Flat lay of Scandinavian fiction books against textiles.

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Reading lists

10 must-read Scandinavian novels

Helle Helle

Martin Aitken

Helle Helle’s simple, to-the-point prose cuts to the quick…it’s refreshing to find such an intimate book that leaves something for the reader to writer in their own mind…This Should be Written in the Present Tense is a contemporary classic in the making

Helle has enchanting gifts as a storyteller... This Should Be Written in the Present Tense possesses an immediacy that tenderly and consistently compels.

This Should Be Written in the Present Tense may sound like just another bildungsroman, but it’s surprisingly devoid of ego, and deeply thoughtful

There is so much in this book, so much hinted at and alluded to. So much going on off-screen. [...] One of the literary finds of the year

A beautiful evocation of the reckless naïveté of the early years of adulthood. [Helle Helle's] pared back style gives the novel a haunting quality, exquisitely reflecting the detachment and doubts of the protagonist's life. […] This is a highly recommended introduction to the work of a talented new name on the European literary scene

Helle Helle is a star in her native Denmark but hasn’t been translated into English until now – on this evidence she’s worth the wait

I found myself utterly mesmerised by this little novel about the seemingly commonplace. It’s stark minimalism is beguiling

Helle Helle is a beautiful stylist. This Should Be Written in the Present Tense has an atmosphere that is deeply mysterious whilst staying entirely naturalistic – reminiscent of some of the less far out works of Marguerite Duras or Anna Kavan

It would be easy to dismiss this as a novel where nothing happens. Yet anyone can relate to Dorte’s purposelessness: “I didn’t know what to do with myself, or how to go on.” Ultimately, though, it’s a hopeful story: a reminder that it’s never too late to change

Helle Helle is a real talent and This Should be Written in the Present Tense is one of the literary finds of the year

Some pieces of literature, no matter how great an effort you make as a critic, cannot be opened or captured in a way that does justice to the work. That’s how I feel about Helle Helle’s new and unusually precious novel... Most of the sentences are small works of art, containing a whole story in themselves

This Should be Written in the Present Tense is an excellent novel, yet another sleek and nonchalant masterpiece from Helle Helle

Helle Helle has written a captivating novel about Dorte Hansen, who sleepwalks through life, letting chance rule

A beautifully intimate novel from award-winning Danish novelist, Helle Helle 
 
This should be written in the present tense. But it isn’t. 
 
Dorte should be at uni in Copenhagen. But she’s not. 
 
She should probably put some curtains up in her new place. 
 
And maybe stop sleeping with her neighbour’s boyfriend. 
 
Perhaps things don’t always work out the way they should.

Helle Helle

Praise for This Should Be Written in the Present Tense

Helle Helle’s simple, to-the-point prose cuts to the quick…it’s refreshing to find such an intimate book that leaves something for the reader to writer in their own mind…This Should be Written in the Present T ...

Helle has enchanting gifts as a storyteller... This Should Be Written in the Present Tense possesses an immediacy that tenderly and consistently compels.

A book with all the bigness hidden away

Helle Helle’s simple, to-the-point prose cuts to the quick…it’s refreshing to find such an intimate book that leaves something for the reader to writer in their own mind…This Should be Written in the Present T ...

Helle has enchanting gifts as a storyteller... This Should Be Written in the Present Tense possesses an immediacy that tenderly and consistently compels.

A book with all the bigness hidden away

Helle Helle’s simple, to-the-point prose cuts to the quick…it’s refreshing to find such an intimate book that leaves something for the reader to writer in their own mind…This Should be Written in the Present T ...

Helle has enchanting gifts as a storyteller... This Should Be Written in the Present Tense possesses an immediacy that tenderly and consistently compels.

A book with all the bigness hidden away

Articles featuring Helle Helle

10 must-read Scandinavian novels

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