Skumringstimen

Every year, people gather at libraries and community centres across the Nordic region to hear the same text read aloud - a shared Nordic moment that transcends national borders. Hobro Library will serve warm drinks while the text is read during the twilight hour.

This year's text is an excerpt from the Swedish novel "De vil drukne i deres mødres tårer" (They Will Drown in Their Mothers' Tears) by Johannes Anyuru - a speculative novel about what could happen to a democratic society like Sweden if democratic values are not defended.

The novel begins with a terrorist attack on a bookshop during a lecture by a controversial cartoonist. The incident is filmed and streamed. The girl behind the camera is later admitted to a forensic psychiatric clinic, where she seeks out an author and tells him she comes from a future, divided Sweden - an account that prompts the author to reflect on his own life and sense of belonging.

The novel explores the consequences of mistrust and exclusion, while also addressing hope, freedom, and the power of language.