Book on the post-colonial relations between Denmark and its former colonies

Aarhus University Press has published a two volume series called "Denmark and the New North Atlantic", and one of the two editors is Ann-Sofie N. Gremaud, assistant professor at the University of Iceland Faculty of Languages and Cultures. In the book a team of historians, literary theorists, art historians, ethnographers and culture and communication scholars discuss the relationship between Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and coastal Norway with Denmark and how the new reality emerging in the Arctic and sub-Arctic areas has changed the political position between these countries. These countries were once party to the former Danish empire which influences their interrelationships, the identity of their citizens, regime, mindsets inherited from the past, and ideas about the future.

Four lecturers at the University of Iceland are among the authors; Ann-sofie N. Gremaud, Guðmundur Hálfdanarson, professor of history and dean of the School of Humanities, Sumarliði Ísleifsson, assistant professor of applied studies in culture and communication and Ólafur Rastrick, associate professor of folkloristics. Ann-Sofie, one of the editors, says the work is noteworthy as the scholars collaborated on their writings, across fields of study and nationalities. This collaboration was crucial for the outcome as the different scholars all had profound insight into the histories, languages and cultures of the North Atlantic countries as an emerging new centre in the North.

Flemming Besenbacher, chair of the Carlsberg Foundation that supported the publication, says the book exemplary for how interdisciplinary collaboration strengthens research. "To be able to take sensible decisions on the future relations between Denmark and its former colonies, we have to understand the past and what ties us to it. This publication is an example of basic research that can contribute to a constructive discussions on important social issues."

Further information can be found on the Aarhus University Press website.