short stories by Soerine Steenholdt

translated titel: Zombieland

the book

The writing tradition in Greenland has not existed for more than a couple of hundred years, but in those years there has developed a style that is called ‘traditional’. But now something is up with the literary community in Greenland. Sørine Steenholdt is one of the young writers that pushes and provokes the readers of her book.

These are short stories about the dark side of society. They tell the stories of a misunderstood autistic child, a young man suffering from a marijuana-induced psychosis, a “spoiled” little girl and an old man trapped inside a burning building. What they all have in common, is that they are normally forgotten or overlooked in the public debate and by society at large.
The book has a dark and modern lay-out as well as nine cool, scary and expressive illustrations.

 

the author

Sørine Steenholdt was born in Paamiut, Greeland, in 1986. She is enrolled at the University of Nuuk, where she studies “Language, Literature and Media”. In 2012 she was one of ten winners in the short story competition Allatta! (let us write!) for young unpublished authors in Greenland. Her short story “You Shall Obey Thy Mother” (trans. title) was published the following year in the short story collection Young in Greenland – Young in the World (trans. title) Zombieland is her debut as an independent author.
The expressionistic illustrations are created by Maja-Lisa Kehlet Hansen.

Nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Award, 2016

reviews

You are disgusted and horrified by the violent outbursts and how the characters drift towards irreparable damage. “Zombieland” is hard to digest. The book is written inside and out. It is its greatest strength. You won’t forget it.
Politiken

The strong ties to the real world makes Zombieland a critique of the passiveness of people, who neglect themselves and leave the responsibility to others. It is an important testimony of the dark sides of Greenland; violence, loneliness, loss and neglect. 
Nordjyske Stiftstidende

Damn. It. To. Hell, it gets cruel and ugly when broken people find each other to create more broken people. In “Zombieland” all characters are broken in one way or another – some are subjugated and live only on the mercy of others, while others have hardened into steel, surviving only because they don’t have soft spots; they can’t be hurt, be loved or love themselves. […] In my eyes, “Zombieland” is the Greenlandic parallel to New Zealand’s “Once were warriors”…
folkeskolen.dk