danish literary magazine

THE DANISH ARTS FOUNDATION
DANISH LITER ARY MAGA ZINE
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY
Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Literary Project Funding
www.danisharts.dk
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Annette Bach
[email protected]
EDITOR
Lars Sidenius
[email protected]
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Søren Beltoft
[email protected]
Jeppe Naur Jensen
[email protected]
TEXT
Sara Ejersbo Frederiksen
TRANSLATION
Paul Larkin
DESIGN
NR2154
CONTACT US
Danish Agency for Culture / Literature
H.C. Andersens Boulevard 2
1553 Copenhagen V
Denmark
Tel. +45 3373 3373
[email protected]
2
WELCOME
Welcome to the first edition of the Danish Arts
In this issue, we feature books for tiny tots, picture
Foundation’s new publication, Danish Literary
books, reading aloud, novels, digital literature, reading
Magazine – Children and Young Adults. The magazine
alone for new readers, award winners, trendsetters,
focuses on a genre that has surged forward recently
debuts and illustrators. In other words: a selection
– Danish children’s and young adults’ literature. The
of some of the most important publications, and the
magazine provides an overview of the latest children’s
people behind them, from recent years, which will
literature trends in Denmark and a platform for some
hopefully open a window onto literature for Danish
of the most noteworthy publications. Here you will not
children and young adults – and inspire a desire for
only get to know the authors and illustrators a lot better
much more.
but also get information about the different means of
support the Danish Arts Foundation can offer.
Annette Bach
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
KIM FUPZ AAKESON
BOOKS IN BRIEF
RECENTLY SOLD
KENNETH BØGH ANDERSEN
READING ALONE / DIGITAL LITERATURE
METTE FINDERUP
IT’S A ‘SERIES’ THING!
JESPER WUNG-SUNG
AWARDS
SUPPORT SCHEMES
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18
20
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DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
U
O
H
R
E
POW
OF CHILDRE
LITERATUR
With more than 100 children’s
books behind him – and more
on the way – Kim Fupz Aakeson
is one of the most productive
authors in Denmark.
Kim Fupz Aakeson doesn’t just
deliver great stories and high quality
writing (testified by a glut of awards);
his authorship also demonstrates
an incredible breadth of vision. This
can particularly be seen in his more
recent work, which goes from fun
picture books with happy endings
to the rough and ready teen-novel
Pragtfuld, pragtfuldt! (Excellent. Just
Excellent!)
After Morten’s mother drinks
herself to death, his father suddenly
decides Morten should get his act
together and fix the car that’s been
left under a tarpaulin since his dad
gave it to him as a confirmation
gift. Gradually, as Morten fixes it up
and becomes a skilled mechanic,
he finds a role in life and the
2
USE
EN’S
RE
KIM FUPZ AAKESON
‘His books have truly become modern classics for children,
and his skewed and humorous children’s tales always
cleave to the child’s experience of the world. There’s an
abiding feeling of empathy there, I feel. At the same time,
his portrayals of adults are so realistic that, if you dare,
you will recognise yourself ...’ (LITTERATURSIDEN).
A few days after he said the car should be fixed up, I went out to the
garage, dragged off the tarpaulin and stood looking at it. It was just as I
remembered. I picked at the wing-mirror. It was quite loose; the chromeplating was all peeled and covered in rust patches.
‘Excellent. Just excellent!’ said the Polack behind me. He was standing
at the entrance, nodding away. He always wore overalls.
I shrugged my shoulders and said nothing.
Polack said: ‘You send car to Poland and get lovely car back. Nobody do
those cars here.’
‘I think my dad thinks I should do it myself.’
Extract from PRAGTFULDT, PRAGTFULDT! (EXCELLENT. JUST EXCELLENT!)
Pragtfuldt, pragtfuldt! (Excellent. Just Excellent!)
Gyldendal 2015, 160 pages. FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group Agency, Jenny Thor:
[email protected]. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO: More than 10 countries.
courage to stand up to his father.
Especially when his father, who
doesn’t do empathy and often just
lets his hands do the talking, does
something completely unforgivable
during a row with the Polish garage
assistant, a man his father never
called anything but ‘Polack’. This
alters balance of power between
father and son and paves the
way to a new relationship. The
narrative in Pragtfuld, pragtfuldt!
is unflinching in its portrayal of its
main characters and garage life
in the provinces. It creeps almost
imperceptibly under the skin of the
reader. As Information’s reviewer
puts it: ‘There’s so much good to say
about this book, but the rationale
is the key. There’s no analytical
distance in Kim Fupz Aakeson’s
portrayal of this environment . He
sees it, and we see it, through the
eyes of the child, and everything the
adults do thereby makes sense. We
are forced to define normality. Scary
thought.’
However, the tone is a lot lighter in
the latest instalment of the hugely
popular Vitello picture book series,
Vitello gør en god gerning (Vitello
Does a Good Deed). Vitello’s friend
has joined the scouts, and when
Vitello hears that scouts get a knife
he wants to join too. To speed things
up, he cracks on with some good
deeds, as he’s heard scouts do that
kind of thing. But as usual, there’s
no guarantee that adults will see
the good in Vitello’s deeds. The book
won the 2014 Orla Award. The Orla
Award is the children’s own literary
award, the children are selecting,
nominating and voting for titles.
Kim Fupz Aakeson (born 1958)
won the 2011 Ministry of Culture
children’s books prize for his short
story collection, Jeg begyndte sådan
set bare at gå (I Just Sort of Started
Walking), and his picture book
Søndag (Sunday) was nominated for
the 2013 Nordic Council Children’s
and Young People’s Literature
Prize. His many fans eagerly await
his next picture book Heks (Witch)
about a boy who is the only one who
can see that his dad’s new partner
is a witch. He’s an only child and has
to save his dad from the foul woman
– easier said than done. And maybe
she’s not all bad...
3
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
BOOKS IN BRIEF
EXTENDED ADVENTURE
FOR MIMBO JIMBO
‘Extremely habit forming.’ That’s how
Politiken describes the tenth, bumpersized edition of Mimbo Jimbo, the
highly popular series for tiny tots.
This time, the delightful blue elephant
and his friends set off to find where
spring disappeared to! Not only do
they have to save their icebound
friends but they also need to discover
where those huge footprints in the
snow came from. A great adventure
for Mimbo Jimbo and his friends.
Author and illustrator Jakob Martin
Strid (born 1972) has won many
awards, including the the Danish
Ministry of Culture’s Illustrated
Children’s Book Prize 2009, and
Gyldendal’s 2012 children’s book
prize. He’s also written much-loved
works like Lille frø (Little Frog) and
Den utrolige historie om den kæmpestore
pære (The Incredible Story of the
Giant Pear).
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JAKOB MARTIN STRID
Mimbo Jimbo og den lange vinter (Mimbo Jimbo and the Long Winter)
Gyldendal 2014, 120 pages. TARGET GROUP: 2+. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Gyldendal Group Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@gyldendalgroupagency.
dk. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO: More than 20 countries.
BOOKS IN BRIEF / FOR TINY TOTS
Det er sommer, Lille Krokodille
er på stranden. Han er meget sulten,
men han hader makrel og tomat.
Han vil meget hellere have en is.
Birde Poulsen
Lille Krokodille er sulten
A TROLL WITH
A BALL AND
A GREAT FRIEND
NOT-SO-EVERYDAY
ADVENTURES
er sulten
Birde Poulsen
‘Look after it,’ says the little red troll
when the yellow snail asks to borrow
his blue ball. But the little snail
isn’t Agreat at looking after things.
B
C
Suddenly,
the ball’s gone. What
forlag
A
now? Luckily, some things are more CB
important than toys.
94174_cover_krokodille er sulten_.indd 1
Author and illustrator Dorte
Karrebæk (born 1946) has
written or illustrated almost 200
children’s books in her career and
won countless awards, including
the Danish Ministry of Culture’s
Illustrated Children’s Book Prize. She
has also made the IBBY honours list
and won many nominations for the
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award,
including in 2015.
11-03-2013 14:40:17
BIRDE POULSEN
Lille krokodille er sulten
(Little Crocodile is Hungry)
ABC Forlag, 2013, 32 pages. TARGET GROUP:
1 - 5. FOREIGN RIGHTS: ABC Forlaget, Stine
Bohn Caspersen: [email protected]. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO: Belgium, China, the Faroe
Islands, Sweden
Ib feels a bit sorry for the anteater. It
has to eat how many ants to get full?
‘Don’t feed the animals,’ says the
zookeeper. But that’s not what Ib is
thinking; he’s thinking he should feed
the ants, so they get bigger! Like the
other books in the series, number 13
takes a familiar scene then switches
things around, with a charming,
lovely logic.
In addition to the popular Ib series,
author Peter Nordahl (born 1960) is
known for his theatre work.
SIMPLE STORY,
BIG DRAMA
Illustrator Rasmus Bregnhøi (born
1965) won the Danish Ministry of
Culture’s Illustrated Children’s Book
Prize 2008 and has illustrated more
than 100 children’s books. He has
also exhibited in Copenhagen, Nuuk,
Tokyo, Tallinn, Bratislava, Moscow,
Venice, Mexico City and New York.
Little Crocodile is really hungry, but
he hates eating fish. That’s until a
cheeky seagull tries to pinch his fish
supper! Suddenly, fish is better than
ice-cream.
PETER NORDAHL
This is the eighth book in the highly
popular series. Little Crocodile is
always very sweet but kind of likes
to get his own way – lots of kids will
know the feeling!
Illustrated by Rasmus Bregnhøi
Ib fodrer myrerne (Ib Feeds the Ants)
Gyldendal 2014, 28 pages. TARGET
GROUP: 3 - 5. FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal
Group Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@
gyldendalgroupagency.dk.
Birde Poulsen (born 1953) had her first
picture book published in 1985 and
won the Danish Ministry of Culture’s
Illustrated Children’s Book Prize 1998.
She now has 70 titles to her name.
DORTE KARREBÆK
Den lille røde trold (The Little Red Troll)
Gyldendal 2015, 32 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group Agency,
Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@gyldendalgroupagency.
dk. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO: Belgium,
Germany, South Korea, Norway, Poland, Spain,
Sweden.
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DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
Her fandt hun en hasselbusk
hun samlede og samlede, til
hendes net.
CAN YOU EAT THE CAKE
IF YOU WOULDN’T HELP
MAKE IT?
A BEAUTIFUL
SEABED UNIVERSE
‘Why do you bother fishing? You
never catch anything.’ Storm’s sister
is sceptical but he has no doubt this is
his lucky day. And he’s right! The two
siblings end up on a wild adventure
in which they are pulled round the
world by a fish, find themselves in
the belly of a whale, are attacked by
a shark and have to help a fisherman
cheer his wife up before they can
return home and tuck into blackberry
pie. A weird and wonderful story,
with lovely, vibrant illustrations.
Since his 2002 debut, author and
illustrator Rasmus Juul (born 1972)
has illustrated a range of works, both
his own and that of others. As is
obvious, the sea is one of his favourite
themes.
6
When Kylle bakes a cake, her friends
say they’re too busy to help. But
when it’s ready they suddenly have
RASMUS JUUL
kylles_kage_ST.indd
17 eat it. And they can do that,
Skybrud (Cloudburst)
time to
Turbine Forlaget 2014, 36 pages. TARGET
Kylle says, on one condition. A warm
GROUP: 3 - 6. FOREIGN RIGHTS: Turbine
and funny retelling of the children’s
Forlaget, Marie Jensby: marie.jensby@turbine.
dk. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO: South Korea,
classic with beautiful and detailed
Sweden
illustrations. And if you get the
munchies after reading it, the recipe
for Kylle’s cake is at the back of the
book!
Author Tove Krebs Lange (born
1955) is a trained illustrator and has
worked freelance since 1983. She
has also written the texts for several
books (as she has done here) and held
image interpretation workshops both
in Denmark and abroad.
Illustrator Bente Bech (born 1956)
is a graduate of the Danish School
of Design. She debuted in 1990 and
shortly afterwards won the Danish
Ministry of Culture’s Illustrated
Children’s Book Prize.
k, der var fuld af nødder, og
l der ikke kunne være flere i
BOOKS IN BRIEF / PICTURE BOOKS
LOVE IS HUGE.
BUT CAN IT BE SHARED?
Snitten loves her mum so much she
can’t bear sharing her with anyone
else. But that’s exactly what he must
do when she falls in love and – bang!
– there’s a man with his shoes off
in the middle of the sitting room.
Thankfully, it all turns out well in the
end. As Politiken’s reviewer put it, this
is ‘a genuine fairy tale about love and
how you don’t have to cut it up in
segments to share it. It just grows.’
Author Hella Joof (born 1962) is
best known as an actor in a range
of children’s programmes and more
recently as a film director. This is her
debut as an author.
Tove Krebs Lange • Bente Bech
Illustrator Cato Thau-Jensen (born
1966) trained as a graphic artist and
illustrator. He debuted as an illustrator
in 1995 and has since won several
literary awards, including the Danish
Ministry of Culture’s Illustrated
Children’s Book Prize 2002.
HELLA JOOF
Illustrated by Cato Thau-Jensen
Snitten og Kis – Frygt og bæven og en mand
i strømpesokker (Snitten and Kis – Fear and
Trembling and a Man in Socks)
Carlsen 2014, 40 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Forlaget Carlsen, Lotte
Kjeldskouv: [email protected]. PREVIOUS TITLES
SOLD TO (illustrator): Germany, Greenland,
South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden.
11/08/14 10.35
Kylles kage
Tove
Krebs
Lange
Bente
Be ch
Klematis
11/08/14 10.09
TOVE KREBS LANGE
Illustrated by Bente Bech
Kylles kage (Kylle’s Cake)
Klematis 2014, 32 pages. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Klematis, Mette Jørgensen: [email protected].
PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO (author): Finland,
Germany, Sweden. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO
(illustrator): the Netherlands, Sweden, USA.
7
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
A SUMMER NIGHT
THROUGH THE EYES
OF AN ELEPHANT
IDA JESSEN
Illustrations by Hanne Bartholin
Da Carl næsten sov i telt
(When Carl Nearly Slept in a Tent all Night)
Høst & Søn 2014, 40 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group Agency,
Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@gyldendalgroupagency.
dk. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO (author): China,
Germany South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway,
Russia, Spain, Sweden. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD
TO (illustrator): China, Finland, France, South
Korea, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK.
8
‘It’s pure, heart-warming gold. So
exquisitely and lovingly drawn and
told,’ said Politiken’s review of this
sixth and final book in the series
about Carl the elephant. This time, he
and his friend have to sleep in a tent
and Carl loves the idea. But he hears
dangerous sounding noises outside the
tent and the summer night turns out
to have much more in store for Carl
and Flora.
Author Ida Jessen (born 1964) debuted
in 1989 and has since written many
critically acclaimed books for both
children and adults. She won the
BG Bank 2006 Literature Award
and the Golden Laurels in 2010.
More recently, her 2013 short story
collection, Postkort til Annie (Postcard to
Annie) was nominated for the Nordic
Council Literature Prize.
Illustrator Hanne Bartholin (born
1962) is a trained illustrator and
graphic artist. Since her 1995 debut,
she has illustrated many popular
picture books and has also won
the Danish Ministry of Culture’s
Illustrated Children’s Book Prize 2001.
BOOKS IN BRIEF / PICTURE BOOKS
METTE VEDSØ
Illustrated by Stine Illum
Dumme Lili (Silly Lilly)
Jensen & Dalgaard 2014, 32 pages.
TARGET GROUP: 3–6 years.
FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Jensen & Dalgaard,
[email protected]
A BEAUTIFUL BOOK ABOUT
THE POWER OF THE WORD
‘Your belly’s like jelly. Your breath
smells of sour milk.’ Lili has eaten the
word ‘silly’ and now can’t stop saying
silly things. Fortunately, she meets
some adults who see she can also be
kind, patient and lots of other things.
This book shows, in a really lovely
way, how you feel when you can’t stop
being nasty, even though, deep down,
you really want to stop.
Author Mette Vedsø (born 1968)
trained as a chemist, but since her
2010 debut has been a full time writer
– and loves it. She is a graduate of
the School for Authors of Children’s
Literature.
Illustrator Stine Illum (born 1974)
trained at the Danish School of Design
and has worked as an illustrator and
graphic artist ever since. Dumme Lili
(Silly Lilly) is her picture book debut.
9
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
A SMALL BOY WITH A
HUGE IMAGINATION
CAN YOU BE HUMAN
AND A TROLL AS WELL?
‘Erik Barfoed writes in a direct and
amusing way. His pen renders heavy
and difficult subjects almost weightless,’ said Berlingske’s review of Lille
skid (The Little Twerp).
Eating small children and poor little
animals are just a few of the horrible
things humans can get up to, according
to the king of the trolls. All the little
trolls are scared stiff as they listen to
his stories, and completely believe
them – except Trunte. She doesn’t like
walking barefoot like the others, and
she has noticed that her tail doesn’t sit
right. Is she really a troll? And if the
troll king is wrong about humans, what
are they really like? An appealing and
moving story that has a real twist in
its tail.
Elias may not be that big but has a
huge imagination. He lives alone with
his mum, and the fish in his aquarium
are his best friends. He dreams about
taking revenge on the big boys who often beat him up on his way to school.
One day he meets Mujaffa, who lives
on the same landing and probably
knows a bit about revenge. Then
things start happening in Elias’ life...
Author Erik Barfoed (born 1969) is a
trained philologist and former publishing director. He debuted in 2005
with August går i glemmebogen (August
Enters the Land of the Forgotten).
Illustrator Peter Bay Alexandersen
(born 1955) trained at Kolding School
of Art and Design. He built models
and designed toys for Lego until
1985, when he began a new career as
a book illustrator, to great acclaim.
ERIK BARFOED
Illustrated by Peter Bay Alexandersen
Lille skid (Little Twerp)
Høst & Søn 2014, 115 pages.
TARGET GROUP: 6-11. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Gyldendal Group Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_
[email protected]. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO (author): Germany. South
Korea, Norway. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO
(illustrator): Australia, Germany, Iceland,
Sweden, UK, USA.
LARS DANESKOV
Illustrated by Pernille Lykkegaard
Dig og mig og lama (You, me and a Llama too)
Politiken 2015, 152 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Politiken Literary Agency,
Rudi Urban Rasmussen: rudi.u.rasmussen@
jppol.dk.
TWO KIDS, A LLAMA
AND A FISHMONGER
IN A COWBOY HAT
To get away from his irritating,
loved-up, opera-singing mum, Anton
decides to clear off and take his friend
Molly with him. On their journey,
they meet a dancing fishmonger in
pigtails and a cowboy hat, as well as a
llama that can’t spit but is full of wind.
And that’s only the start. And how
do they get home again? One thing is
certain: this third book in the Anton
and Molly series is just as hilarious as
the first two.
Illustrator Lea Letén (born 1982)
trained in IT and is an autodidact
illustrator and author. She takes her
inspiration from the moods and atmospheres that coloured her childhood,
and conjures up images and stories that
completely captivate young readers.
Author Lars Daneskov (born 1963) is
also a journalist, and a radio and TV
presenter. He made his debut as an
author in 2006 and has since written
several popular children’s books. Lars
was awarded the BMF’s children’s
book prize for the first book in this
series, Tro, håb og gorgonzola, (Faith,
Hope and Gorgonzola).
Pernille Lykkegaard has illustrated
a wide range of children’s books,
including easy reading material,
educational books and – as in this case
– books for reading aloud.
10
Author Thorstein Thomsen (born
1950) has written books for all genres
and all age groups. He has been awarded many prizes for his books, several of
which have been made into films.
THORSTEIN THOMSEN
Illustrated by Lea Letén
Pigen fra Troldehøj (The Girl from the Troll Hill)
Carlsen 2014, 154 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Forlaget Carlsen, Lotte
Kjeldskouv: [email protected]
BOOKS IN BRIEF / READING ALOUD
CLASSIC FAIRY TALES,
BEAUTIFULLY PACKAGED
In Eventyrbogen (The Book of Fairy
Tales), Peter Madsen has compiled,
illustrated and carefully adapted 25
classic fairy tales. As well as timeless
stories like Snow White and Hansel
and Gretel, Madsen includes tales that
will be new to many readers such as
Prinsessen på Glasbjerget (The Princess
on the Glass Mountain) and Soria Moria
Slot (Soria Moria Castle). He has long
dreamed of creating this enthralling
collection of fairy tales, in which text
and 175 large colour illustrations
combine to wonderful effect.
Peter Madsen (born 1958) is an
illustrator, author, filmmaker and
lecturer. His first illustrations were
published when he was just 15. Peter
is best known for the Valhalla comic
book series but he has illustrated
a large range of books, often with
mythological, fairy-tale, and spiritual
themes. He has received prestigious
domestic and foreign awards for his
work throughout his career.
PETER MADSEN
Eventyrbogen (The Book of Fairy Tales)
Alvilda, 2015, 208 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Forlaget Alvilda, Pernille
Larsen: [email protected]. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD
TO: Czech Republic, Latvia, Norway, Russia,
Spain, Sweden.
11
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
‘THE BOOK OF THE YEAR’
That was the headline for
Weekendavisen’s review of this sciencefiction thriller about 15-year-old
Emilie, who wakes from a dream
and draws a boy she’s never seen
before. To her utter shock, the same
boy and his sister join her class the
next day. What is this amazing power
she’s suddenly acquired? Thanks to
a string of mysterious coincidences,
she and four friends are with a mad
astrophysicist the same night the
Leonids meteor shower hits the
skies. An accident leaves them with
bleeding palms and paranormal
powers, including the ability to travel
through time. Their new powers will
bind them together in a life or death
struggle. And it soon transpires that it’s
not just their lives that are at stake. ‘It’s
exciting, unpredictable, great fun, and
written so vibrantly ... Even though
Leoniderne (The Leonids) is a totally
different book to Hunger Games, it
has the same brilliant, world class
potential,’ Weekendavisen concludes.
Nanna Foss (born 1985) has been
writing since childhood and this series
is her debut. She has already amas sed
a large readership, which is already
biting its nails for the next instalment.
NANNA FOSS
Spektrum: Leoniderne (Spectrum: The Leonids)
Tellerup, 2014, 514 pages. TARGET GROUP: YA.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Forlaget Tellerup, Louise
Tellerup: [email protected]
Nanna Foss
JOHN KENN MORTENSEN
De utilpassede - Et blodigt eventyr fra
udkantsdanmark (The Abandoned - A Bloody
Fable from Denmark’s Outer Edge)
Carlsen 2014, 320 pages. TARGET GROUP:
9–12. FOREIGN RIGHTS: Forlaget Carlsen, Lotte
Kjeldskouv: [email protected]. PREVIOUS TITLES
SOLD TO: France, UK, USA.
SPLATTER VAMPIRES
ROMANCE AND NORDIC
FOLK LEGENDS
‘... Elverskud (Elf-Bane) plays the
same intoxicating strings as all classic
young adult books. Its mixture of
fantasy and the tension between
teenage girls and bold, daring boys
sucks the reader in,’ Weekendavisen’s
reviewer wrote of the first instalment
of Nicole Boyles Rødtnes’ trilogy.
Here we meet three elf-girls who must
dance in public once a month to get
their life-energy and survive. The
books are set in a realistic present,
and include issues like sibling rivalry
and problems with boys, but at the
same time they draw on folk legends
with a river god and elf-maidens
whose dance can lure people to their
deaths.
Nicole Boyles Rødtnes (born 1985)
trained at the Author College for
Children’s Literature and holds
a master’s degree in Danish. She
teaches writing skills and is also a
very popular lecturer. She debuted in
2010 and has since written a range of
acclaimed titles.
NICOLE BOYLES RØDTNES
spektrum
Leoniderne
+
12
BOOKS IN BRIEF / NOVELS
Elverskud 3: Skyggehævn (Elf-Bane 3: Vengeful
Shadows)
Alvilda, 2014, 264 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Forlaget Alvilda, Pernille
Larsen: [email protected]. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD
TO: Germany
‘A perfect book if you are into loads
of gore and excitement with crude
humour.’ That’s how Weekendavisen’s
reviewer puts it, so fans of modern
day eternally love-struck vampires
can’t say they weren’t warned!
There’s a totally different type of
vampire lurking about on the island
of Lolland, a place described in
the book as ‘an unflushed turd still
sloshing around at the arse-end of
Denmark’. At the book’s start, they’ve
just slaughtered a village hall full of
adults; then local youngsters start
their frantic hunt for these ghoulish,
blood-craving adult vampires.
John Kenn Mortensen (b. 1978)
makes his debut with this book, but
has previously illustrated popular
post-it monsters. As well as being an
author and illustrator, he writes and
directs children’s TV programmes.
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PONYGÅRDEN
LAURA & MARIA FROM
@HAIRANDNAILSINSPIRATION
Fletninger (Plaits and Braids – A step-by-step guide)
During a teacher lockout in 2013, two bored 14-year-old
girls came up with the idea of posting some plaiting ideas
on the web. It was an instant hit and in no time, Laura and
Maria had more than 100,000 Instagram followers. Now
they’ve written a gorgeously illustrated book of brilliant
new plaiting styles. As the pair explain, it’s something
anyone (with enough hair) can do and you don’t need
much to get started – just a bit of patience. The book
crowned the best seller list in Denmark in no time plait!
13
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
JANNE TELLER
Hvis der var krig i Norden (War, What If?)
HVIS DER VAR KRIG
R E NI NG E N
I NORDEN
‘At last – a vital book!’ said France’s Le Monde of Janne
Teller’s sober, unflinching portrayal of life as a refugee. In
intense detail, it forces you to face up to the experience of
refugee life. The book is adapted to suit each language into
which its translated so that its powerful effect is retained.
Janne Teller has won a wide range of international author
awards in France, Germany, the USA and elsewhere.
SCHIBSTED
JAKOB MARTIN STRID
MIMBO JIMBO OG DEN
LANGE VINTER
GYLDENDAL
AAMAND & KIERTZNER
OMAR, BRUNO OG MUSSA
GØR ALLE GLADE
MANGSCHOU
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DTV
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BEDSTEFARS
FORTÆLLINGER OM DYR
STABENFELDT
CAMILLA WANDAHL
HAVETS TÅRE
HONG KONG
COTTON TREE
ZENIA JOHNSON
HUNDEN DER IKKE TROEDE
PÅ OP
COTTON TREE
KAMILLA SLOCINSKA
PELLE PELLE SANTANA OG
ØERNE
ICELAND
BOKADEITAN
KENNETH BØGH ANDERSEN
DØDENS TERNING
JAPAN
BUNKA
LAURA ARNESEN
& MARIE WIVEL
FLETNINGER
14
STABENFELDT
INA BRUHN
SOFIE & ALVAR. HESTENE PÅ
PONYGÅRDEN
LATVIA
ZVAIGZNE
FRÖDIN&KNUTZON
LILLE ALLAN DEN
MENNESKELIGE ANTENNE
MEXICO
HANSER VERLAG
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ALT
PLOEGSMA
KENNETH BØGH ANDERSEN
ANTBOY II. OPERATIONS
SKÆBNESPIL
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WORLD EDITIONS
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HVIS DER VAR KRIG I
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ALLER FORLAG
CLAVIS UITGIVERRIJ
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& MARIE WIVEL
FLETNINGER
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SKOLEN
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ZOMBIE CITY 1
DE GEUS (WORLD EDITION)
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NORDEN
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ZOMBIE CITY 2
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& MARIE WIVEL
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UNITED STATES
SIMON & SCHUSTER
JANNE TELLER
HVIS DER VAR KRIG I
NORDEN
SIMON & SCHUSTER
JANNE TELLER
HVIS DER VAR KRIG I
NORDEN
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DEN UTROLIGE HISTORIE OM
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BENNI BØDKER
Zombie City 1–4 (Zombie City 1–4)
‘Benni Bødker has done it again! [...] Even the most
demanding bookworm would have to admit he was
gripped from start to finish’ said a review in Børn &
Bøger. No gory detail is spared in the text or illustrations
in this zombie series about Chris, who’s hiding in a
bunker, thinking he’s alone – until he discovers that
hordes of the living dead are coming his way ...
15
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
A E
H
R
E
P
F
U
S
VA
‘Who can get boys reading again?’
That was the question raised by the
Danish Ministry of Education some
years ago. The answer, it turns out,
was Kenneth Bøgh Andersen.
Kenneth Bøgh Andersen (born
1976) has hit the bull’s-eye: a
plethora of awards, high sales
figures and a filmed book series
leave no doubt about that. When
Danish boys aged 10–14 are asked
what they like to read, he always
gets a name check.
Andersen is into fantasy and
horror, not to mention good stories
that have something to say. The
final volume of his popular six-part
superhero series, Antboy, about
a boy who develops superpowers
after being bitten by an ant, has
now been published, but the
second Antboy film has only
just been released and, like the
first, has won a Robert for best
children’s film. The film has been
picked up in the USA, where the
first film was also a great success,
and Antboy 2 – Den røde furies
hævn (Antboy 2 – The Revenge
of the Red Furies) has been
selected to compete at the Berlin
International Film Festival.
Andersen followed Antboy with
another popular subject, Father
Christmas. With little regard for
16
the usually saccharine Christmas
book genre, he sends Santa to a
horrible death in Julemandens død
(The Murder of Father Christmas),
with no messing about – he’s killed
on page one. From then on it’s a
helter-skelter journey in which
twins Katrine and Frederik and
their friend Jesper get a visit from
an elf who begs them to help stop
a sequence of events set in train
by the murder. If they don’t act, the
world will end. The three friends
are in for plenty of excitement in
this non-traditional Christmas
story that can be read the whole
year round. Berlingske’s reviewer
was ecstatic: ‘Julemandens død
(The Murder of Father Christmas)
shows us there are no limits to
KENNETH BØGH ANDERSEN
O
R
E OM
FR Y
B
L
A
‘Sure, there needs to be both humour and
suspense, but if it’s just a formula to prop
up a character storyline, it’s not going
to work. The various ingredients have
to be blended to create a complete dish,
otherwise it’s like serving liver with sugar
on top. I’m not interested in writing that
kind of thing, and I think children see
right through it as well.’
”Ah shit Victor, you clown!”
Casper roared, putting his head
in his hands. ”Come on, throw
it! Throw the ball man! What the
fuck are you at?”
Instead of throwing the ball
back to the server, Victor took
the watch out of his pocket. Calm
as you like. As if he had all the
time in the world. Which in a
way was totally wrong. Everyone
stared at him, and a confused
murmur arose. ”What the hell is
he doing?”
Smiling, Victor met their gaze
full on.
”I’m just gonna play an extra
round,” he said, as he turned back
the minute hand. Moments later,
the ball was served, hit again,
and flew high and long directly at
Victor. This time he caught it, no
problem.
A few of them clapped. ”Way
to go, Victor!”
”One out,” Casper shouted.
But soon three were out – all
caught by Victor – and this here
… This was the best sports session
ever!
Extract from TEMPUS FUGIT
(TEMPUS FUGIT)
(KENNETH BØGH ANDERSEN).
how gruesome a Christmas story
can be. Well written, humorous.
Just fantastic.’
Now, with Tempus Fugit, Andersen
has returned to some of his
favourite themes: bullying, tense
action and the supernatural are
elegantly woven together in a
story about unpopular Victor, who
finds a watch that can screw time
backwards by an hour. Suddenly,
he has the ability to keep changing
the sequence of events until he
gets the result he wants. Before
long, he’s popular at school and
brilliant at all subjects. But
messing with time for your own
benefit has consequences and
with all that power it’s not easy to
keep a grip on yourself. Victor ends
up way out of his depth, and there’s
no guarantee he can get back to
safe waters.
Tempus Fugit
Høst & Søn 2014. 80 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group
Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@
gyldendalgroupagency.dk. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO: More than 10 countries.
17
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
READING ALONE
A g n es
M i k ke l
‘THE NOBEL PRIZE
BECKONS!’
So said Politiken in an ecstatic
review of this series, which
follows four children and their
experiences in the Garden Quarter.
The Berlingske reviewer was
equally impressed: ‘Big concepts
in small packages; a celebration of
childhood and fantasy’. In this 10th
book in the series, it’s Shrovetide
and Lara announces she wants a
divorce because that’s what her
parents just did. Her friends try
their best to cheer her up, but it’s
only when they visit Ursula the
Bike and she gives Lara binoculars
so she can see right over to her
dad’s new house that her mood
start to lift.
Author Dy Plambeck (b. 1980)
graduated from The Danish
Academy of Creative Writing in
2004 and debuted in 2005. She
has won a number of awards and
widespread acclaim as one of the
most talented and original authors
of her generation.
Illustrator Charlotte Pardi (b. 1971)
trained at Kolding School of Art
and Design. Since her 2000 debut,
she was cited on the Ministry of
Culture’s Illustrator Awards ‘Roll
of Honour’ in 2000 and 2002,
and participated in the Censored
Illustrator exhibition in Bologna
and Tokyo in 2003 and 2010.
18
is a collaboration between two
of Denmark’s most talented and
experienced children’s literature
creators.
L ara
DY PLAMBECK
o
T bi a
s
Illustrated by Charlotte Pardi
Os fra Blomsterkvarteret 10 – Den dag Laras
forældre blev skilt (The Garden Quarter Friends
10 – The Day Lara’s Parents Divorced)
Danish Teachers Association Press 2014, 40
pages. TARGET GROUP: 9+. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Dansklærerforeningens Forlag, Ane Olsen:
[email protected]. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD
TO (author): Norway, Sweden. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO (illustrator): China, the Faroe
Islands, Germany, Japan, Norway, Russia, Spain,
Sweden, Taiwan, USA
COMPELLING
TALENTS COMBINE
TO GREAT EFFECT
Hugo doesn’t see so well. He’s
almost blind, in fact. So how is
he to know the dog he gets from
the animal refuge is actually an
elephant? Not that it makes much
difference; Hugo and Holger are
already bosom buddies. In Hugo
og Holger på koloni (Hugo and
Holger at the Camping Site), they
go off to share a tent with some
other children. Here they meet Pì,
whom Hugo takes a shine to, but
she’s less impressed with Holger.
‘Has the elephant got to be here
too?’ she asks one evening. And it
does. Because when push comes to
shove, best friends beat romance.
This delightful series about Hugo
and Holger, now on its fifth book,
Author Oscar K. (b. 1950) trained
in philosophy, theology, literature
and languages. But he’s best known
for his work in Danish children’s
literature, which inter alia won him
a nomination for a Nordic Council
Literature Prize in 2013 (children
and youth).
Illustrator Teddy Kristiansen
(b. 1964) is an internationally
renowned comic book creator who
won the prestigious Eisner Award
in 2005. In Denmark, he has also
„Kunne
vi ikke lige
så godt være books.
illustrated
various
children’s
kærester?“ hviskede Pí til Hugo.
Det kunne de da godt, tænkte
Hugo og rødmede.
94213_hugo koloni_.indd 17
OSCAR K.
03-07-2013 09:24:46
Illustrated by Teddy Kristiansen
Hugo og Holger på koloni
(Hugo and Holger at the Camping Site)
Gyldendal Educational 2013, 32 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Uddannelse,
Merete Ross: [email protected]
PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO (author): Chile,
France, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden.
PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO (illustrator): Brazil,
Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway,
Spain, Sweden, USA.
DIGITAL LITERATURE / READING ALONE
DIGITAL LITERATURE
‘SETS COMPLETELY
NEW STANDARDS FOR
DIGITAL CHILDREN’S
LITERATURE’
That’s what Jyllands-Posten said
of Wuwu & Co. (Wuwu & Co.), which
it described as ‘a remarkable
digital reading experience’. The app,
which was developed for the iPad,
settles the reader in the best place
to be during the coldest winter in
2000 years, namely the Little Red
House where the story begins. Five
peculiar creatures knock on the
door but before they can be brought
inside there must be a search to
find the key. Once they’re in, you
can read their stories (or have them
read to you) by laying the iPad down.
Placing it upwards allows you to
become part of the story and help
the creatures by doing tasks, like
shaking snow and spruce cones
from a tree by wobbling the iPad.
You get to help Gregers the pig by
waking his brothers and sisters (by
shouting out loud) so they can go
to Africa. When they wake up, they
repeat what you’ve been shouting in
little pig voices! Thus, quiet reading
of the creatures’ funny, weird
stories is combined, in an engaging
and innovative way, with physical
activity. All this takes place within
the app’s own atmospheric universe,
masterfully drawn by Kamila
Slocinska. Wuwu & Co. takes the
experience of games and reading to
new heights; Weekendavisen said it
‘manages to combine the strengths
of two different genres – books and
games – into an elegant, rounded
work.’ Wuwu & Co. is an exciting
hybrid that brings together the best
of both worlds to provide a unique
digital experience.
Author Merete Pryds Helle (born
1965) graduated from The Danish
Academy of Creative Writing, where
she then taught. She debuted in
1990 with a short story collection,
Imod en anden ro (Towards a
Different Calm). Her breakthrough
novel was Fiske i livets flod (Fishing
in the River of Life) in 2000. Apart
from conventional genres like
children’s books, radio plays,
computer games, poems, essays and
crime series, Helle has written both
SMS and iPad novels. She has won
various awards and bursaries, both
nationally and internationally.
Illustrator Kamila Slocinska
(born 1981) was born in Warsaw,
but now lives in Denmark. She
graduated from the Danish School
of Design in 2009 and, with her
unique, recognisable style, she has
since worked on a large number
of artworks and exhibitions. She
debuted as a book illustrator in
2011 with Paradis (Paradise) and
won the 2013 Communication
Arts award of excellence for
her illustrations in Køteren (The
Mongrel).
MERETE PRYDS HELLE
Illustrated by Kamila Slocinska
Wuwu & Co.
Danish version: Touchbooks 2014. English
version: Step In Books 2014. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Step In Books, Aksel Køie: aksel@stepinbooks.
com. PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO (illustrator):
Germany, Hong Kong, Sweden.
19
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
“SOMETIMES IT’S HARD
TO WORK OUT
WHERE IT ALL
COMES
FROM”
Weekendavisen said:
‘The first book in the
series was a really
fantastic read. The
second was possibly
even better.’ Now the
third book in the Den
grønne ø (The Green
Island) series has been
published!
20
Mette Finderup has said that it’s
sometimes hard for her to know
where all her ideas comes from.
This is not surprising, given the
wide range of titles
she has penned
– from everyday
problems faced
by girls, battling
swordsmen, a little
scamp of a boy and
a Viking girl, brave
and strong.
been cursed by Freya, who has
sworn that all of Gyrith’s loved
ones will be taken from her. Gyrith
is sent to Ireland to start a new
life, but is drowned
in a bog as part
of a sacrificial
rite. Hjerteløs
(Heartless) begins
several years
after this event.
Gyrith’s heart no
longer beats, but
(WEEKENDAVISEN).
she finds herself
Finderup recently
in the company
published the third book in her Den
of the mysterious, underground
grønne ø (The Green Island) series,
Síthe (Shee) folk. Gyrith still loves
of which Politiken said: ‘Finderup
Balder and is fully resolved to save
is reaching the summit of Mount
him from the former slave, Kelt,
Fantasy’. A Viking girl, Gyrith, has
who has been ordered to kill him.
‘Den grønne ø
(The Green Island)
is world class.
A superb and
unusual tale.’
METTE FINDERUP
Freya, meanwhile, watches in the
background, still determined to
exact her revenge. The series won
the 2014 School Libraries author
prize. The fourth and final book in
the series is keenly awaited.
In Ingen vej tilbage (No Way Back),
the final volume of the Emmy
series, Finderup uses a completely
different tone, one that is very
amusing. The book starts with
Emmy’s chance encounter with
her mega-idol. And no prizes for
guessing whether she’s cool about
it or does her ‘dumb Emmy’ routine
where her cheeks go red she ends
up with a list of ‘10 things I should
have done but didn’t when I met
OMG Donny Devino’. It gets worse.
Because Emmy gets locked in with
enemy number one, Ditte, and
then loses that soooooo expensive
jumper she got as a birthday
present instead of a party. But
worst of all has to be seeing her
BFF totally crushed in a love thing.
Issues or what!? But it turns out
well for Emmy, who’s a bit jinxed
but very sweet.
Finderup has also published
a new book in the Lasse-Leif
series, Lasse-Leif og perlepladens
‘I stepped into the room. Looked around. Then gasped. There was a
message on the wall. Written in charcoal and with curvy Irish style lettering.
It was partly wiped, but I could still read what it said. And it was in Danish:
‘Gyrith, my beloved. Know that I was here and will seek you to the
world’s end.’ It was signed with a large B. A glow spread through my body,
driving all those dispiriting thoughts away. Balder had been here. He had
come in early spring; just as he had promised. He would have saved me,
if only I’d still been at the castle. And far more importantly: he was still
looking for me.’
Extract from HJERTELØS - DEN GRØNNE Ø BIND 3.
(HEARTLESS - THE GREEN ISLAND, BOOK 3)
forbandelse (Lasse-Leif and the
Curse of the Perler Bead Board).
Lasse-Leif’s mum is about to lose
it with him and wishes she’d got a
nice quiet beads-and-boards girl
instead. So Lasse-Leif decides to
make a pearl board. But it has to
be GINORMOUS. Not quite what
mum had in mind but in the end,
she’s very happy. With brilliant
illustrations by Annette Carlsen.
Mette Finderup (b. 1968) has been
a popular and versatile author ever
since she debuted in 2005. She
won the Orla Prize in 2007, and
in 2014 won the Danish School
Librarians’ children’s book award
for her overall authorship.
Hjerteløs – Den grønne ø bind 3.
(Heartless - The Green Island, book 3)
Gyldendal 2014, 370 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group
Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@
gyldendalgroupagency.dk. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO: Finland, France,
Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway,
Sweden, Turkey.
21
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
I
R
E
S
‘
IT’S A
ABOUT BOYS’
K
AR
M
N
DE
IN
TE
BA
DE
A
S BEEN
CK OF THEM.
LA
E
TH
IN RECENT YEARS THERE’RH
LY
TE
RA
CU
AC
E
OR
APS M
READING HABITS – OR PET THAT ALL THOSE DILIGENT GIRLS OUT THERE
THIS IS NOT TO SUGGES , HOWEVER, AND THE WEALTH OF AMBITIOUS,
HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN D SERIES OF BOOKS AIMED AT GIRLS TELLS
BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTE THEM HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY WOMEN WHO
ARE THEIR TARGET
ITS OWN STORY. MANY OF
S
RL
GI
AT
TH
CT
FA
E
TH
R
MAKE NO APOLOGIES FO CAN READ THEM TOO, OF COURSE. AS SOME
GROUP, ALTHOUGH BOYS STRATE, WORRIES ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
OF THESE SERIES DEMONFLECTED IN THIS LITERARY FORM. NATURAL
ARE BEGINNING TO BE RE GES FROM THE SWELLING OCEANS AND A
DISASTERS, THE MESSA TO CARE MORE FOR OUR PLANET ARE JUST
WARNING THAT WE NEED ENDS, ALONG WITH STRONG AND DECISIVE
A FEW OF THIS YEAR’S TR E MALE ONE). THERE’S ALSO MORE THAN A
FEMALE HEROES (AND ONIANCE WITH THE SUPERNATURAL ...
PASSING DALL
22
GIRLS’ LITERATURE
!
G
N
I
H
IES’ T
23
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
THE DROWNED WORLD
IDA-MARIE RENDTORFF
Kloden under vand 3: Rød jord
(The Drowned World 3: Red Earth)
Gyldendal 2014, 232 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group
Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@
gyldendalgroupagency.dk
PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO: Brazil,
Germany, Norway, Russia, Sweden.
Dystopian science-fiction stories have dominated in recent years,
and lengthy tomes predicting the future have found a ready audience.
Such tales can often be seen as critiques of today’s society. One of
the most ambitious series in this genre is Ida-Marie Rendtorff’s
trilogy, Kloden under vand (The Drowned World). In the third and final
instalment, Rød jord (Red Earth), Lara’s battle to survive in a flooded
world is far from over. She has promised to stay at home so her mother
can train to be a doctor but the oceans are calling to her; and when
she hears that Jarii’s unit of the rebel army has been cut down by the
enemy, Lara can wait no longer and a daunting journey ensues. The
author’s inspiration to depict a world of violent contrasts and conflicts
came partly from the flooding in New Orleans, climate summits and
widespread talk of a coming global catastrophe. The series doesn’t
deal with the catastrophe itself but with the aftermath and the way
people act when deprived of civilisation’s protective shield.
TERRA NOVA
As one dystopian series comes to an end, luckily for us a
new one begins, with Astrid Heise-Fjeldgren’s Terra Nova
(Terra Nova), the first instalment of which Den som tøver
(He Who Hesitates) has just been published. Extreme
weather has made the world a highly dangerous place
and the struggle for scarce but vital resources generates
conflict. A young boy, Aik, has moved down into the mines
with his father. Here, life is comfortable and resources are
plentiful but Aik is upset that his mother and sister aren’t
there and senses a deceit hidden within the comfortable
subterranean lifestyle. Along with his friend Ken, who
is involved with a rebel group, Aik leaves the mines and
discovers how much propaganda he has been fed and how
gullible he has been: the young elite have been sent to
the mines but what about the rest of the country’s youth?
Aik’s hunt for his mother and sister gives him a new and
frightening insight into the world he now inhabits. But the
question is whether he will fight the new rulers.
24
ASTRID HEISE-FJELDGREN
Terra Nova 1: Den som tøver
(Terra Nova 1: He Who Hesitates)
Gyldendal 2015, 340 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group
Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@
gyldendalgroupagency.dk.
PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO:
Finland, Norway, Sweden.
GIRLS’ LITERATURE
THE ENCHANTED SWORD
If you’re into more traditional fables with
battle scenes, magic and dragons, Cecilie
Eken has just finished her series Det
levende sværd (The Enchanted Sword)
with her fourth book Den døde helt (The
Dead Hero). The battle for Fagermark has
broken out, and it’s a fight to the death. As
is typical in this series, some interesting
character developments complement the
main plot, and conventional gender roles
are subverted. The doughty Eriann is more
mature than in previous books and not
quite so eager for battle, while Vidar the
chatterbox steps into hero mode. Although
they are both reluctant to do so, they are
forced to gather an army and set off to fight
the wicked Duke Kord who is holding their
friends prisoner. But the Duke is not only a
tough opponent, he has a cruel witch and a
dragon on his side. The series is beautifully
illustrated by the award-winning comic
book writer and illustrator Mårdøn Smet.
CECILIE EKEN
Illustrated by Mårdøn Smet
Den døde helt – bind 4 i serien
om Det levende sværd
(The Enchanted Sword 4:
The Dead Hero)
Høst & Søn 2013, 256
pages. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Gyldendal Group Agency,
Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@
gyldendalgroupagency.dk.
PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD
TO (author): Belgium, the
Netherlands, Norway.
LENE KAABERBØL
Vildheks 6: Genkommeren
(Wild Witch 6: The Revenant)
Alvilda 2014, 192 pages. FOREIGN
RIGHTS: Lars Ringhof Agency, Esthi
Kunz: [email protected]. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO: More than 15
countries.
WILD WITCH
Gen kom meren
Blodsungen
“Nogle dyr er farlig
e. Nogle dyr kan
slå dig ihjel!”
Hvis det stod til
Claras mor, var
Clara aldrig bleve
vildheks. Hun er
t
bange for at Clara
skal komme
noget til, og det
viser sig at der
er en god grund
Den vilde verden
.
er et farligt sted
– ikke mindst nu
hvor Bravita Blods
unge er ved at bryde
fri af det
fængsel der har
holdt hende fange
t i 400 år ...
Blodsungen er fjerde
bog i serien om
Clara,
hendes kærlighed
til dyr og hende
s kamp for
at overleve som
vildheks i en verde
n hvor
magi ikke ligefrem
er barnemad.
Lene Kaaberbøl
Lene Kaaberbøl
Lene Kaaberbøl, another master of the fable
genre, brings her latest series Vildheks (Wild
Witch) to an end with book 6, Genkommeren (The
Revenant). This time it’s not just herself Clara has
to save but the whole world, from the terrifying
Bravita Blodsunge. Clara and the few other
witches that Bravita hasn’t already neutralised
are ready to go into battle again but are well
aware that the only way Bravita can be defeated
is for one of them to sacrifice her life and follow
her into the grave. But which of them will fate
choose? A love of nature and animals shines out
from the tense action, an aspect for which the
series has become known.
Alvilda
25
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
SISTERS ON THE SEVEN SEAS
A storming pace and action-filled confrontations are also a feature
of Camilla Wandahl’s sea-pirate series, Søstre på de syv have
(Sisters on the Seven Seas). In the sixth and final book, Den iskolde
heks (The Ice Witch), the two sisters Vana and Sam must fight icewolves and lethal magic in their last chance to save their mother
from the Ice Witch. Even with their friends’ help it will be no easy
task, and there’s a terrible price to be paid in defeating an Ice Witch.
The author is a trained sailer so she knows her masts from her
rigging when writing about the sisters’ adventures on the high seas!
This exciting fantasy series is also great for readers who want to
explore the genre for the first time.
CAMILLA WANDAHL
CAMILLA WANDAHL
Havets tåre 3: Sjælens band
(The Ocean’s Tears 3: Soul-Mates)
Høst & Søn 2015. 136 pages. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Gyldendal Group Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_
[email protected]. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO: Norway.
Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing, Christian Guldager
and Bodil Bang Heinemeyer
Søstre på de syv have 6: Den iskolde heks
(Sisters on the Seven Seas 6: The Ice-Witch)
Høst & Søn 2014, 80 pages. FOREIGN RIGHTS:
Gyldendal Group Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_
[email protected]. PREVIOUS
TITLES SOLD TO: Norway.
THE OCEAN’S TEARS
A fascination with the sea is a similarly important
feature of Camilla Wandahl’s mermaid series
Havets tåre (The Ocean’s Tears), which concludes
with a third book, Sjælens bånd (Soul-Mates).
After battling many opponents, Lejla and Seth are
finally together as sea-creatures, but their joy is
short-lived; dangers lurk everywhere and their
enemies are still bent on separating them. Lejla
and Seth are forced to fight for their love and a
future together but, despite their love for each
other, it’s tough for Lejla to give up her landbound
life. A stirring sea fable and exciting love story.
26
GIRLS’ LITERATURE
ALL OF THESE SERIES HAVE PACE AND ACTION, BUT
THIS NEVER OVERSHADOWS THE CHARACTERS’ INNER
STRUGGLES. THE READER QUICKLY IDENTIFIES WITH
THE STRONG MAIN CHARACTERS BECAUSE EVEN
THOUGH THEY ARE DETERMINED AND DECISIVE, THEIR
PERSONAS ARE FULLY DRAWN WITH EMOTIONAL
DEPTH; THE CHARACTERS OFTEN WONDER ABOUT
RIGHT AND WRONG, FOR EXAMPLE. THEY HAVE ALL
THE INGREDIENTS TO MAKE YOU WANT TO FOLLOW
THEM ACROSS SEVERAL INSTALMENTS. .
DORTE ROHOLTE
Meget mærkeligt, Mynthe!
(That’s Amazing, Mynthe!)
Carlsen 2015, 174 pages. FOREIGN
RIGHTS: Forlaget Carlsen, Lotte
Kjeldskouv: [email protected]
PREVIOUS TITLES SOLD TO: Finland,
Norway, Sweden.
THAT’S AMAZING, MYNTHE!
Love and the supernatural also play a big role in
Dorte Roholte’s Meget mærkeligt, Mynthe! (That’s
Amazing, Mynthe!), the third book in the series about
Mynthe, who on her 13th birthday discovers she can
sometimes read people’s minds and sense things that
have happened, or are about to. But her new powers
prove to be both a blessing and a curse, and Mynthe
is about to land in serious trouble when a criminal
gang discover her secret, and plan to kidnap her and
use her sixth sense for evil purposes. Luckily Mynthe
has a cool boyfriend, Markus, who helps her to learn
more about her special powers, which she shares with
her granny. They set off to meet previously unknown
branches of the family and perhaps find the source of
Mynthe’s supernatural abilities. The clues lead back
to an area of Galatia, Turkey and in the book’s final
chapter Mynthe dreams she visits this place with
Markus. Is there a fourth book in the making?
27
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
Jesper Wung-Sung
once said:”Literature
is communication,
and when it’s good, it
moves into a form of
existential discourse.”
That discourse is
never very far away in
Wung-Sung’s stylishly
assured, disturbing
and thought provoking
books.
IDYLLPHOBIA
When Jesper Wung-Sung’s great
grandfather came to Denmark
from China around 100 years
ago, he was put on show in Tivoli,
because it seemed so exotic and
exciting to see a real Chinese man.
Whether this had a direct influence
on Wung-Sung’s authorship is
difficult to say, but at the very least
his books often touch on skewed
and unorthodox lives – often
using innovative and challenging
literary forms. Subjects such as
social conditions and our right
to live, personal freedom and the
individual’s growth potential within
a community, have featured in
several of Wung-Sung’s critically
acclaimed teen-novels.
28
In the novel 2011 novel Skolen (The
school), we follow a group of pupils
who are in involuntary quarantine
at school because a deadly virus
has broken out. The book, which
made the “White Raven” list, poses
big questions about the true
depths of our human empathy, but
spares us trite answers.
The same goes for Henrettelsen
(The Execution), which depicts the
final days of a 15 year old boy’s
life, before he’s put to death for
his crimes. The book traces the
thoughts of different people linked
to the execution on the fateful day
itself. The fact that it’s based on a
real event makes it no less gripping
and disturbing. As Information’s
JESPER WUNG-SUNG
reviewer puts it: ”Text and themes
meld seamlessly here, in a novel
that is small in format, but feels
huge in every way.”
tries to escape, but escape to
where? As Berlingske’s reviewer
wrote:”The story’s strength lies in
the language that illuminates the
character’s mood swings from pure
joy to utter despair. Spellbindingly
but with time gets so used to his
company, that he’s unsure if he
could do without him. With Knud
around, at least he knows who he
is. A complex, brilliantly handled
and original story about how a
boy’s deals with sickness.
His novel Kopierne (the Copies),
was highly acclaimed and
won the 2010 Ministry
of Culture award for
Jesper Wung-Sung (b.
children’s books. In a not
1971) debuted in 1998 with
fully specified future,
the short story collection
Jonas comes home from
To ryk og en aflevering
football and sees that the
(Kick ‘n Rush), for which
“real” Jonas has returned.
he won the BogForum
He is actually a copy the
Debutant Award. He has
parents have loaned, but
since written a range of
their son gets well again.
critically acclaimed books
Jonas flees from the two
for both children and
POLITIKEN ON UD MED KNUD (THE TRUTH ABOUT KNUD).
men that come to capture
young adults. In 2010, he
him now he’s superfluous.
won the Danish Ministry of
Along with two other “copies”, he
written.” A graphic novel version
Culture’s Children’s Book Prize for
of the book, with illustrations by
Kopierne (The Copies), and in 2011
Søren Jessen, is on the way.
was awarded the Danish School
Libraries children’s book prize for
With his new novel Ud med Knud
his work.
(The truth about Knud), WungSung returns to a theme he has
explored in earlier novels - children
and cancer. William is a 12 year
old boy who both hates and loves
Knud, his invisible friend. He’s done
everything to do away with him,
”Jesper Wung-Sung never goes for
the easy option. The opposite, in
fact. His language is always vibrant
yet fluid. The action engaging. Yet
the tone is more measured than
emotional. A beautiful story, which
opens many doors.”
Ud med Knud (The truth about Knud)
Høst & Søn 2014, 259 sider
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group
Agency, Jenny Thor: Jenny_Thor@
gyldendalgroupagency.dk. PREVIOUS TITLES
SOLD TO: Belgium, Germany, France, USA.
William hasn’t shouted for mum and dad. He didn’t want to bother
them, but now, when he wants to call them, isn’t able to. He lies on
the floor, sort of paralysed and uncertain if he can breathe.
Now Knud is sat, bent over him, with his hands clasped under
his chin, studying his face and humming a reassuring tune. William
tries to smile. William’s trying his best not to panic; so it helps a bit
to guess what tune Knud’s humming.
It sucks being me, William says to himself. I’m so boring. I
should be grateful I’ve got Knud.
Extract from UD MED KNUD (THE TRUTH ABOUT KNUD)
29
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
A W A
The Danish Ministry
of Culture’s
Illustrated Children’s
Book Prize
”Lars Gabel’s illustrations are just as poetic, sombre and
ominous as H. C. Andersen’s text. Rarely does one see such a
rapport between text and images as pertains here.” Thus, the
reviewer at the Bogbotten.dk site on De vilde svaner. (The wild
swans). The review is by no means alone in its high praise.
Little wonder then that Lars Gabel’s work has won the Ministry
of Culture’s illustrator award for children and YA.
H.C. Andersen’s fairy-tale about poor Elisa who must rescue
her 11 brothers from their stepmother’s curse, is perfectly
suited to Lars Gabel’s art, and he uses special materials such
as semi-transparent vellum pages to give his illustrations a
distinctive depth and effect.
De vilde svaner (The Wild Swans)
Forlaget Carlsen 2014, 44 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Forlaget Carlsen,
Lotte Kjeldskouv: [email protected]
The Danish Ministry
of Culture’s Children’s
Book Prize
Mette Hegnhøj’s poetic and style-breaking children’s novel
is a book that, as Berlingske’s reviewer says. ”... sneaks like a
cat right into the most vulnerable part of the reader’s heart.”
Information was also thrilled with this daringly stylish work
and says the author has “... managed to depict and concretize
intangible things like loss, powerlessness and grief.”
Mette Hegnhøj’s book about Ella, whose mother runs a second
hand bookshop and wants to hear nothing more about cats, is
a about a girl who misses her cat desperately, and maybe her
dad as well. Mette Hegnhøj has won the Ministry of Culture’s
Children and YA author award for this work.
Ella er mit navn vil du købe det?
(Ella’s my name - do you want to buy it?)
Jensen & Dalgaard 2014, 284 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Jensen & Dalgaard,
[email protected]
30
AWARDS
R D S
Nominated for the
Nordic Council
Children’s and Young
People’s Literature
Prize
‘Beautifully composed and a bit provocative’ was how
Weekendavisen described this story of a boy whose parents
try to reassure him about their divorce by trying to tell him
their divorce is actually a good thing because he’ll get double
of everything. As the nomination citation put it: ‘Hanne Kvist
has succeeded in creating an original picture book, which
maintains its child-oriented perspective throughout. In a
brilliant combination of verbal and pictorial imagery, she
slowly, discreetly, but never wavering, lays bare the fact that
divorce is not done for the child’s sake, and that any apparent
advantage is actually an acute loss.’
To af alting (Double of Everything)
Gyldendal 2013, 32 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group Agency,
Jenny Thor: [email protected]
Beautiful inside and out” said the Politiken reviewer, who gave
the full six hearts for these “playbox” stories – a genre of short,
poetic prose-texts that Louis Jensen has made his own. The
nomination was justified thus: ”Here we find the finest words
in Danish literature for children. Words that open doors by the
force of their simplicity; so the reader is led by eye and heart,
not to mention nose, around the world’s magical circus ring. All
these playbox stories are wonderfully captured by illustrator
Lilian Brøgger’s magical imagery – pictures woven into the
very fabric of the words. Hallee! Hello! Here come loads of
new playbox stories. Each one a stand out success. A simply
brilliant achievement!”
Halli! Hallo! (Hallee! Hello! Here come loads of new playbox stories)
Gyldendal 2013, 144 pages.
FOREIGN RIGHTS: Gyldendal Group Agency,
Jenny Thor: [email protected]
31
DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE / CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
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wishing to publish Danish illustrated children’s
books in translation. Publishers can apply for a set
grant of 1,000 euros.
There are two annual application deadlines.
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DANISH LITERARY MAGAZINE CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
IS PUBLISHED BY THE DANISH ARTS FOUNDATION’S
COMMITTEE FOR LITERARY PROJECT FOUNDING.
THE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED ANNUALLY.