(1935-2022) published her first book in 1974 (Jón Oddur and Jón Bjarni) and has since been one of Iceland’s most popular and respected children’s authors. From that date onwards she published over two dozen books. She was also active in politics and represented the People’s Alliance in the Reykjavík City Council 1978-82, was a member of parliament from 1979-1995, and again in 1999. She served as speaker of Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, from 1988 till 1991, the first woman to hold that position.

Gudrun Helgadottir received several prizes and recognitions for her work. In 1992 she received the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize for the book From Beneath the Weeds, in 1994 she received the Reykjavik Children’s Literature Prize for Poor Little Things, in 2005 the book Different Family received The Children’ s Choice Book Prize and later that year she received The Jonas Hallgrimsson award for her contribution to the Icelandic language. Helgadottir received the DV Cultural Prize Honour Award in 2014 for her lifetime achievements.

In 2018, the City of Reykjavik established a literary prize in her name, the Gudrun Helgadottir Children’s Literature Prize, given to a script for a children’s book, following an open competition. The prize is awarded annually for an unprinted children’s or youth book manuscript. The objective is to encourage new and ambitious writing for children in Iceland.

Works in translation

Jón Oddur og Jón Bjarni (Jon Oddur and Jon Bjarni), 1974
DENMARK (Sommer og Sörensen, 1977) Jon Egil og Jon Bjarne, transl. Helle Degnbol.
FAROE ISLANDS (Föroya lærarafelag, 1986) Jón Oddur og Jón Bjarni, transl. Martin Næs
FINLAND  (Tammi, 1979), Kekseliäät Kakoset
GERMANY  (Hermann Schaffstein, 1981, Saga Egmont, 2015 (audio)) Jon und Jan, transl. Gerda Neumann
LITHUANIA (Zara, 2005)
NETHERLANDS (Leopold, 1981) Jon Oddur en Jon Bjarni: avonturen van een Ijslandse tweeling, Pictures by Marie-Sophie Méjan, transl. Nini van der Beek
NORWAY (Cappelen, 1981, 1984, Norske bokklubben, 1983), Jon Odd og Jon Bjarne, transl. Gunhild Stefánsson
NORWAY nynorsk (Bokklubbens barn, 1983), transl. Ivar Eskeland
SWEDEN (Tidens förlag, 1980) De påhittiga tvillingarna, transl. Inge Knutsson

Meira af Jóni Oddi og Jóni Bjarna (More about Jon Oddur and Jon Bjarni), 1975
DENMARK (Sesam, 1985), Der sker så meget på et år, transl. Franz Berliner
FAROE ISLANDS, (Föroya lærarafelag, 1987), Meiri um Jón Odd og Jón Bjarna, transl. Martin Näs
NORWAY (Cappelen, 1984) Jon Odd, Jon Bjarne og Jon Sofus, transl. Gunhild Stefánsson

Í afahúsi (In Grandpa’s House), 1976
FAROE ISLANDS (Föroya lærarafelag, 1986), Í abbasahúsi, transl. Martin Näs

Enn af Jóni Oddi og Jóni Bjarna, 1980
FAROE ISLANDS, (Föroya lærarafelag, 1987), Enn meiri um Jón Odd og Jón Bjarna, transl. Martin Näs

Ástarsaga úr fjöllunum (A Giant Love story), 1981, Pictures by Brian Pilkington
CHINA (Beijing Science and Technology Publihsing, 2013)
COLOMBIA (Panamericana Editorial, 2019, to be distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Panama, México and Spanish language United States), transl. Maria Mercedes Correa
DENMARK (Sesam, 1982) Flumbra: En islandsk troldemor, transl. Helle Degnbol
ESTONIA (Kirjastus Valgus, 2012) Islandi trollilugu
FAROE ISLANDS (Nýlendi, 1982), Gandakellingin Flumbra, transl. Jákup í Skemmunni
GEORGIA (Klio, 2017)
ITALY (RCS Libri/Fabbri Editori, 2002)
KOREA (BIR Publishing, 2001)
JAPAN (Kaisei-sha, 1993) transl. Kiyoko Yamanouchi
NORWAY (Cappelen, 1982) Ruska, en kjærlighetshistorie fra Island, transl. Gunhild Stefánsson
SLOVENIA (Pro-Andy)
SWEDEN (Opal, 1988) Sagan om Flumbra, transl. Inge Knutsson
USA (Carolrhoda Books, 1986) Flumbra: an Icelandic Folktale, transl. Christopher Sanders

Sitji guðs englar (May Angels Watch Me), 1983
FAROE ISLANDS (Föroya lærarafelag, 1993), Bið Guðs einglar standa hjá mær, transl. Martin Næs

Saman í hring (Through the Night), 1986
FAROE ISLANDS (Föroya lærarafelag, 1994), Vera vernd, transl. Martin Næs  

Sænginni yfir minni (Wake Me In the Morning Light), 1987
FAROE ISLANDS (Föroya lærarafelag, 1995), Hjá mær í nátt, transl. Martin Næs

Undan illgresinu (From Beneath the Weeds), 1990
DENMARK (Klim, 1994) Havens hemmelighed, transl. Áslaug Th. Rögnvaldsdóttir
NORWAY (Idunn Forlag, 1993) Når ugresset er borte, transl. Gunhild Stefánsson, 1993

Litlu greyin (Poor Little Things), 1993
DENMARK (Klim, 1997), Tostes spögelse, transl. Áslaug Th. Rögnvaldsdóttir

Ekkert að þakka! (The Pleasure’s Mine!), 1995
DENMARK (Klim, 2001; Den FAKTYRLIGE Bogklub, 2002) Selv tak!, transl. Áslaug Th. Rögnvaldsdóttir
FAROE ISLANDS (Föroya lærarafelag, 2000), Tað er gaman í, transl. Martin Næs

Ekkert að marka! (Don’t You Believe It!), 1996
DENMARK (Klim, 2004) Skidt pyt!, transl. Áslaug Th. Rögnvaldsdóttir
FAROE ISLANDS (Föroya lærarafelag, 2000), Tað er lagamanni, transl. Martin Næs

Aldrei að vita! (You´ll Never Know!), 1998
DENMARK (Klim, 2006) Hvem ved? transl. Áslaug Th. Rögnvaldsdóttir

Öðruvísi dagar (Different Days), 2003
DENMARK (Klim, 2005), transl. Áslaug Th. Rögnvaldsdottir

Bara gaman (Plain Fun), 2008
GERMANY (Dressler, 2013) Blaubeeren und Vanilleeis, transl. Anika Lüders-Woolff, illustr. Leonard Erlbruch