Debut Novel: Psykodrotningin sigur frá

Faroese author Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir has released her debut novel, "Psykodrotningin sigur frá" which - according to the author - is a semi-biographical hybrid novel. Her two poetry collections "Undirfloyma" (2015) and "Korallbruni" (2017) express her deep interest in nature and landscapes whereas her debut novel is about troubled inner landscapes; mental illness and psychoses. The novel is a mixture of poems, diary notes, prose and illustrations all written and created by Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir.

"With this novel, I want to describe the journey out of a psychosis. The novel begins with the description of traumatic experiences which gradually shape and form the mental illness and lead to paranoia, inner voices and hallucinations. The established psychiatric system does not acknowledge the healing power of investigating traumas of the past, and sees medicine as the main solution. Medicine has serious side-effects and mutes all emotions. It's not until you get back in contact with your emotions that the healing process may begin" says Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir. The novel is published by Eksil.

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my head is about to burst
I call the emergency service and cry
I say that I'm about to die
the doctor asks me to go to the emergency ward

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I sit for a long time in the waiting room
finally it's my turn
the doctor is a woman
she is blonde
and has a gentle voice
she asks:
how are you?
do you eat three times a day?
do you sleep in the night?
do you want to live?
do you see or hear things that others don't?

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the doctor says that I should go
to a psyciatric emergency ward
they are more capable of helping me