From April 15 through 24, see an animated documentary based on the life of acclaimed Danish author Tove Ditlevsen, A Writer Named Tove /Tove i stykke, screening virtually from Scandinavia House Online! The film will include a virtual introduction by author and translator Michael Favala.

“I am a poor human. A miserable human. A completely depraved human. I am sleepless as an owl, ugly as a witch, and white wine runs through my veins instead of blood. Furthermore, I am about to sh** myself to death,” author Tove Ditlevsen wrote following a break-up with her last husband in 1973. Translated and published in over 20 countries, and the recipient of several literary prizes including the Golden Laurels in 1956, Tove lived a sort of double life: while Tove Ditlevsen the human was falling apart, Tove Ditlevsen the writer would sit in “The Oval Room” to analyze and describe her life. A Writer Named Tove asks the question: did Tove live her life to actually live it, or to write about it? Directed by Sami Saif; recipient of awards including Best Short Film, Robert Award 2020 (Denmark, 2020. 38 min. In Danish with English subtitles)

Screenings will take place April 15-24, and will be available for viewing on a virtual cinema screening platform throughout this period. To download viewing instructions and an FAQ, please click here.

About the Speaker

Michael Favala Goldman is a translator of Danish literature, a poet, educator, and jazz clarinetist. He has translated 17 books of Danish poetry and prose, including Dependency, book three of The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen, which was selected among New York Times’ Ten Best Books of 2021. His third book of poetry, Small Sovereign was awarded a Best Poetry Book of 2021. He lives in Northampton, MA, where he has been running bi-monthly poetry critique groups since 2018.