they

by Helle Helle, Martin Aitken (Translator)

They go for a walk by the playing fields, the anemones are out.' In the small Danish town of Rodby, a mother and her sixteen-year-old daughter live uneventfully, each day marked by routine and a quiet intimacy. Together, they are a family; complete, content - and fragile. When the mother begins to feel unwell, everything and nothing changes. They go about their lives, talk about anything but the diagnosis. The daughter takes tentative steps into adulthood. Still, illness - and the possibility of loss - cast an expansive shadow over the rituals of daily life. they is a tender and piercing exploration of a mother-daughter relationship, brought into startling focus by Helle Helle's distinctive, immediate prose.

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 5, 2026

About the author

Helle Helle (born 1965) published her first book in 1993. Since then, her work has garnered overwhelming critical and popular acclaim.

Recently awarded the Golden Laurel literary prize, Helle Helle is the recipient of countless literary accolades, among them the Danish Critics’ Prize, the Danish Academy’s Beatrice Prize, the P.O. Enquist Award and the prestigious Lifetime Award of the Danish Arts Council.

Her novels and short stories have been translated into 18 languages.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bob / novel / 2021
They / novel / 2018
If You Want / novel / 2014
This Should Be Written in the Present Tense / novel / 2011
Down to the Dogs / novel / 2008
Rødby-Puttgarden / novel / 2005
The Idea of an Uncomplicated Life with a Man / novel / 2002
Cars and Animals / short stories / 2000
House and Home / novel / 1999
Remains / short stories / 1996
Example of Life / novel / 1993