A fisherwoman cuts open a fish she has just caught, but the heart of the fish keeps on beating. Unsure of what to do, she swallows the heart. The next day, her hands are numb. The fish heart has contaminated her with a rare disease, and she has to amputate both hands. Without hands, she can’t fish, and her only option is to work as a prostitute in Beijing Palace. Subsequently, she gets a hand transplant from an executed prisoner, she gets pregnant and gives birth to twins. What follows is a surreal and funny story, where characters, episodes and scenes are twisted, rearranged and turned inside out in dizzying, fascinating ways.

Beijing Duck is a sophisticated first novel, by one of Norway’s finest visual artists.