Kirstine Reffstrup

Kirstine Reffstrup is a Danish novelist. She writes literary fiction. She is best known for I, Unica (2016) and Iron Lung (2023), which won the Stig Sæterbakken Memorial Prize.

Kirstine Reffstrup was born in Denmark in 1979. She later moved to Norway. She studied art history and creative writing. She also attended Skrivekunstakademiet in Bergen. She now lives in Oslo.

Her first novel, I, Unica (2016), marked her debut. The book received a strong critical response. It was nominated for several prizes in Denmark and Norway. These included the Debut Prize and the Montana Prize of Literature in 2016. It was also nominated for Literature of the Year by Natt & Dag in Norway.

In the same year, she was awarded a grant by Statens Kunstfonds Legatutvalg (2016). The award supported her continued work as a writer. Her early career placed her within Nordic literary circles across borders.

Her second novel, Iron Lung (2023), appeared seven years later. It was translated into English by Hunter Simpson and published by Peirene Press. The story continued her focus on bodily states and inner pressure.

In 2023, Reffstrup received the Stig Sæterbakken Memorial Prize in Norway. The jury cited her refusal of easy realism. They praised her language and form. In the jury statement, they wrote that her novels “develop their own logic and their autonomous language.”

Iron Lung (2023) was also nominated for the Politiken Literature Prize in Denmark. The prize recognised her two novels together. The jury linked her work to courage in form and content.

Across both novels, Reffstrup explores physical limits and perception. Her writing often blends beauty with discomfort. The books resist a strict realism and follow their own rules.

Kirstine Reffstrup continues to write and live in Oslo.

Photo: Sofie Amalie Klougart