Helgi Hallgrímsson recipient of Icelandic Literary Prize
 
     Scientist and scholar  Helgi Hallgrímsson is the proud recipient of the  2011 Icelandi Literary Prize - category eruditional writings - for his "Sveppabókin", "The Book of Mushrooms". The publication - which appeared last autumn - is the result of decades of research and hard work and covers most data relating to mushrooms in Iceland; edible as well as poisonous ones. It relates the cultivation of mushrooms for culinary purposes and recounts the history of mushroom research in the country. The different species receive a detailed description through text and illustrations alike. In addition to personal research the author bases his writings on the conclusions of various scientists in the field.

Helgi Hallgrímsson, (b.1935), has a versatile background as a natural scientist particularly in the field of water flora an fauna and the realm of mushrooms. He is the author of various writings on these topics. A biologist with botany as speciality from the universities of Göttingen and Hamburg 1955–1963 he was operational as a teacher 1957–1969. Helgi was spearheaded the Akureyri Natural History Museum in 1964–1987  and was head of the Katla Research Centre in Árskógsströnd 1970–1976.
He has been active in natural resarch and conservation for a number of years, founder, editor and board member of various magazines on natural reaserch and historical topics for a number of years.