Nella Larsen, a prominent Harlem Renaissance author, spent a portion of her young adult life living in Denmark. In her time there, she struggled to fit in as a mixed-race woman.
In 1928, she authored her first novel “Quicksand,” based off her experiences living in Copenhagen. Though the book revolves around the main character, Helga Crane, it is believed to be semi-autobiographical. Though the city has evolved greatly since the publication of “Quicksand,” many of the landmarks and mentions in the novel remain iconic Copenhagen staples, such as Gammel Strand, the bicycling culture, and Smørrebrød.
Despite a lack of existing discourse surrounding the topics Larsen touched on, “Quicksand” stands as an important piece of literature and is widely respected to this day.
Carla Kaplan, Davis Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Professor of WGSS at Northeastern University has done extensive work on Nella Larsen and wrote the introduction for a recent publication of “Quicksand.”
“Larsen wanted readers to feel how different- impossible really- it was for Helga to try and escape racism; racism and sexism follow her wherever she goes.”
Carla Kaplan
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