Kirsten Thorup (1942) made her debut in 1967 with the poem collection Inside – Outside, and thus 2017 marked her 50th anniversary as an author. Thorup has written in all genres but is primarily known for a number of deep exemplary and socially engaging novels such as Lille Jonna (1977), Himmel og helvede (1982), Den yderste grænse (1987) and Bonsai (2000), with which she has left her mark on recent Danish literature.
Thorup’s novel Erindring om kærligheden (2016), for which she was awarded the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2017, draws a portrait of the woman Tara, who constantly reaches out to the vulnerable in society. Somewhat by coincidence she got a daughter and taking care of her is a task she is struggling to cope with. It is a heartbreaking and merciless process in which Thorup treats questions about right and duty, the private and the political – and not least the strength and the price of love – in an increasingly nuanced form. Erindring om kærligheden is a pitch-black and intelligent novel that draws on our common depths, as only real literature can do.
The conversation, led by Gísli Magnússon, Associate Professor in Danish at the University of Iceland, will be in Danish.