If ever you’ve struggled to find love in your life (and who hasn’t), you know what it feels like when everyone around you seems to be head over heels; if you’ve ever stumbled through darkness, you know what it feels like when everyone around you seems lit up from inside, and if your purpose in life is escaping you, you know what it feels like to look around and see everyone living their best lives. 

Some of what you’re seeing is true, and some is indeed ‘fake news’, but one thing is certain, none of us are spared hardship of one kind or another, at one time or another, and focusing on what we have to be grateful for, however challenging, is always a worthwhile pursuit. 

So this week, as we look forward to Thanksgiving, and the holiday season beyond, we are reminded of all that is good in our lives, and if you are reading this newsletter, chances are your basket is at least half full.

At Books & Company, we were fortunate enough, last week, to spend time at the World Conference on Lung Health. (Yes, I know, pretty niche, even for a small independent English language bookshop in Denmark:-)

We were there to promote authors and sell their books, and while sales were brisk, and we were lucky to have with us one of those rare stars of the publishing world, John Green of ‘Fault in our Stars’ fame, and a ‘runaway bestseller’ on Tuberculosis, it turned out that the greatest experience lay not in our proximity to fame, but in the meeting with the delegates.

Every single person at the conference had either researched, helped find a cure for, nursed, cured, protected, defended, fundraised, fought, raised awareness for, or themselves overcome, severe illness. Illnesses, in particular Tuberculosis, for which there has been a cure for decades, but from which millions of people continue to perish. 

It was truly awe-inspiring to be surrounded by human beings who dedicate their lives, often for very low pay, and sometimes at very high risk, to the wellbeing of others. They all, in each their way, care for those among us that most of us rarely even think about. The poor, the sick, the disenfranchised, the voiceless, the powerless, and the stigmatized. 

It is easy, in the face of such dedication, to feel inadequate, but the more acute sense last week, thanks to an impressive generosity of spirit, was one of deep gratitude. To quote John Green: “I’ve had a very privileged life because of a birth lottery, and I try to be conscious about it”. 

So this year, along with an immense gratitude for the wonderful community of book lovers that I am so very fortunate to be a part of, I am grateful for the many people around the world who do the good, the immeasurable, and the immeasurably good work of caring for those who cannot care for themselves. 

In an ideal world, gratitude goes hand in hand with aspiration, so I will end my ‘Thanksgiving letter’ with a quote from the late, great, Mahatma Ghandi, shared by Vidya Krishnan, another author at the conference:

“Whenever you are in doubt…..recall the face of the poorest and the most helpless man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him….Then you will find your doubts melting away.”

Ghandi’s virtuous words may seem unachievable, but they can help us be conscious of the birth lottery that has given us the life we are privileged to lead.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome back! We hope you have had a wonderful summer of rest, relaxation, and reading, of course.

The shop has, as always, been open all summer, and we have so enjoyed being a watering hole for you as you dipped in and out of the neighborhood, returning from a trip, or embarking on one. Thank you for sharing all your fun, funny, and fantastic stories of summer with us.

As well as our 'regular' friends, we have welcomed numerous new customers - in the shop and online. We have met people from as far away as Indonesia, Toronto, Japan and Kenya (some arrived in minibuses); lovely people who had read about us in guidebooks or found us online, as well as newly arrived singles, couples, and most recently, families with young kids, all arriving in time to adjust to the world famous work/life balance afforded by our little country to the north.

We have had customers who found us by accident, such as a friendly Floridian couple just off a cruise ship, doing laundry at the laundromat next door. She trying to figure out where in the world she had landed, he reminiscing about the summer after his return from the Vietnam war when he enjoyed working in a bookstore before joining his father's business to get through college.

And we have had customers who sought us out deliberately such as a lovely young couple from Mexico City who had flown into Berlin, picked up their rental camper van, and set off on a three month tour of Europe. They stocked up on books for their trip, and we gave them tips for where to eat (obviously), what to see, and where to shower! We hope we did justice to their motto:

'Always start your trip in a new city with a visit to a bookshop'.

We couldn't agree more!

As for your booksellers, well, we have read books, made iced drinks, ordered new titles for Fall (so much fun stuff coming), and plotted and planned events and surprises (more on those later:).

The Fall event schedule kicks off on Wednesday, September 17th, and we cannot wait to welcome you and our wonderful roster of speakers. Check them out and add it all to your calendars. You won't want to miss these great talks that we hope will inspire and enthuse. 

Kind regards,
Isabella and your friendly team at Books & Company

A few weeks ago we received five boxes of books that looked strangely unfamiliar. We receive books every day, and for the most part we know exactly what’s being delivered, but on that day in April we looked around to see who might have placed this order. Turns out, the books weren’t for us at all, but for a bookshop in Nairobi, Kenya. Hence the unfamiliarity.

Our first thought, let’s see if we can get these to their intended destination. No luck. The bookshop couldn’t be reached, and after a brief exchange with the publisher the decision was made that it would be too costly to return the books. Now what?

Well, they say everything happens for a reason........

Our bookshop is small, but we go to great lengths to curate diversely and inclusively. We cannot cover the world, all its beauty and all its ills, but we try. However, receiving books meant for a bookshop in Nairobi made us think that perhaps we do not always try hard enough, at least not when it comes to authors and countries we know little about, such as those on the African continent. 

For years we have been conditioned to look towards Anglo-Saxon and European literature, and perhaps in particular towards the Brits and the Americans. Well, the shifting tectonic plates we are attempting to steady ourselves upon these days are a reminder that nothing lasts forever, and the future (or at least part of it) may very well lie elsewhere. 

According to projections from The World Economic Forum, by the year 2100, thirteen of the largest megacities in the world will be in Africa, with Lagos, Kinshasa and Dar es Salaam as the top three with 88.3 million, 83.5 million and 73.7 million residents respectively. 

So what are we waiting for? Let us get to know these countries, their people and their cultures better. 

Inspired by the contents of those five boxes we invite you to check out our new window display, which obviously barely even scratches the surface of what is a fascinating, deep and diverse treasure of literature from countries we so often tend to see only through a Western lens.

Thank you to the bookshop in Nairobi for opening our eyes and helping us look out!

Warm regards,

Isabella and your friendly team at Books & Company

Dear friends,

Happy Tuesday, happy return to daily life.
We hope you have enjoyed a restful, perhaps even (slightly) unplugged, Spring break with time to get through some of your 'to be read' pile.

Many of us re-emerge from the quiet with the realisation that there are many ways of navigating 'the madness of King T...', ranging from total isolation to complete immersion. However, if you find yourself somewhere in the middle, as most of us do, chances are you also find yourself seeking balance and truth. 

At Books & Company, we see ourselves not merely as purveyors of excellent books, as incredibly valuable as that is, but also as providers of content and community. We take pride in creating an environment of dialogue and understanding, regardless of subject and severity, and almost 16 years of experience has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that that is what people most crave. A space to learn, to listen, to laugh, and to discuss.

Our goal is to ensure our events are as relevant as possible to as many as possible, and sometimes, like now, the stars align and our roster of upcoming events becomes a true reflection of this particular moment in time, covering subjects ranging from prisons to science, from podcasts to climate, and from the digital lives of children to last, but certainly not least, the defense of human rights across the globe.

We are so very grateful to the wonderful authors, experts, and speakers who take the time to help us inform our wonderful community of curious and kind listeners. Thank you!

For more information and to sign up, please click on the events below or go to booksandcompany.dk.

We hope you will join us, and as always, we look forward to seeing you at the shop.

Kind regards,
Isabella and your friendly team at Books & Company

I learned a new term this weekend: ‘muzzle velocity’, which means the velocity with which a bullet or shell leaves the muzzle of a gun. The context within which I heard the term was, however, entirely unrelated to a firing range, although, the metaphors do pile up.

The words were spoken by Trump ally, strategist and populist, Steve Bannon, as a ‘flood the zone’ strategy of overwhelming the public, the opposition, and in particular the media, and so far, it has worked. 

The world has been stunned by the barrage of executive orders, press conferences, and numerous utterances by the new administration (and those to be) in Washington, and is struggling to regain its footing in the face of relentless gut punches.

We are all, governments, stock markets, and humans, alike, feeling unsure, afraid and off-kilter, which is the entire point of the exercise, as that puts us at our most vulnerable. The accompanying sense of urgency makes it seem dangerous or unwise to take a minute, a breath, or whatever else we need to take, to calm down and think twice. But that is exactly what everyone needs to do. 

It is time to compartmentalize. 

The importance of good governance, of decent politics, and of following the news, makes it difficult to subscribe to the prevailing sentiment of our times, namely to shut it all off and out. It is essential to know what is happening, for how else can we react to potential injustices, or stand up for what we believe. However, there is a tipping point; a point at which the ‘muzzle velocity’ renders us incapable of thinking, of sleeping, and of enjoying life. 

When asked how they manage to juggle it all, people with vast and vital areas of (sometimes 24/7) responsibility, often describe some version of ‘compartmentalization’. They focus fully on one thing at a time. They strive to isolate areas of work and responsibility, they leave it behind, until it is time to refocus. It may not always be the perfect solution, but it does allow for respite, and for experiencing joy in times of difficulty. 

So, as we wonder about the possible fallout of the current tectonic geopolitical shifts, it is essential to carve out time for community, for reading, for reflection, for whatever nurtures our souls and not merely our minds. If we make sure to give each of these areas their own (spacious) compartments, we will have found the super power we need to dodge the bullets. 

At Books & Company, we are here to help, and the tools at our disposal are books, bookclubs, community events, coffee, excellent service, friendly faces, and comfortable chairs. 

We are thrilled to announce a new and exciting bookclub partnership with our friends at Jazzed on Grains. 'A Readable Feast' is a bookclub for 'foodie readers' looking for an excuse to combine food related books with good food. The bookclub will meet bi-monthly, enjoy a delicious vegetarian meal, and discuss a book. What’s not to love about that!

Kind regards,
Isabella and your friendly Books & Company team

A few days ago, in 2024, I watched a young woman in Damascus trying to balance her hopes and fears for a new Syria. She was strong, determined, and articulate about what she saw as the possibilities and pitfalls for her country as it treads carefully into a new and more promising future. 

I saw her excitement, and felt her trepidation, almost viscerally, as it reminded me of pictures and footage from those heady days in 1979 during the Islamic revolution in Iran, after the Shah had fled the country, and Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile in Paris. When asked what he felt upon setting foot on Iranian soil, the Ayatollah famously stated: ‘Nothing’. Perhaps that should have been a warning.

After a few jubilant days, the regime clamped down on women, and the iron fist has remained clinched ever since. Hopefully, Syrian women will be spared what has befallen their Iranian, not to mention Afghani sisters, and the world will not stand by in silence should the ugly face of oppression show itself among the new leaders in Damascus.

The fireworks are over, a new year is slowly taking hold, and there is much work to be done. Washington will see a new sheriff (and his posse) ride into town later this month, and what that will mean for the world, no one truly knows. 

One thing, however, is certain. Trump’s is not a regime interested in strengthening democratic values, or upholding the rights of the vulnerable, at home or elsewhere. Afraid of being caught in the crosshairs, one by one, corporations and their leaders are falling in line, choosing to placate rather than provoke; retire rather than rise up. This is, perhaps, not surprising, but it is certainly disappointing. 

How long until this lack of morality and abundance of self interest turns into a free for all of infighting, backstabbing and utter chaos. Probably not long, and in the meantime, those who did not vote for Trump and those who saw him as their savior, will look on in dismay. The question is, will their disappointment be strong enough to unite them in what used to be the base of the Democratic Party?

Europe, meanwhile, could benefit from spending less time trying to position itself in relation to the United States, and more time fixing its own problems, strengthening its own shaky democracies, and making most of its untapped potential. With Russia on our border, and Putin in the driver’s seat, we must rethink and re-evaluate, but we must do so without the doom and gloom that drives people into rabbit holes of fearful self sufficiency. Focus must be on opportunity, not abandon. 

So, as we, once again, cross the threshold of a new year, we too carry with us our hopes and fears in a balancing act that with a little luck and a lot of focus will keep us securely walking the tightrope. For while our fears are based on the unknown, our hopes must stay securely pinned to the well-known; that most people, by far, are good, and that our shared humanity has carried us thus far, and is more than capable of taking us beyond whatever may come. 

Happy New Year!
Isabella and your friendly Books & Company team

Wow! Summer 2024 is definitely one for the history books - with ample opportunity to ask that (in)famous question: ’Where were you when..?’.

‘Where were you when Simone Biles literally catapulted herself back to the top of the Olympic podium?’

'Where were you (eyes covered, toes curled) when Joe Biden and Donald Trump met on the debate stage?’ and ‘Where were you when Joe Biden (finally) decided to step down?’

‘Where were you when a surprise coalition upended a practically given French election result?’

And just this past week, ‘Where were you when riots broke out across the UK?’

These moments obviously don’t even cover a summer where the war in Ukraine continues to rage, as tensions in the Middle East fail to ease.

So pulling the plug and just laying in a field listening to the grass grow was not just a ‘nice to have’ this year, but also a ‘need to have’; to preserve one’s sanity, but also to remain positive about our shared future. 

We need the energy to stay informed about - and alert to - changes that have been creeping towards us, in some cases for years, but have now developed into full-blown crises. We see autocrats either remaining or ascending to power across the globe, we see inequality on the rise as those who have remain resistant to cede wealth to the have nots, and we see migrant patterns changing daily in large part due to climate change. 

But equally, we are slowly, slowly hearing louder voices for change, opposing autocrats, considering the consequences of inequality, and developing new and exciting ideas to battle climate change. 

The studies have landed, the books are being published in droves, and the dangers are so clear and present that even the debates are becoming more nuanced. Yes, there will always be some who prefer the ‘black or white’ responses, those for whom the essential gray matter between the poles doesn’t serve them well, but hopefully a restful summer has given us all the drive to argue against opportunistic polarization and for unity.

Even the most self aware among us struggle with confirmation bias, but I will risk it and report from my recent trip to America, that there is a palpable sense of relief. No one really knows where the country is headed yet, but there are now two people at the top of the Democratic ticket who reflect, to a much greater extent, the population of the country, be they immigrants, people of color, or a slice of white Middle America; two people who prefer to look to the future instead of beating up on the past, and that, for now, at least, feels more hopeful.

Illustration: Zen Pencils

Historians might disagree - and they might very well be correct - but it is, nevertheless, difficult to think of a time when the world felt as much on edge as it does right now.

Should Donald Trump get elected in November (and Narendra Modi next month), we will have authoritarian strongmen ruling India, China, Russia, and The United States - not to mention the less than democratically minded leaders wreaking havoc elsewhere.

What this will mean for the future of the world remains to be seen, and while it is essential to remain optimistic, there is, as it stands, much reason to fear for the lives of the more fragile communities, the oppressed, the minorities and the unsafe.

As a result, there has never been a more important time to be aware of, to focus - or indeed insist - upon adherence to Human Rights and the Rule of Law. 

It is therefore with immense pleasure that we round out this Spring season’s events calendar by inviting you to a very special conversation with Elaine Pearson, Director of Human Rights Watch Asia, on 
 

Wednesday, June 12
19:00 - 21:00 

Elaine will talk about how she came to work in the field of Human Rights, and the importance of the work in today’s world. We will discuss her exciting her new book, 'Chasing Wrongs and Rights', and get a front row seat to the inner workings of the UN committees as well as the front lines. 

To sign up and read more about the event, please click below or visit our events page.

Kind regards,
Isabella and your friendly team at Books & Company