There are certain ‘objects’ that are being discussed, and the crew’s relation to them appears to be a manner of great concern that is slowly being revealed to the readers. They are being issued by the crew of the Six-Thousand Ship: humans and humanoids.

This choice of narration is by no means an ordinary one, it actually represents one of the bravest writing endeavours that I’ve encountered in literature, whose success is located in the tension that’s being built as the statements progress. As the novel progresses, one becomes aware of the layers of meaning, which are somewhat shuffled, and are slowly being revealed in a non-linear manner. The work is of a fragmentary character, with its magnificently crafted structure revealing information regarding the plot and the protagonists in forms of statements that are being issued over a period of 18 months to a certain committee.

The Employees has been compared to Samuel Beckett’s oeuvre, and it truly builds upon a foundation of a similar grandeur, for Ravn is a remarkable writer – kudos to the translator for managing to transpose the beauty of her style into English. Bearing in mind the fact that Septemmarks the International Translation Day, we’ve decided to share with you a treasure of translated fiction: Olga Ravn’s masterful novel titled The Employees, which was translated from the Danish by Martin Aitken and will be published by Lolli Editions.

The employees olga ravn