Niviaq Korneliussen

#ReadAroundTheWorld. #Greenland

This short and quirky book is set in contemporary Nuuk, written by Greenlander debut author Niviaq Korneliussen. It was originally released with the title "HOMO sapienne," then as "Last Night in Nuuk" in the US and "Crimson" in the UK. It was nominated for a Politiken literary award and the Nordic Council Literature Prize.

It follows the lives of five LGBT young people grappling with their identity, sexuality and relationships. It begins with Fia, bored with her relationship with Peter, who then finds herself attracted to Sara. There is Inuk, Fia’s brother, struggling with this new revelation and with his own secrets and feeling trapped in Greenland. Their friend Arnaq reels dangerously from one drunken party to another, betraying secrets in her dazed state. Then there is Sara and her girlfriend Ivik who is struggling in her own way with her identity. There is a chapter from each character's point of view with text messages and posts interspersed in the text.

This was a quick read, I found the writing fresh, punchy and quite unique. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a book set in Greenland.… (más)

Last Night in Nuuk is a novel about five young Greenlanders who encounter one another on a night out. These chance encounters prove life-changing for all of them, in different ways.

Each character's story leading up to and after these events is told in a separate chapter. As the chapters progress, the characters are fleshed out and the overall picture becomes clearer. Korneliussen delivers a couple of surprises along the way, shifting the reader's perspective considerably.

This is a very interesting look at youth and queer culture in a stultifyingly conservative society.… (más)