A sharp and compelling literary drama about family, power, and the future of publishing.
For generations, the Høst family has built its legacy on publishing. Now change is unavoidable: matriarch Myrna Høst is nearing retirement, and her two children – Filip, the gifted writer, and Henny, the pragmatic strategist – are both vying to inherit the helm.
Summoned to a remote island for a family strategy meeting, the stage is set for more than a leadership decision. At the heart of the struggle stands Edda – editor, Filip’s wife, and keeper of secrets that could shatter everything. When a manuscript emerges that threatens to expose the family’s hidden past, loyalties are tested and long-suppressed tensions erupt.
Doggerland is an intense, finely tuned chamber drama exploring the fault lines between truth and lies, art and commerce, inheritance and survival. With her signature precision and psychological insight, Agnes Ravatn delivers a novel that feels both timeless and urgent – a story about what is lost, what is inherited, and what it takes to protect both literature and oneself.
Ravatn creates a creeping sense of unease, elegantly bringing the peace and menace of the setting to vivid life. The isolated house on the fjord is a character-like shadow in this tale of obsessions. This is domestic suspense with a twist – creepy and wonderful.
New Books Magazine, UK, About The Bird Tribunal
There’s prime Nordic noir from Agnes Ravatn, whose The Guests boasts a satisfying vein of psychological intensity. The beleaguered Karin is a strongly drawn character, and this is an economically written study of burgeoning paranoia.
Financial Times, UK, About The Guests
The Guests is a tight psychological drama, where one lie follows the other. Ravatn takes us right into the drama. The language is fast paced and elegant, the tone witty and poignant. The plot has just enough invention and nerve that you don’t want to put it down.
Aftenposten, About The Guests
Honestly, I think this book is genius. Really funny, and really great. A small book with a dense plot.
Elle, About The Guests
