For a long time most noted as an experimental poet, he has recently also come to prominence as one of Iceland's foremost prose writers.

[1] By Eiríkur's account he committed to a career as a writer around 2000, though he has necessarily often found an income through a wide range of other jobs, experiencing some periods of considerable hardship.

[2] He lived in Berlin from around 2002-4,[2] and over the next ten years in various northern European countries, most prominently in Helsinki (c. 2006-9) and Oulu (c.

His poetry-animation Höpöhöpö Böks received an Honorable Mention in 2010 at the Zebra Poetry Film Festival Berlin.

[8] Eiríkur Örn is best known internationally for his poetry, much of which is sound-poetry or multi-media, and which he performs widely.