Archipelago

For the season finale, we sit down with Sherilyn Nicolette Hellberg, an up-and-coming American translator of Scandinavian fiction and non-fiction. After falling in love with Danish literature at school, she swapped Long Island for Copenhagen — and hasn’t looked back.

From deciphering Danish idioms to navigating Copenhagen's literary "hothouse," Sherilyn shares her translation journey. You'll hear about learning a language that can sound like "French underwater", translating books that blur poetry and prose, and why AI can't match the human touch for capturing nuance.

Whether you’re a bookworm or a language lover, this episode is a delightful deep dive into the art and joy of bringing Danish stories to the world.

Links:

Sherilyn’s official website

Waist Deep by Linea Maja Ernst

After the Sun by Jonas Eika

Deficit by Emma Holten

The Employees by Olga Ravn

My Work by Olga Ravn

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

Henrik Knudsen is the Elvis Presley superfan who built Memphis Mansion — a brick-for-brick replica of Graceland in the Danish city of Randers.

From his 148 pilgrimages to America to the legal showdown with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Henrik's story is a rollercoaster of obsession, risk, and rock history. 

This episode is a love letter to fandom, a testament to following your wildest ideas, and a reminder that sometimes, the craziest dreams make the best stories.

Visit https://www.memphismansion.dk/ for more.

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

The Human Library is a groundbreaking initiative founded in Copenhagen in 2000, where instead of borrowing books, visitors "borrow" people — volunteers who share their personal stories and experiences to challenge prejudice and foster understanding.

In this episode, founder Ronni Abergel shares the origins of the project, its global expansion to over 80 countries, and the careful process of selecting and supporting "books" to ensure a safe, respectful environment for both storytellers and readers.

The episode delves into the transformative power of these encounters, both for the volunteers and the public, and discusses the challenges of maintaining the project in a changing social and corporate landscape. This is the extraordinary story of an ongoing mission to break down barriers, one conversation at a time.

Find out more about the Human Library at https://humanlibrary.org/.

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

What if your school week involved colonizing planets, fleeing Nazis, or negotiating with fantasy kingdoms—all while studying history and science?

In this episode, we meet Mathias Granum, the founder of EPOS, a groundbreaking Danish boarding school where students learn through live-action role-play (LARP).

Granum explains how EPOS transforms traditional subjects into immersive experiences that teach not just academic knowledge, but critical life skills like empathy, public speaking, and conflict resolution.

He also shares the school’s journey from idealism to realism, the importance of structure in creative education, and the surprising things he learned from Britain’s strictest school.

It’s a story of costumes, creativity, and the courage to reimagine what learning can be.

Visit epos.dk for more information.

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

Copenhagen Suborbitals is the world’s only volunteer-run, crowdfunded space program. Based in Copenhagen, the group's 70 volunteers are building a DIY spacecraft to send a person to suborbital space.

In this episode, we meet the group's parachute systems lead, Mads Stenfatt, who shares the project’s origins, its shoestring budget (“10% of NASA’s coffee budget”), and the challenges of launching from international waters. He reflects on his journey from skydiver to potential astronaut.

The conversation highlights creativity, community, and Denmark’s unique culture of volunteerism, proving even audacious dreams can begin in unlikely places.

Visit copenhagensuborbitals.com for more information.

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

We're back after almost three years with a brand-new season about people living a life less ordinary — beginning with Danish adventurer Thor Pedersen, who shares his incredible story of visiting every country in the world without flying.

Thor recounts his experiences crossing oceans on cargo ships, navigating through war zones, and enduring the mental and physical challenges that came with this ambitious endeavor.

Despite numerous setbacks, including a two-year pandemic lockdown in Hong Kong, Thor persevered and achieved his goal. He reflects on the kindness of strangers, the cultural insights gained, and the personal growth that came from pushing his limits.

This episode is a testament to human determination and the extraordinary efforts people will make to defy what's considered impossible.

Notes

Learn more on Thor's official website

Buy his book "The Impossible Journey"

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

From the producer and host of Archipelago, Dad Mode Activated explores the reality of becoming a father after the age of 40.

With episodes released every fortnight, the podcast features conversations with late-blooming dads who are rewriting the playbook of modern parenthood.

Expect real-life stories, honest advice and the occasional laugh about the unexpected perks of being dads who remember the ‘80s.

To find out more, visit https://dadmodeactivated.co/

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

“Opening Champagne with a sword is more fun. You can feel it in your stomach.”

So says Marianne Sass Petersen — a bookkeeper from Amager whose life changed when she attended a Champagne sabering competition at Tivoli.

Dedicating herself to the art of opening Champagne bottles with swords, she went on to win the Danish championship — and launch a successful business teaching sabering.

In the final episode of the season, we visit Marianne's house in Amager to find out why she loves sabering, what it entails, and how it could change your life, too.

For good measure, there's a pair of improbable references to hip-hop, as well (neither of them to Liquid Swords, alas).

Further information

Champagne Sabling

Squares and Triangles

Scenery

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

In episode five, we meet the chef trying to put Amager on the culinary map — quite literally.

Yngve Fobian is the head chef at Øens Spisested — a "local" restaurant in more ways than one.

For one thing, most of its ingredients are from Amager — a haul celebrated on a map in the dining room.

Fish come from the icy waters of the Øresund, vegetables from fields near Dragør, game from the island's forests, and fruits and flowers from its commons.

Yngve also gives free meals to locals who share the bounty of their allotment gardens.

Yet at Øens Spisested, locally sourced 'mad ' (Danish for 'food') isn't the only thing on the menu.

Amager's rich — and often infamous — history is, too.

Indeed, Øens Spisested is as much a celebration of the island's identity as its food — which may make it the most distinctive restaurant in town.

Further information

Øens Spisested

Squares and Triangles

Scenery

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.

The Helgoland sea-bathing club, at the northern tip of Amager's beach, is home to one of the world's oldest winter-bathing associations, Det Kolde Gys ("The Cold Shock").

In episode four of This Amarkaner Life, we brave the heat of the sauna and the icy waters of the Øresund to talk to some of the association's hardiest members.

We meet a woman who's been winter bathing for 30 years and a local physio who swims in the sea every morning and is one of the club's saunagus "masters".

They reveal why they love winter bathing so much, how it makes them feel, how to get started, and why Helgoland, in particular, is so special.

Further information

Helgoland

Gys og Gus, by Charlotte Ringbæk et al.

Squares and Triangles

Scenery

Visit www.archipelagoaudio.com for more information.