The second Icelander who receives the prize

Sigurbjörg Alma Ingólfsdóttir, known as Siddy Holloway, was awarded on May 20, as the Nordic Cohabitant of the Year from Coscan, the Nordic Association in the United Kingdom. She is the second Icelander to receive the award, but Víkingur Ólafsson, pianist, received the award in 2023.

Among the previous award winners are Norwegian chess champion Magnus Carlsen, Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang, Swedish diplomat Hans Blix, Swedish charity Lisbet Rausting, television woman Sand Toksvig and Norwegian crime scholar Jo Nesbö.

The prize awarded in the Icelandic Embassy

The Icelandic Embassy in London posted a post on the Facebook page of the office stating that Sigurbjörg, or Siddy, has received the award for its contribution, as a historian and presents, for dissemination to the public in the history of London and the many hidden hooks and the city of the city. Siddy is the director of « Hidden London » as well as being a writer and director.

The recognition was awarded at the reception held by Ambassador Sturla Sigurjónsson in the Icelandic Embassy in London. Nick Archer, chairman of Coscan, presented the award.

Says a great honor

Siddy says it has come as a surprise when she heard that she received the award this time.

« You always find it strange when you get recognition of something, especially when it is connected to Iceland and the Nordic countries, you have lived in the UK for so long, » says Siddy, who moved to the UK in 2010.

« The ceremony was just pink and sincere as the members of Coscan and the ambassador were present and my mom and dad flew from Iceland to join. It was a great honor and fun to get this recognition. »

« It was just a lot of fun »

Siddy says it is fun to be able to lead a good lead as an Icelander in the UK and the prize assumes that they will receive a person of a Nordic rock who has broken their work with his work has attracted warm feelings of the British in the Nordic countries.

« It was just a lot of fun, especially after the last six years where there has been an incredible amount to do with me, this has been a really big roller coaster. It’s so funny that you don’t understand what you have done a lot and people notice it except when it comes to something like that, so it’s just a good thing.

Had to find an English surname

Asked about the artist name Siddy Holloway, she says she has always been called Siddý and is called it by everyone who knows her. Regarding the surname, Siddy says it has been the case when she graduated from a drama school for actors who came from the Nordic countries and had a Nordic name that they would not get trials except change the last name.

« This is incredibly boring because today it is completely changed. It doesn’t matter what your name is and no one would pile on it now, but this was quite an example for thirteen years ago, » says Siddy, but her agent at that time suggested she would find her English surname.

« I found it naturally incredibly difficult because it is somehow so absurd thought to find a last name. So one day I was on my way home to me and I went through the Holloway Road Station.

At this time, Siddy had not started to consider work related to London’s underground stations, saying this may have been some kind of fate.

Siddy has written 24 tours for Hidden London and published a book on the subway system in 2019. Subsequently, the television shows « Secrets of the London Underground » came. Four series, or 36 episodes have been shown since 2021.