Yahya Hassan, a Danish poet of Palestinian descent who made headlines as a teenager in 2013 for a book that was critical of Muslims has died at 24, his publishing house says Thursday.
Danish poet, Yahya Hassan in Copenhagen on September 11, 2013.(AP/Polfoto, Jacob Ehrbahn)
His editor at Gyldendal, Simon Paternak, calls Hassan’s death “a disaster.” The publishing house gave no further details. Although Hassan had received death threats, police say they did not immediately suspect a criminal act.
Hassan’s self-titled book has sold more than 120,000 copies since its publication. Most poetry books in Denmark sell fewer than 500 copies, according to the industry.
In his poetry, Hassan criticized what he claimed was a culture of hypocrisy underpinning Denmark’s Muslim population. He pointed to his Palestinian immigrant parents and their generation as the reason why he quit school and committed petty crimes.
— AP
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