| Main field of interest: Travelling in remote areas of Iceland and in the Middle
East and Africa. Languages. History especially pre-history, the Stone age, etc. Third
world politics, the economics and development issues of East Africa. Education:
Masters degree (D.E.A.) in Economics
Languages: Icelandic, English, French, Danish
Background: Born in Iceland in 1949, Björn spent most of his early years in
various fishing villages around the coastline before moving with his parents to
Reykjavík, where he graduated from high school in 1969. Keenly interested in the
turbulent politics and the clash of ideologies rampant at that time, he decided, after a
short stint at the University of Iceland, to pursue his studies at the place where it was
all "happening", namely France.
Obtaining a masters degree in 1976, he worked for a further two years on a doctorate
thesis in Economics and Philosophy before returning to Iceland where he spent the first
two years working as a high school teacher. Shortly thereafter, having decided not to make
a career out of teaching, he entered the Iceland Tourist Board's training course for
Guides, passed a Diploma for Judicial Translators and Interpreters, and completed a Red
Cross Training Course, and thus set off on his self employment career which he has pursued
ever since.
The years 1982-'83 saw him as the League of Red Cross Societies delegate in Khartoum,
Sudan, the years 1984-1991 as an independent seafood brokerage and commission agent and
1993-'94 as a Humanitarian and Demining Officer for UNOSOM, the United Nations Operation
in Somalia. He founded the travel company Valtours
Ltd in 1995. Björn has written several articles in Icelandic newspapers and is currently
working on several translation and publishing projects, chief among them the first Ancient
Greek Grammar in Icelandic |
