Behind The Story: Reporting From Denmark
Behind The Story: Reporting From Denmark
This new limited series will give you a peek into my pitching, reporting, and writing process as a freelance journalist
Whenever I read a feature story in a publication, I often wonder how the writer came up with the idea. How did the journalist finagle visiting [insert dreamy destination]? Or, what was it like to ask [insert impressive figure] if they could write a profile about them? Or, maybe even more practical, how did they pitch that to their editor? There are many ways a writer can go about it—and certainly lots of nuances, logistics, and complications that can take years to iron out.
To demystify my process, I’m going to share more about how I landed a few of my reporting opportunities in this new limited series I’m calling Behind The Story. I’ll be sure to pick different types of stories, like a profile versus an essay, to give you a good sense of my thinking through each process.
Feel free to drop any questions in the comments. I hope it’s insightful.
In summer 2023, I found myself in Denmark to report a story about Nanny Glerup and her wool slipper company, Glerups, celebrating its 30th year. She and her late husband, Ove, officially incorporated the brand in 1993 after years of experimenting with different felting processes and the lustrous fibers of Gotland sheep. Their story is one of love and persistence.
I visited their homestead in mid June, when it was warm with a cool, gentle breeze most days. On my second day there, I sat on a patio in the sun, petting one of the blue-eyed cats that roamed the grounds of Glerups headquarters. Earlier, I had eaten a traditional Danish lunch of pickled herring on toast and small bites at Nanny’s house. The spread also included hard-boiled eggs, bread, shrimp, and dips, all served in pretty dishes over a fuchsia checkered tablecloth from Nanny’s linen collection. After eating, Nanny and I moved to the couch corner of her home for the interview. Her stories made me laugh and cry.
This project was a dream come true. To profile an artisan, especially one abroad, was what I hoped I’d be doing when I became a journalist.
You can read the story here, in Field Mag.
How I Found The Idea
In this case, the idea came to me. The PR team for Glerups is one I adore and have worked with closely on all kinds of stories since 2018. An email landed in my inbox one day last May with the subject line, “Current projects?” Inside, was an invitation to cover “an exclusive editorial story for an in depth feature on Glerups and founder, Nanny Glerups.” It went on to say, “We’d be taking you to Denmark to visit their HQ and get a behind-the-scenes look at the brand.” What an honor to be considered! Because the opportunity included an expenses-covered field trip out of the country, I was expected to confirm a story beforehand. (This is not always the case with press trips and can be tricky to navigate with straight journalism publications.) I asked my PR friend a few follow-up questions about Nanny and the trip to help round out my pitch, and I did my own independent research on the brand to know what I was getting myself into.
How I Pitched It
I wanted to choose a publication that would appreciate design and craftsmanship, as well as the heartfelt story about the company’s founding. I pitched Kinfolk, Beside, Outside, and Laine Magazine (a Finnish publication about knitting) all within the span of a week, but either got no response or was told it wasn’t the right fit. Shoot your shot, right? When I pitched Field Mag, a digital magazine devoted to good design and the great outdoors, the editor (someone I already knew) quickly accepted it in the following form. The trip was still weeks away.
Unearthing Hygge with Danish Slipper Maker Nanny Glerup
With a knack for self-sufficiency, Danish mother Nanny Glerup enrolled in a felting course to hand-make a pair of wool boots for her husband, Ove. The shoes are snug and sturdy, and they last him for years to come. Opting for a slower, more intentional lifestyle, in 1985 the couple buys a rundown farm in Denmark's Northern Jutland and promptly fills it with Gotland sheep. Nanny uses their wool to make shoes for family and friends, but in 1993 at the age of 53, she decided to turn her generous hobby into a family business called Glerups. Celebrating three decades in business this year, Nanny is still designing these minimalist wool boots at the farm, taking care of her sheep, and heading up Glerups' manufacturing in Romania. Her personal endeavor-turned-business is a true commitment to the Danish way of life. After all, slippers are synonymous with the hygge philosophy of contentment and happiness.
For Field, I see this piece being a behind-the-scenes peek at Glerups, similar to these stories about Kings Glassing and William Ellery. It could also be a Q&A, but I think a narrative with first-person reporting will be most interesting. I'm visiting the farm this June (as the only journalist invited) when I'll get to spend a few days with Nanny to learn more about her craft, life on the farm, and her brand's zero-waste efforts. I anticipate time with the sheep, hopefully a demo on felting shoes, and complete immersion in the slower Danish culture—all of which make for compelling and candid conversation. Glerups has also promised stunning imagery from the trip.
How I Reported It
On the plane to Denmark, I came up with an exhaustive list of all the questions I wanted to ask Nanny. I kept it in the notes app on my phone. Things like, what was it like starting a business as a second career? What roles did you and Ove assume in the business? What about the Gotland breed do you love?
As soon as I arrived at the property, my brain entered what I call note-taking mode. I became hyper sensitive to little sensory details like feelings, scents, colors, and small talk. I messily typed out these details in my notes whenever I had a moment. Some things I wrote down included the color of the grass during an ATV tour of the farm led by Nanny’s son, the colorful items and artwork in Nanny’s home, and the cheerfulness of the employees I met at lunch.
When it came to the official interview—we had just been getting to know each other up until then—the brand’s communications manager helped us translate and guide the conversation. Even though Nanny’s English is quite good, I don’t know a lick of Danish, so there were some things that needed further explaining. Nanny’s story also spans many decades, so there was a natural tendency for us to get off track in our limited amount of time. I didn’t get to ask all my questions, but that ended up being okay. Sometimes it’s better to let the source take the lead.
Between recording conversations, keeping notes on my phone, and taking photos, I went home with a robust account of my time there. Any questions I had in the writing process, I checked over email with Glerups and PR team for clarification.
How I Wrote It
It was important to me to start in scene with something illustrative of Nanny and her hard work. I wanted readers to see what I saw, feel what I felt when I was there. The scene that was strongest in my mind was our time in her spacious workshop, where she gave me a demo on her felting process. There was movement, an interesting setting, and quips from Nanny that could reveal her character. Once I set up the scene in my draft, I then dove into the history of the brand and its significance, using information gleaned from my visit to move the narrative from past to present. How it was started, the trial and error period, successes, up to today.
I wanted to end on Nanny to bring the brand profile full circle. I didn’t have any quotes from my time with her that made for a perfect last line, so I combed through my secondary sources. As part of my follow ups, my contacts had sent me some written materials from Nanny, and in there, I found the perfect fit.
Writing the story spanned three weeks. First came the outline, last were the final days of finesse. This one was a challenge because I had so much information to distill. Lots of really beautiful moments and memories didn’t make it in—like the visit to a partner Gotland sheep farm and a water gymnastics workout with Nanny. Often that’s how stories reported in the field go. Those moments I get to keep for myself—or use to inform my next pieces if another opportunity arises.
this was so helpful! this post and hopefully series to come really helps distill the dream of 1). writing, 2). traveling for writing, 3). getting published in the coolest publications 4). wanting a sheep homestead to make wool slippers for my lover! thank you for this, from a writer who is working on this exact stuff for myself<3
Not surprisingly, I LOVED this post, and thank you for the honest insider look. We've talked about our processes before, and I always appreciate the vulnerability and insight. I'm actually in the middle of writing my "Byline Roundup 2023" for my own blog. Spoiler alert: I had more pitches rejected (or ghosted) than accepted and I'm awkwardly laugh-crying over here.