Andrea Hejlskov (DK)

Andrea Hejlskov is certain that they can’t go on like this: her family life is stuck in the mills of civilization. Her husband is unhappy, her children glued to the computer screen. What they know for sure: this is not the life we want to lead. They make a radical decision and move into a cabin in a remote piece of forest in Sweden, void of modern conveniences, off the grid, and aloof from society. Here the family has to relearn the most essential tasks of daily life, like the hacking of wood, the building of a log cabin, outdoor cooking, and what to do if somebody is injured or falls ill. Sometimes the problems are hard to surmount. Sometimes they think of giving up. Sometimes their adventures are great fun. In her book “Wir hier draußen: Eine Familie zieht in den Wald”, the Danish author and environmental activist Andrea Hejlskov tells a remarkably honest story about her crazy departure into the woods that has forever changed the lives of all involved. English reading, hosted and translated by Daniel Beskos (mairisch) in collaboration with the city of Haderslev