Remains

Helle Helle

Original title: Rester
Publisher: Samleren, Denmark, 1996
Genre: Short stories

A strange woman on a bench suddenly starts telling about how she had mistreated her baby. She and her husband are about to move, and out of nowhere this woman is overwhelmed with doubt about whether she should go with him. A brief moment of an ordinary day abruptly ignites an annihilating jealousy.

These realistic short stories hit the mark of almost imperceptible shifts in human relationships – the black holes that can develop in both seasoned relationships and random encounters alike.

Foreign rights

Czech: Dauphin
Dutch: Skanderberg Books
Russian: Commentaries

“It starts off good – and stays that way. Helle Helle’s second book, a collection of short stories Remains is overwhelmingly good. Well
written and diverse in its realistic manifestations, and not to mention exciting as well… Strong words words but it is the truth; you
rush through the book because it is a delightful mixture of suspense and entertainment.”

Jyllands Posten, Denmark

With a puzzling lightness she builds up a place in space and time in each of these short stories. She guides her characters onto often
half empty stages with a suggestive force that stays with you after reading.”

Berlingske, Denmark

Helle Helle

Photo by Mikkel Carl

Helle Helle (b. 1965) is a graduate of the Danish Academy of Creative Writing and the author of a number of novels as well as two collections of short fiction. She is one of Scandinavia’s most original writers, with a career spanning three decades, from her debut Example of Life (1993) to her most recent novel, Hafni Says, published to rave reviews in 2023. Her books have been translated into 24 languages.