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539 ratings | 107 reviews | avg rating:3.43

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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson

Goodreads Author

Born

in Reykjavík, Iceland

Website

https://www.borkur.net

Twitter

borkurdotnet

Genre

Fiction, Short Stories, Flash Fiction

Member Since

January 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/borkurdotnet

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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson is an Icelandic fiction writer of short stories and flash fiction. He is an avid storyteller whose narratives are packed with funny dialogs and vivid scenario descriptions. He writes realistic fiction and his stories are usually based on real events in the author's life. Although the tales contain grains of truth, they are melded with fiction, making the reader curious to know the line between reality and fantasy.

Börkur was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, but over the past decades he has wandered across the world with prolonged stays in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Düsseldorf, London, Montevideo and Paris. Börkur has a PhD in information science and works on artificial intelligence research and development, along with writing fic ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Börkur Sigurbjörnsson Any aspiring writer should start with becoming a perspiring writer.

Write! Write a lot. Write different things. Write ideas. Write dialogs. Write scen…moreAny aspiring writer should start with becoming a perspiring writer.

Write! Write a lot. Write different things. Write ideas. Write dialogs. Write scenario descriptions. Write fictional characters' CVs. Write! An aspiring writer should focus on quantity rather than quality. Keep it simple. Keep it coming.

An aspiring soccer player does not start with analyzing the best game strategy to adopt when playing against a defensive team. An aspiring soccer player just starts kicking a ball around.

As an aspiring writer you should start kicking words around. Kick ideas. Kick dialogs. Kick scenario descriptions. Kick fictional characters.

Gradually, by writing extensively, you will gain a steady pen control. You will get a feel for your prose.

Then, take a step back and think about strategy. Think about plots. Think about style. Read a book or five on writing. Read Stephen King's On Writing. Read Stein on Writing. Look back at your texts through the eyes of those titans. Spot what you did right. Spot where you could improve.

With this experience under your belt you should be able to take the next step. Transform yourself form an aspiring writer to an accomplished writer.(less)

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How do you get inspired to write?

Börkur Sigurbjörnsson I get inspired by the buzzing life around me.

It is very rare for me to find the writing spirit while sitting at my desk. I have lived in a wide range…moreI get inspired by the buzzing life around me.

It is very rare for me to find the writing spirit while sitting at my desk. I have lived in a wide range of houses and apartments, in six countries and across two continents. Everywhere I am, I get most of my inspiration from outside of the walls of the places I call home.

I've had some of my best ideas while walking along the canals of Amsterdam, in the hills of Tibidabo, along the Thames, in the mountains of Iceland and while floating in the ocean off the coast of Uruguay.

My most fluent writing also takes place outside the home. I write in the squares of Barcelona, in London pubs and in cafés when in Reykjavík and Montevideo.

Planes, trains and buses are also among my favorite environments where I find it easy generate prose. Movement gets my stories going.

Most of the time I bring the characters with me to the place of writing, but sometimes I grab them from the scene, from the next table or as they make their way across the square in front of me.

But, despite the abundant external influence, the core of my inspiration comes from within, from my own memories and experiences, fueled by my own feelings.(less)

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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson’s books

Average rating: 4.31 · 32 ratings · 7 reviews · 6 distinct works

	999 Abroad 4.25 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2012 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Businessman Who Gave His Guitar Away 4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Talk to Strangers 4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Flash 52 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ljóðmyndir it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Among Other Things 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson's Blog

Among Other Things

Among Other Things in an illustrated flash fiction collection by the Icelandic fiction writer Börkur Sigurbjörnsson. The collection touches on a wide variety of subjects dear to the author over the past few years, including among other things, anxiety, interpersonal interactions, nature, introversion, dogs and supernatural forces.

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Published on June 27, 2024 02:47

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Börkur is Currently Reading

Börkur Sigurbjörnsson is currently reading

L'île Mystérieuse

by Jules Verne

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Oct 10, 2026 11:35AM

Börkur Sigurbjörnsson is currently reading

Seeing

by José Saramago

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Aug 23, 2026 12:20PM

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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson is currently reading L'île Mystérieuse by Jules Verne	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 10, 2026 11:35AM · like
Börkur Sigurbjörnsson rated a book really liked it The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 10, 2026 06:10AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Börkur Sigurbjörnsson rated a book really liked it A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson rated a book liked it The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 26, 2026 08:55AM · like
Börkur Sigurbjörnsson did not finish Building AI Agents with LLMs, RAG, and Knowledge Graphs: A practical guide to autonomous and modern AI agents by Salvatore Raieli	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson wants to read How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson rated a book it was ok Icarus 17 (Box 88) by Charles Cumming	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 10, 2026 02:24PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Icarus 17 by Charles Cumming. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Icarus 17 by Charles Cumming <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Börkur Sigurbjörnsson wants to read The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 08, 2026 02:11PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Börkur Sigurbjörnsson wants to read Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Nonfiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Börkur Sigurbjörnsson is currently reading Icarus 17 (Box 88) by Charles Cumming	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 08, 2026 02:10PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Icarus 17 by Charles Cumming. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Icarus 17 by Charles Cumming <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">