“No one knows what a novel is …” With this bold statement by Danish writer Poul Borum, the book sets the stage for a story that refuses to be confined by narrow definitions. 

At its heart is Harald, who dreams of becoming a poet. In the autumn of 1979, he moves to Copenhagen with his girlfriend to chase that dream. Almost at once he is swept into the city’s buzzing cultural scene, where he meets people from every corner of society and, most importantly, other poets. Along the way he discovers new literature, fresh ideas, and the music that defines a generation. 

This is the story of how a poet is made, shaped by the world around him and by his own restless search for identity. Brimming with life and rich in detail, it brings to life unforgettable characters, places, and events, weaving them into a dazzling mosaic suffused with the spirit of the 1980s, a decade when everything changed, and when Harald finally became a poet. 

This new novel unfolds in the same imaginative world as Einar Mar Gudmundsson’s award-winning classic Angels of the Universe (1993) and his coming-of-age novel Passport Pictures (2017).