On Wednesday, May 8th at 7 PM, Lost City Books will host a truly unique literary event - a reading, Q&A, and book signing celebrating the English translation of the acclaimed Danish novel What Kingdom by Fine Grabol. This mesmerizing debut work won Denmark's prestigious Bogforum Prize for best debut fiction and has earned rave reviews, with Kirkus calling Grabol's prose "vivid and alive" in their starred review. What Kingdom immerses readers in the inner world of a narrator living in a psychiatric care facility in Copenhagen, obsessively attuned to how inanimate objects like furniture and tiles seem to flicker with personalities of their own. Through Grabol's hypnotic, poetic language, mundane routines like peeling a carrot take on profound urgency as the narrator grapples with her past trauma of electroshock therapy and institutionalization. This extraordinary novel asks piercing questions about the blurred lines between care and abuse, trauma and treatment, raising vital perspectives on mental health rarely explored in literature. Attendees will have the chance to hear directly from Grabol about her inspirations and process in crafting this nuanced, heartbreaking yet critical work that the jury praised as "complex, just as life is." Adding to the event's appeal is the opportunity to meet acclaimed translator Martin Aitken, winner of the PEN Translation Prize, who brought Grabol's Danish prose into luminous English. Aitken will be joined in conversation by Lily Meyer, a translator and author of the novel Short War. For D.C.'s literary community, this represents a can't-miss occasion to discover one of Denmark's most vital new voices before many others. Those seeking profoundly moving, mind-bending fiction that pushes boundaries and provokes dialogue should clear their calendars. With limited seats available, secure your spot now for an evening celebrating the power of the written word to transcend borders and transform perspectives.