The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2003, Page 44

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 58 #1
Contributors
KRISTIN ADALSTEINSDC5TTIR was born in Porunnarseli, Kelduhverfi, and she has
lived in Iceland, except for several years of studies in Norway and the UK. She is an Assistant
Professor in Education at the University of Akureyri. As far as she knows, none of her close
relatives immigrated to Canada or the USA, which is uncommon for most Icelandic people.
STEPHAN VIBERG BENEDIKTSON is a grandson of the poet Stephan G
Stephansson. After graduating with a degree in engineering from the University of Alberta
in 1962, Stephan worked in the oil industry in Australia, the Far East, the Middle East, South
America as well as Canada and the USA. He served as the Honorary Consul for Iceland for
Southern Alberta from 1997 until he retired to live in Mexico in 2001.
JENNA BOHOLIJ has been writing poetry and short stories since she was 13 and con-
tinues to produce pieces for the Icelandic Festival writing contest, and several other writing
competitions. Jenna enjoys writing about Gimli, and loves visiting her family members who
live there. She hopes to furthur her writing career and looks forward to more of her work
being published.
BORGA JAKOBSON is the author of Errand Boy in the Mooseland Hills, translations
of Johann Magnus Bjarnason's story in Nova Scotia. Borga was born in Geysir, a graduate
of the U of Manitoba and has contributed in many ways to the Icelandic Canadian com-
munity.
DARRELL GUDMUNDSON is a Professional Engineer, Planner, Marketer, and
Writer. He is owner of GFW Publishers. He lives in Saskatoon, and can be reached by e-
mail at this address: jd.gudmundson@sasktel.net
HEATHER NEALE is granddaughter of Herdis Eyolfson Maddin, and daughter of
Janet (Maddin) Neale, has spent all of her summers in Gimli over the years. Born and raised
in Winnipeg, she currently works in Vancouver as a freelance writer and travels whenever
possible. Her next trip, she hopes, will be to Iceland.
HORBUR SIGURGETSSON (1938). Fie graduated from the Commercial College in
Reykjavik in 1958, received a degree in Business Administration and Economics from the
University of Iceland in 1965, and further a MBA degree from the Wharton School,
University of Pennslyvania, where he studied from 1966 - 1968.
SIGURBJORG STEFANSSON was a highly respected teacher. A school in Gimli bears
her name. She was instrumental in establishing the libraries at Gimli, Riverton and Arborg.
She had a great pride in her Icelandic heritage. Delving into the history led her to translating
the letters so that they could be shared.
CHRISTINA SUNLEY is the granddaughter of one of the original New Iceland set-
tlers, Dr. Olafur Bjornson, and his wife, Sigridur Brandson; her mother is Edith Bjornson,
originally of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Christina’s fiction has been published in a variety of lit-
erary journals.
LILLIAN VILBORG retired after 26 yeears with the University of Alberta as Law
Librarian and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law. Lillian has re-located to Winnipeg, the
city of her birth and formative years.
BETTY JANE WYLIE is a prolific writer and playright. She is a very strong supporter
of her Icelandic roots. Letters to Icelanders, Exploring the Northern Soul reveals her love for
the Nordic spirit. She recently received an honourary doctorate of letters from the
University of Manitoba.