A committee has been established by Danish Minister of Education Mattias Tesfaye (S) to revise the nation’s 20-year-old literary canon. The existing list used in Danish schools and gymnasiums is set for an update, with a focus on including Greenlandic, Faroese, and Nordic authors, as well as achieving greater gender representation.

The committee’s work has sparked debate about the role of a literary canon in education. While the inclusion of diverse voices is generally welcomed, some question whether a mandated list reflects a lack of trust in teachers to guide students toward significant Danish literature. Critics suggest that relying on a canon is a “medieval” approach that stifles free thought and reduces literature to a set of rules.

Anne-Marie Mai, a literature professor from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), will chair the committee. Among the members is Johannes Riis, the former literary director of Gyldendal, who also participated in the canon’s initial creation two decades ago. The committee’s findings and recommendations are expected to be presented on September 30.

The expansion of the canon has raised concerns about potentially endless additions driven by political goals. Some argue that the focus should extend beyond Nordic literature to include broader European literary giants such as Homer, Dante, Voltaire, Dostoevsky, Austen, Eliot, or Lessing. There is a risk that the canon could become a list of required readings that fail to inspire a genuine love of literature.