New in Germany
William Heinesen’s sophomore novel from 1938, Noatun, has been published in a German translation by the late Inga Meincke and Verena Stössinger from the original Danish publication. The work has been published by Berlin-based Guggolz Verlag, which has previously published Heinesen’s Her skal danses and Heðin Brú’s Feðgar á ferð.
Noatun is a social realistic novel that portrays an ensemble of characters; a group of poor farmers and fishermen striving to build a new and independent life by settling in the desolate Valley of the Dead. The valley is a small stretch of barren, rocky coastline along the harsh Atlantic Ocean, and the settlers must battle powerful natural forces such as the mighty sea and the severe winter. However, the group faces not only resistance from the fierce nature of the Faroe Islands, but also from figures like the royal farmer Sigvard, religious sects, and the Spanish flu. Through relentless toil and perseverance, they succeed in transforming the Valley of the Dead into a viable settlement named Noatun, with a newly built lighthouse standing as a symbol of their struggle and triumph.
The new German edition also includes notes, afterwords by Klaus Müller-Wille and Sólrún Michelsen and short biographies of Heinesen, the translators and the contributors of the afterwords.
