Danish Northwest is a poetry collection that shows “hygge” in its various aspects as practiced or rendered in the outskirts of Denmark, more precisely in the northwestern region of Jutland called Thy. The poems were originally published in Danish and in a dialect called “thybomål”. As with any translation, the English version can be considered in a sense a new collection of poems given the adjustments and additions needed to capture the essence of the original. This new rendering has been achieved through a collaboration between the author and the Irish poet, Mary-Jane Holmes.
Troubador Publishing Ltd.
Matador
Released: 28/06/2019
ISBN: 9781838590390
eISBN: 9781838599522
Format: Paperback/eBook
“Danish Northwest” by Peter Graarup Westergaard was a very interesting poetry collection. The collection was described as “hygge poems from the outskirts.” Hygge being a word and lifestyle of the Danish that I have researched, learned about, and am currently trying to incorporate more and more in my own day to day, I was excited to read Westergaard’s collection.
The poetry was translated from a Danish dialect called, “thybomål.” The poetry was meant to demonstrate the “hygge” lifestyle in the northwestern region of Jutland called Thy. The poetry touches on themes of God, country life, globalism, immigration and other modern concerns. I found some of the poems to be universally important and thought-provoking. Others didn’t really “land” with me.
Overall, they were an interesting perspective from a distant land very different than my own. I enjoyed the unique voice.
