New Political Crime Novel
New release: "Vit, Føroya fólk" is the title of the political crime novel by Bjørk Maria Kunoy. Bjørk Maria Kunoy is born in 1991 and raised in Danmark and the Faroe Islands. She has studied law at the university in Copenhagen. "Vit, Føroya fólk" is her debut novel.
The governmental coalition presided by Magnus Tindholm has prepared a bill establishing a constitution for the Faroe Islands, requiring a referendum the following spring. The Danish government is displeased and cannot accept the bill as it provides the Faroese parliament, Løgtingið, with the highest authority in the Faroe Islands. The four Faroese governmental parties are seeking to challenge the framework of the collision between Faroe Islands and Denmark in order to exploit self-interests that are not met by the Danish government. Thus, the Faroese people are indifferent to the case, and disputes within the parties threaten the foundation of the referendum of the Faroese Constitution, Føroya grundlóg.
During these difficult tractions between the Government of the Faroe Islands and the Danish Government three large fishing vessels from the Faroe Islands are detained and later arrested by Norwegian authorities on alleged illegal fisheries in the loophole area in the Barents Sea. The Faroese authorities are not able to act autonomously with the Norwegian government in this delicate matter as foreign affairs remains within the competence of the Danish realm. Therefore, the Faroese government urges Danish authorities to intervene on their behalf but it becomes apparent that the Danish government has its own agenda that overrides the concern of the Faroe Islands.
Several characters take the reader through the plot including the heads of the parties that form the Faroese government, the vessel owner of the arrested fishing vessels and a young female civil servant. The novel goes through their political, emotional and personal development throughout the story and challenges these on various accounts.
The novel was published in late May, and artist Heiðrik á Heygum has illustrated the front page.
