Karen Lilja is an Icelandic historian and lives in Canada while completing her Ph.D. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Iceland in 2019, and a master’s degree in history from Queen’s University in the summer of 2021. In her bachelor thesis she researched Iceland's position regarding the NATO military intervention in the Libyan civil war. In her master’s cognate she explored the Allied occupation of Iceland in the Second World War with particular emphasis on Canada’s role in the occupation under the supervision of Dr. Allan English. In her Ph.D. work she is exploring Canada’s participation in the occupation with regards to Icelandic social history of the Second World War. She particularly researches the Canadian soldiers who were stationed in Iceland, their projects, pastimes, and relationships with Icelanders. In her free time she enjoys crocheting, hiking, travelling, and cooking.
