Going forward, Danish upper secondary school students will encounter more female authors as well as literature from the Nordic region and the Danish Realm. This development follows the publication of a revised literary canon by the Ministry of Children and Education, based on recommendations from the canon committee established earlier this year by Minister of Children and Education, Mattias Tesfaye. The committee included two associate professors from the Department of Scandinavian Studies and Literature at Aarhus University. 

“It has been both an intense and rewarding process to take part in the committee’s work, where we had to reach common ground. We approached the task with a certain sense of reverence, but we ultimately produced a list that we can all stand by and be proud of,” explains Associate Professor Simona Zetterberg-Nielsen.

The new canon consists of a mandatory list of seven authors with whom all upper secondary students must become familiar, as well as an extended list of twenty-eight authors and two genre categories, from which twelve must be selected. 

“We have reached a sound compromise, although selecting the seven mandatory authors was a difficult task. I am pleased that two more women have been added to the compulsory list, and I also welcome the broader Scandinavian outlook represented in the extended list. This sends an important signal,” states Associate Professor Stefan Kjerkegaard.

Authenticity and Literary Quality
Zetterberg-Nielsen and Kjerkegaard bring complementary expertise to the canon committee: she is a scholar of literary history, while he specializes in contemporary Danish and Scandinavian literature. Both entered the process with the overarching ambition of fostering greater literary appetite among young people, a goal supported by consulting students who were invited to share their perspectives.

“I found it inspiring to hear which values the students emphasized. They highlighted authenticity and literary quality. Inger Christensen, with her linguistic elegance, is an important author to include in the canon,” notes Zetterberg-Nielsen.

Kjerkegaard adds:

“Tove Ditlevsen exemplifies authenticity in an age where inauthenticity is pervasive.”

Both Ditlevsen and Christensen were among the concrete proposals the two scholars brought to the table.

“I was very keen to see Tove Ditlevsen and Inger Christensen included. But this was not my achievement alone—the decision was reached without much difficulty,” Kjerkegaard remarks.

For Zetterberg-Nielsen, another name on the extended list represents a personal priority:

“Charlotta Dorothea Biehl represents a forgotten authorship that deserves renewed attention,” she explains.

Biehl was one of the few Danish female novelists of the eighteenth century. Her fictional works, according to the committee, retain relevance in a contemporary context.

“It is gratifying to see that Simona’s research has contributed to bringing an authorship like Biehl’s back into focus,” adds Kjerkegaard.

Ministerial Approval
Minister Tesfaye has expressed full satisfaction with the committee’s work. In a press release, he affirmed that he would not alter a single comma of the proposed canon.

Nevertheless, the scholars expect the canon to provoke both debate and criticism. Covering seven mandatory authors and twelve optional selections is a demanding task for teachers, and the inclusion of some authors necessarily entails the exclusion of others—meaning that some teachers may no longer find their personal favorites represented.

“I would have preferred to grant teachers a little more freedom. Enthusiasm among teachers is crucial, as it is contagious and can inspire a genuine appreciation of literature. Still, within the framework we were given, I believe we have provided teachers with valuable tools,” says Kjerkegaard.

This is the first revision of the Danish literature canon since 2004. To ensure its continued relevance and contemporary resonance, the committee recommends that the canon be reviewed at regular intervals.

UPDATED 8 October 2025: The Minister for Children and Education adds Nexø to the literature canon.

Contact

Stefan Kjerkegaard
Associated professor, Scandinavian Languages and Literature 
School of Communication and Culture
Mail: norsk@cc.au.dk
Phone: +45 87 16 31 74

Simona Zetterberg-Nielsen
Associated professor, Scandinavian Languages and Literature 
School of Communication and Culture
Mail: norsz@cc.au.dk