In an experimental take on epistolary fiction, the book comprises a series of employee statements, which vary in length from a single line (“ Statement 021: I know you say I’m not a prisoner here, but the objects have told me otherwise”) to a couple of pages. The Employees is set aboard a space vessel (the Six-Thousand Ship) in the not-too-distant future, at some point during the 22nd century. The book has been expertly translated by Martin Aitken, who also translates from Norwegian, notably having translated Hanne Ørstavik’s Love, which I reviewed in 2019. Ravn’s oblique novel (published by Lolli Editions) has been shortlisted for the Booker International Prize (with the winner to be announced on 2 June). The Employees is a very short novel (135 pages in the English translation) by Olga Ravn, who is best known in her native Denmark for her poetry. I just finished the first of my 20 books of summer (hosted annually by Cathy at 746 books). Translated from the Danish by Martin Aitken
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