Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, in which Crimson is set. Photograph: Alamy
One has to understand Greenland to understand the excitement that greeted Niviaq Korneliussen’s debut when it was published there in 2014 as Homo Sapienne.
Crimson, which came out of Korneliussen’s success in a short story competition, tells the tale of four queer characters living in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Though their ages are not specified, it’s a safe bet to assume they are in their 20s. Nuuk’s population is nearly 18,000; Greenland’s, 56,000. The novel, a slim 200 pages, is told from different points of view: Fia, who has broken up with her long-term boyfriend; Inuk, Fia’s brother and best friend of Arnaq (who is allowing Fia to stay with her); Sara, whom Fia falls in love with; and Ivik, Sara’s girlfriend.
Korneliussen’s exploration of LGBT lifestyles has jolted Greenland’s small literary scene. In a recent profile of her for 1843 magazine, the interviewer visited a Greenlandic bookshop and found a single wall of native literature. Most books are Danish imports, with Nordic noir particularly popular. Korneliussen’s decision to write in Greenlandic, then, was met with intrigue and celebration. She has also translated the book into Danish – a version that has been acclaimed (and on which this English version is based). Would such praise have been the outcome were it not for her age (28), the scarcity of Greenlandic fiction, and Crimson’s fresh subject matter?….
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/02/crimson-niviaq-korneliussen-review
After the truth-shower 