Hafni Narrates

Hafni tells us… that she is getting a divorce. She is forty-nine years old, leaving a burnt-out family home, and decides to embark on a journey around restaurants that serve traditional Danish smørrebrød – generously topped slices of dark rye bread that are eaten with cutlery and form the essence of Danish cuisine.

Hafni’s culinary journey from the island of Zealand to the island of Funen is a radical attempt to change her established way of life. During her travels, she experiences banal but fun encounters with all sorts of oddballs, eccentrics, but also completely normal people. The book provides an original depiction of Danish mentality and culture, while also expressing something universally human and recognisable.

The author tells the story of an unassertive but strong woman on the threshold of a new chapter in her life, a story that contains grotesque moments, reckonings, and of course, nostalgia and sadness.

Published with the support of the Danish Arts Foundation.

The Danish prose writer (1965) is the author of minimalist novels and shorter prose. Her books have been published in Czech for almost twenty years, the first being the collection Zbytky (1996, Czech 2002), followed by the novels An Idea of an Uncomplicated Life with a Man (2002, Czech, Paseka 2004), Women Without Men (2005, Czech, Paseka 2008), Down to the Dogs (2008, Czech, Paseka 2012), If You Want (2014, Czech, Paseka 2016), and This Should Be Written in the Present Tense (2011, Czech, Paseka 2017). Her books have garnered significant acclaim both at home and abroad and have been translated into seventeen languages to date. Helle Helle is the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Kritikerprisen, the Danish Arts Council Award, and the P.O. Enquist Prize.