Meet Helen Russell: Why Are the Danes—Apparently—So Happy? (program in English below)
The International Folk High School, Montebello Allé 1, Helsingør
Saturday, April 12, 2025, 2:00–3:30 p.m. CEST (1:00–2:30 p.m. BST)
Participation is free, but registration is required below.
Denmark consistently ranks among the top three happiest countries in the world—but what’s the secret, if you ask a foreigner?
When British journalist Helen Russell moved to a small village in Jutland, she set out to find the answer. Can beer, bacon, pastries, and a robust welfare system really make a stressed-out Brit happier? Or do the long, dark winters and salted herring carry more weight on the happiness scale?
The headline “Living Danishly” is taken from the title of Helen’s affectionate and humorous bestseller, a book that explores what Denmark does right (and wrong), the biggest cultural challenges for a foreigner—and how everyone can live a little more like a Dane, no matter where we are.
REGISTRATION FOR THE LECTURE WITH THE ENTIRE RUSSEL GROUP AT THE INTERNATIONAL FOLK HIGH SCHOOL ON SATURDAY, APRIL 12, AT 2:00 PM (CEST)
Attendance is free, but registration is required. Please let us know if you need to cancel so that seats do not go unused. The lecture will be delivered in English—with a strong British accent—and will be streamed live to an audience in Skegness, Lincolnshire, UK.
After the talk, there will be an opportunity to mingle over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.
The lecture will take place in the UN Hall at the International Folk High School, followed by coffee and cake. The event is organized in collaboration with the International Folk High School and the Magnae Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture
About Helen:
Helen Russell is a bestselling author, journalist, speaker, and host. Former editor of marieclaire.co.uk and now the Scandinavia correspondent for The Guardian, her first book, The Year of Living Danishly, became an international bestseller and was adapted for television. She is the author of five critically acclaimed books that have been translated into 22 languages.
Helen writes for magazines and newspapers around the world, including The Times and The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, The Observer, Metro, Grazia, Stylist, and Stella. She has spent the last 12 years studying cultural approaches to emotions and now speaks about her work internationally.
Her "Action for Happiness" and TED talks have been viewed half a million times.
By Helen Russell:
- How to Raise a Viking, The Secrets Behind Parenting the World’s Happiest Children (UK)/The Danish Secret to Happy Children (USA and Canada)
- TED Talk, What Happiness Looks Like Around the World
- X/Instagram/Facebook @MsHelenRussell
- Represented by Anna Power at Johnson & Alcock
Living the Danish Way – with Helen Russell
Saturday, April 12, 1:00–2:30 p.m. BST – (2:00–3:30 p.m. CEST)
Denmark is regularly ranked among the happiest countries in the world, so what’s its secret? Given the chance to start a new life in rural Jutland, Helen Russell wanted to find out. Could beer, bacon, pastries, and a comprehensive social safety net—combined with sky-high levels of trust—really make even a jaded Brit happier? Or would the long, dark winters and pickled herring take their toll?
"Living Danishly " explores where the Danes get it right, where they fall short, the cultural challenges (from a British perspective), and how we might all benefit from adopting a more Danish approach to life—no matter where we are.
The lecture is organized in collaboration between the International Folk High School and the Magnae Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture and will be broadcast live to an audience in Skegness, Lincolnshire.
About Helen:
Helen Russell is a bestselling author, journalist, speaker, and host. Former editor of marieclaire.co.uk and now Scandinavia correspondent for The Guardian, her first book, The Year of Living Danishly, became an international bestseller and was adapted for television. She is the author of five critically acclaimed books that have been translated into 22 languages.
Helen writes for magazines and newspapers around the world, including The Times and The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, The Observer, Metro, Grazia, Stylist, and Stella. She has spent the last 12 years studying cultural approaches to emotions and now speaks about her work internationally.
Here, Action for Happiness and TED Talks have been viewed half a million times.
Helen Russell
- How to Raise a Viking, The Secrets of Being a Parent to the Happiest Children in the World (UK)/The Danish Secret to Happy Children (USA and Canada)
- TED Talk, What Happiness Looks Like Around the World
- X/Instagram/Facebook @MsHelenRussell
Represented by Anna Power at Johnson & Alcock
