Interview - Anne Mette Kirk
You were a PR and communications advisor for the Danish Royal Family, and then you threw yourself into becoming a writer with your first novel, BROKEN. Where did you get the courage and motivation?
“I truly had a dream job filled with challenges, amazing experiences and exciting journeys, but then a new dream appeared. A dream of writing the novel that had begun taking shape in my head. Pursuing that dream didn’t feel brave, it just felt right. The motivation was never lacking. When I began writing BROKEN, my alarm clock rang at 05.00 am every morning for me to work without interruption before my family woke up. In the process of writing I have found a driving force that I had no idea I possessed.”
Was that a difficult decision?
“Yes and no. Yes, because I loved my job with the Royal Family and enjoyed travelling to Burkina Faso with the Crown Princess, and around Denmark with the Queen on the summer cruise with her yacht, and fortunately my work has given me experiences to last a lifetime. But basically, the decision was not a difficult one. I believe in pursuing dreams and being on the move throughout life. When my publishing house offered me a contract for two books, I resigned my job with a quivering bottom lip, but I have never regretted the decision. I only looked forward towards a new chapter.”
How has your life changed since you became an author?
“A lot has changed! I’ve thrown myself into something completely new, so I’m constantly on thin ice and feeling my way forward. When BROKEN was published, I felt an amazing calmness inside. The experience from the beginning to the end was fantastic. The book sold very well, it received great reviews, and Nordisk Film bought the film rights. None of which I had expected to happen. But what matters the most is when I read the many emails and messages that my readers send to me, where they write that they have been touched by BROKEN. They’re all stored in a folder on my computer titled ‘to be read on a rainy day’.”