Rediscovered: Dracula - Monster, Villain and Sex Symbol

Dracula - literary discussion on vampire mythology: Thursday 12 November 2026, 17:00–18:30, Hovedbiblioteket, Copenhagen. Admission is free.

Bram Stoker's Dracula from 1897 is one of the most adapted novels in literary history - over 500 times. But the vampire myth has deeper roots: John Polidori's The Vampyre (1819) created the seductive aristocratic vampire, and Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla (1872) explored female vampirism and lesbian desire. This event dives into the stories that paved the way for Dracula.

From Claes Bang's Count Dracula in the Netflix series Dracula to Robert Eggers' recent Nosferatu, the figure lives on screen. But what is it about the vampire that continues to fascinate - and what does our attraction to darkness, desire and seduction say about ourselves?

Three guests contribute to the conversation: Jakob Levinsen, editor, critic and translator, who has newly translated Dracula for Lindhardt and Ringhof; Anders Jørgen Mogensen, author and editor at Forlaget Escho, who has published Polidori's The Vampyre and Le Fanu's Carmilla in the series Udenlandsk fugl; and Christian Monggaard, film and TV editor at Dagbladet Information, author and podcast host, who has followed Dracula's life in film and television.

The event is part of the library's series Rediscovered, which focuses on classics that have been overlooked or forgotten in Denmark. It takes place on Store Scene, LIVE, 4th floor, Copenhagen Main Library, 17:00-18:30. Free admission without reserved seats - the view is limited from certain seats, so please arrive early. The hall opens at 16:30.