Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen talks about his latest novel Victim 2117 and how it explores the subjects of the refugee crisis, terrorism and youth isolation.
Jussi Adler-Olsen is an award winning Danish crime writer, publisher, editor and entrepreneur. In 1984, he made his debut as a non-fiction writer. 1997 saw his debut as a fiction writer. His latest novel Victim 2117 is the 8th volume in the hugely successful Department Q series. Jussi's books are widely available through Suffolk Libraries.
Once I had learnt to read, I loved all the classics: Dickens, Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas, and later also John Steinbeck, Frederick Forsyth and Alistair McLean. The first really big success of writing in my life was when I was in school. I got the highest grade that had ever (at that point) been given in my school district for an essay. I was to write a story from a series of pictures depicting a stranding and when I think back, I know that images like that have really always been a great source of inspiration to me.
It really reflects on the very different periods of my life. I have always loved the Marx Brothers and at the time I wrote about Groucho Marx it was possible for me to dive into that universe. It was a time when I owned a publishing house and was looking for a book to be sold up to Christmas which I hoped would sell well. It did. It was a long time ago. Now I have the opportunity to create my own stories, I guess I just got to the stage where I felt I had enough life experience to venture out on my own path creating my own universe.
I try to turn my reader’s attention to something which I find important to pay attention to. In this novel it is the refugee crisis, it is terrorism and it is what I also see as a great problem, young people isolating themselves. I do not point the finger at anyone, but I do try and make my readers aware of issues that I find important. At the same time, it is also a novel about the use - or rather misuse - of the press.
Yes, I did write a synopsis for the whole series and I do know the last sentence of the last novel in the series. But of course things happen in the world, no one could have foreseen the immigration crisis, and when I saw the counter on the beach in Barcelona, tallying up the number of deaths in the Mediterranean I knew I had to incorporate a story about one of those individuals into my prepared story - as it says "no one is just a number".
I know that some writers have been incredibly productive, but I haven't. I have focused on my nearest and dearest and been grateful that so far no one I love has caught the virus. And then I have been watching an insane amount of TV series and films in between following the news closely.
My father told me "Jussi, you are a lucky person with many talents. Try them out one by one." This has given me the confidence to go for it.
To me empathy is what matters. In this world, when we have to see as few people as is safe, we need to reach out to those we cannot meet with and tell them that even though we cannot meet each other we still think of them. Human kindness is essential to living a good life. And reaching out to others is vital.
As a child Mr. Mørk was a very dear friend to me. He was one of my father's psychiatric patients and had killed his wife, but he was the most gentle soul you could imagine. He gave me my first kitten.
