“When I cut off my hand with a machete, my mom made a soup for the poor with the hand.”

Helen Cova in Autosarcophagy - To eat oneself

Helen Cova

Helen Cova, born in Venezuela, is a published Icelandic writer, founder of Editorial Karíba and member of Ós Pressan. Her first book: Snulli likes being alone was published in 2019 in Spanish, Icelandic and English. Her second book, Autosarcophagy-To Eat Oneself, is a collection of short stories for adults. It was published in 2020 in English and Icelandic. Cova's collection of short stories was selected by the national theater of Iceland to be turned into a play.

Her third book, “Snulli learns to say no” is the second book in the Snulli series and was published in 2022.

Following the success of her first children's books, Helen Cova published a third book: Svona tala ég (This Is How I Speak) which got a nomination to the best Icelandic children's book category at the Reykjavík UNESCO City Children's Literature Award.

Cova's work has been published in anthologies and literary magazines, both in Iceland and abroad; including “Ós - The Journal”. “Tímarit máls og menningar”, “Skaldreki”, “Ordskælv” and “The Polaris Trilogy” an anthology destined to land on the south pole of the moon aboard a NASA space flight.

Helen Cova has participated in festivals like Vancouver Writers Fest, Opin Bók in Ísafjörður and the New York Sant Jordi festival Sant Jordi USA as well as various events throughout Iceland.

Helen Cova in Goodreads:

Articles and interviews:

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“This morning I woke up as an astronaut. I suspected it due to the heaviness I felt in my limbs when getting out of bed, but I confirmed it in front of the mirror: I woke up being an astronaut, full suit and all.”

Helen Cova in Autosarcophagy - To eat oneself