Author Andri Snær Magnason is holding a public meeting in the National Theatre of Iceland today at 5 pm to formally announce his candidacy for the presidency of Iceland and introduce his views.
He is the fourteenth candied to announce and the presidential election will be held on June 28 of this year. So far the prospectors are numerous and diverse but we can expect to see a clearer picture as elections draw near. Other candidates so far are Ari Jósepsson You Tuber, Ástþór Magnússon, entrepreneur, Benedikt Kristjánsson dairy specialist, Bæring Ólafsson, former senior executive at Coca-Cola, Elísabet Jökulsdóttir author, Guðmundur Franklín Jónsson businessman and politician, Halla Tómasdóttir entrepreneur and investor, Heimir Örn Hólmarsson electrical engineer, Hildur Þórðardóttir healer, Hrannar Pétursson, sociologist, Sturla Jónsson lorry driver and politician, Þorgrímur Þráinsson, footballer and author, and Vigfús Bjarni Albertsson, hospital chaplain.
Magnason is an award-winning author of novels, children books and poetry and a playwright, his awards include the Iceland Literary Award in 2006 and 2013. He´s also a prolific environmentalist, campaigning in particular for the protection of Iceland´s highlands and against the damming of rivers for the purpose of producing cheap energy for heavy industry, such as aluminium smelters. He is the author of the award winning children book, The Story of the Blue Planet, translated into many languages and probably his most well known work is Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual for a Frightened Nation, made into a feature documentary in 2009 outlining the government lobbying for foreign heavy industry in Iceland, especially revolving around the controversial Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant. The English translation of Dreamland has a preface written by singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir, the duo famously appeared at a press conference at Iceland Airwaves music festival in Reykjavik late last year, on behalf of Protect the Park (Gætum Garðsins) emphasizing the need for urgent action to save Iceland’s highlands from environmental destruction.
Björk and Andri Snær Magnason hosting a press conference late 2015 “Protect the Park”