On March 24th, 2021 the National Foundation for Danish America, the Northwest Danish Association, and Scan Design Foundation co-sponsored a webinar book club discussion on The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen.
Panel Discussion Recording:
Watch the recording from the book club webinar here.
The Copenhagen Trilogy by Danish author, Tove Ditlevsen, was released in the U.S. in January 2021, over 40 years after her death. The English translation is more accurately three books in one volume. The 370-page volume was published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in translation from Danish by Tiina Nunnally (Volumes 1 and 2: Childhood and Youth) and Michael Favala Goldman (Volume 3: Dependency). The book has received rave reviews from countless critics. In the New York Times, a reviewer called the book a ‘masterpiece’, while commentators in The Guardian and on NPR/OPB were equally enthused by the writing of Ditlevsen, one of the most famous Danish authors of the mid-20th century.
About Aase Beaulieu and the Book Club:
The book club discussion was held in English and led by Aase W. Beaulieu. Aase has a degree in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley and is an avid reader and book club participant. She was recently a member of 3 book clubs, one of which is in her native Danish language.
In the panel Aase is joined by ‘panelists’ who have read the book and shared their impressions with each other and with attendees who have registered for the event. While the book is available at most bookstores, attendees need not have read The Copenhagen Trilogy. The panelists are not experts on the book, but serve as sample book club members to generate discussions on various perspectives of the content.
The book club was a prelude to the ‘Meet the Author’ event by the National Nordic Museum, which took place four days later.
The Copenhagen Trilogy U.S. Reviews
Several reviews of the book are available, here are a few highlights:
- New York Times: “Beyond the Cruel Facts of Her Life Are Truths That Cut Deep”
- The Guardian: “The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen review – confessions of a literary outsider”
- NPR/OPB: “New Translation Shares The Voice Of A Poet Who Wrote As Intensely As She Lived“
Connect with other attendees on social media: Join the Facebook Book Club Event here.