Helle Helle


Helle Helle is a Danish writer. Basing her stories on episodes in the lives of ordinary people, she gained fame in 2005 with her novel Rødby-Puttgarden. Her books have been translated into 23 languages and are read by a broad audience in Denmark and abroad. She is a recipient of the Lifetime Award from the Danish Arts Foundation.

Early life and education

Helle was born in Nakskov on the island of Lolland. She grew up in Rødby, a town that frequently appears in her books. After matriculating from Maribo Gymnasium in 1984, she spent a year selling perfume on the ferry from Rødby to Puttgarden which provided background for her novel from 2005. She then studied literature at the University of Copenhagen from 1985 to 1987. From 1989 to 1991, she attended the Danish Academy of Creative Writing in Copenhagen.

Career

Since her debut in 1993 she has published two short story collections and a number of novels. She works experimentally with language and plays with narrative forms and perspectives, yet her novels deal with familiar situations and relationships, making them widely accessible. They are moving, precise, and often marked by understated humor.
In her four most recent novels – de, BOB, Hafni fortæller, and Hey Hafni – she pushes the boundaries of the novel form while maintaining a strong connection to everyday human experience.
She is considered to be one of the most outstanding authors of contemporary Danish literature.

Awards

She has received numerous awards, including the Beatrice Prize, the Critics Prize, the P.O. Enquist Prize, De Gyldne Laurbær, the Grand Prize of the Danish Academy, the Holberg Medal, and the . She has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize four times.

Works

  • Eksempel på liv, Lindhardt & Ringhof, 1993
  • Rester, short stories, Samleren, 1996
  • Hus og hjem, novel, Samleren, 1999
  • Biler og dyr, short stories, Samleren, 2001
  • Forestillingen om et ukompliceret liv med en mand, novel, *Samleren, 2002
  • Rødby-Puttgarden, novel, Samleren, 2005
  • Ned til hundene, novel, Samleren, 2008
  • Dette burde skrives i nutid, novel, Rosinante, 2011
  • Hvis det er, novel, Rosinante, 2014
  • de, novel, Rosinante, 2018
  • BOB, novel, Gutkind, 2021
  • Hafni fortæller, Gutkind, 2023
  • Hey Hafni, novel, Gutkind, 2025