Katrín Jakobsdóttir

Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Chair of the Left-Green Movement
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 February 2013
Preceded by	Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
Minister of Education, Science and Culture
In office 2 February 2009 – 23 May 2013
Prime Minister	Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Preceded by	Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir
Succeeded by	Illugi Gunnarsson
Personal details
Born	(1976-02-01) 1 February 1976 Reykjavík, Iceland
Political party	Left-Green Movement
Spouse(s)	Gunnar Örn Sigvaldason
Children	3 sons
Alma mater	University of Iceland

Katrín Jakobsdóttir (pronounced [ˈkʰaːtʰrin ˈjaːkʰɔpstouhtɪr]) (born 1 February 1976 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic politician and a member of the Althing (Iceland's parliament) for the Reykjavík North constituency since 2007. She became deputy chairperson of the Left-Green Movement in 2003 and has been their chairperson since 2013. Katrín was Iceland's Minister of Education, Science and Culture.^[1] from 2 February 2009 to 23 May 2013, and Minister of Nordic Co-operation 2009-2013.

Education and professional life

Katrín graduated from the University of Iceland in 1999 with a bachelor degree with a major in Icelandic and minor in French. She received her M.A. in Icelandic Literature from the same university in 2004 for a dissertation on the work of popular Icelandic crime writer Arnaldur Indriðason.

She worked part-time as a language adviser at the news agency at public broadcaster RÚV 1999-2003. She then freelanced for broadcast media and wrote for a variety of print media from 2004 to 2006, as well as being an instructor in lifelong learning and leisure at the Mímir School 2004-2007. Editorial work for the publishing company Edda and magazine JPV 2005-2006. Lecturer at the University of Iceland, Reykjavík University and Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík 2006-2007.

Family

Katrín is married to Gunnar Örn Sigvaldason and the mother of three sons (born 2005, 2007 and 2011). She hails from a family which has produced many prominent people in Icelandic politics, academia and literature. She is the younger sister of twin brothers Ármann Jakobsson and Sverrir Jakobsson, who are both professors in the humanities at the University of Iceland. Katrín is the great-granddaughter of the politician and judge Skúli Thoroddsen and the poet Theódóra Thoroddsen, and granddaughter of the engineer and MP Sigurður S. Thoroddsen. The poet Dagur Sigurðarson is her maternal uncle.

References

External links

• Nordic Labour Journal: Katrín Jakobsdóttir - party leader during times of change