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- 5 July 2022
- Reading suggestion
- gsclibrary
Recommendation by the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU
Book selected: You probably should have been there by Thomas Korsgaard
Thomas Korsgaard’s novel ‘You probably should have been there’ gives the reader an unflinching insight into the life of a lonely, poor, abandoned teenager.
Copenhagen can be a cold place. Especially for those living on the fringes of society – the downtrodden and the desperate. People like seventeen-year-old Tue, who has moved there to escape from an abusive father.
Unexpectedly thrown out of his apartment and suddenly homeless, he wanders the streets with his very last possessions. Weighed down by an unbearable heaviness and barely hanging on by a thread.
Follow Tue’s lonely road into adulthood. Visit the random places he frequents and the questionable characters he resides with. Witness first-hand the desperation of those living without a safety net.
Tue finds himself caught between those who want to take advantage of him and those with saviour complexes. This push and pull allows the author to display the absurdness of many social norms. Tue has zero social skills. He doesn’t know how to ask for help.
Tue is no saint. He can be petty and pitiful, difficult and disagreeable. He is extremely self-centred and pays little heed to the consequences that his decisions can have on others. But despite all this, you find yourself rooting for him all the way through.
A contemporary novel from a non-romanticised Copenhagen. A tragicomedy told with a steady hand and razor-sharp prose. Korsgarrd demonstrates that the life lived by Tue isn’t as far away as you think. Through circumstances often out of a person’s control, anyone could end up in a similar situation.
Thomas Korsgaard published his first novel in 2017 at just 21 years old. In 2021 he won the Danish literature prize ‘De Gyldne Laurbær’ for ‘You probably should have been there’ as its youngest ever laureate.
For those looking to unearth other Danish literary gems, discover more via Eureka, the online catalogue of the Council libraries.
About the Readers of Europe campaign
2022 has been designated the European Year of Youth. As such, the Council Library has chosen to devote its annual Readers of Europe initiative to youth, putting the focus squarely on new and emerging European literary talent.
The Permanent Representations to the EU have once again been invited to recommend books from their countries to read over the summer, with the third edition of our ‘Readers of Europe’ campaign. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Discover something new’. The idea being that every Permanent Representation selects a book from their country by an author who has published their first work within the last five years. We will promote these selections over the summer on the Council Library blog.
Europe is awash with exciting young authors. Dive into this selection and discover stories that hum with fresh ideas and luminous prose. Novels that ask piercing questions about humanity. Stories that are edgy and beautiful, gripping and unsettling. Stories worthy of a place in any library.
So find a comfy place to sit back and relax, as we showcase some of Europe’s promising literary talent. Join us as we once again encounter the Readers of Europe
This post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.
The Council Library reading room is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12.00 to 15.00. The Info Desk remains open online from Monday to Friday.
