Jón Sveinsson

Born in Iceland in 1857, he later became a Jesuit priest and wrote under the name Nonni. His best-known books draw on his own early years and helped make him one of Iceland's most widely recognized storytellers abroad.

Much of his writing centers on boyhood, family, travel, and adventure, told in a direct and inviting way that appealed strongly to younger readers. Because these stories were translated into many languages, his work reached an international audience and stayed popular long after first publication.

He died in 1944 in Cologne, Germany. Today he is remembered both as a writer and as a cultural figure who carried memories of Iceland to readers around the world.