell the story of Iceland maturing and growing from a dirt-poor nation to a prosperous one.
A review by Paula Harrell, a historian and adjunct professor at Georgetown University says, “This is Sverrir Sigurdsson’s story, an extraordinary tale of what it means to be Icelandic, how tenacity of spirit enabled a small country to navigate its way through hardship and war to contribute on the larger stage of human endeavors.”
Another review by Stephen Heyneman, professor emeritus of International Policy, Vanderbilt University and editor-in chief of International Journal of Educational Development, says: “Who among us would not want our descendants to learn from our life?…..This is a story that gladdens the heart and makes one wish for more”.
Born in Reykjavik on the eve of the Second World War, Sverrir Sigurdsson watched Allied troops invade his country and turn it into a bulwark against Hitler’s advance toward North America. The country’s post-war transformation into an advanced nation became every Icelander’s success. Spurred by this favorable wind, Sverrir answered the call of his Viking forefathers, setting off on a voyage that took him around the world.
Sverrir graduated as an architect from Finland in 1966. After a short stint in Sweden he worked in the Middle East on various assignments, including construction of the Emir’s palace and harem in Abu Dhabi. During the next six years he lived in Africa where he supervised school construction projects in Malawi and Swaziland. In 1975 he joined the World Bank, the largest international aid agency based in Washington, DC. Over the next 25 years, he worked on poverty alleviation programs in 30 developing countries.
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, former Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs and ambassador to the U.S. says, “This is the story of a latter-day Viking, an adventurous spirit who left his native Iceland at an early age to study abroad. Having graduated as an architect from a Finnish university, he went on a mission around the globe with the UN and the World Bank, doing his bit to help make the world a better place….Throughout his journey he was sustained by his ancestors’ heritage of stubborn resilience in the face of formidable challenges.”
Sverrir now lives in the DC area with his wife and coauthor, Veronica Li. His book was released November 3, 2020. The publisher is Mascot Books. It is available on Amazon both as paperback and ebook.
