Andri Snær Magnason Keynote Speaker

Award-winning Icelandic author and environmental advocate
Recipient of Icelandic Literary Award in all categories
Author of On Time and Water, currently being developed as a Nat Geo documentary

Andri Snær Magnason's Biography

Andri Snær Magnason is a globally acclaimed Icelandic writer and documentary filmmaker whose work spans poetry, non-fiction, children’s literature, science fiction, theatre, and film. Born in Reykjavík in 1973, he is the only author to win the Icelandic Literary Prize in every category. His books have been published in over 40 languages, and his one-man show at the City Theater in Reykjavík played to sold-out audiences.

Magnason rose to international prominence in 2019 when he authored the memorial text for Ok glacier, the first Icelandic glacier lost to climate change. His award-winning book On Time and Water—an exploration of climate science, mythology, and personal history—has been translated into more than 30 languages. The book is currently being adapted into a documentary by Oscar-nominated Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) and Oscar-winner Shane Boris (Navalny), for National Geographic.

He has appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary Inside Job and directed several of his own films, including Dreamland (IDFA 2009), The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole (CPH:DOX 2021), and Apausalypse (CPH:DOX 2021). His fiction work LoveStar earned him a Philip K. Dick honorary mention in the US, and he has received major international prizes including the Tiziano Terzani Award (Italy), the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France), and the Water for Life Award (Italy).

A frequent keynote speaker, Magnason has addressed global audiences at major events including the PMAC medical conference in Bangkok (2023) and the SMI at Hampton Court Palace (2025). His collaborators include artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Ryuichi Sakamoto, and architect Bjarke Ingels. He continues to champion the intersection of science, culture, and storytelling to confront the most urgent challenges of our time.

The Urgency of Climate Change and Glacier Loss

Merging Science, Mythology, and Storytelling

Innovative Approaches to Sustainability and Design

Lessons in Cultural and Environmental Preservation

Inspiring Intergenerational Collaboration and Action

He is a globally acclaimed Icelandic writer and filmmaker whose work has reached audiences in over 40 languages, bringing rare cultural authority and narrative power to conversations on climate, society and the future.
He translates complex climate science into human-scale meaning through landmark work like On Time and Water and the Ok glacier memorial text, helping leaders communicate urgency with clarity, empathy and credibility.
He connects science, mythology and personal history to make long-term risk emotionally intelligible, equipping audiences to move from abstract data to decisions that stand up to scrutiny and time.
He brings world-class creative credibility through award-winning books, films and major international collaborations, offering organisations a distinctive perspective on how culture shapes public trust and collective action.
He delivers keynote talks that blend artistic storytelling with intellectual rigor, leaving audiences with renewed perspective and practical language to lead through uncertainty and accelerate meaningful change.