The story is about the twins Marigold and Rose and follows their thoughts from infancy.

It is partly based on Glück's grandchildren, Emmy and Lizzy, whom she could not meet during the pandemic.

Louise Glück wrote the text and emailed it to her son, who read the story aloud to his family, even though the babies were too young to understand what it was about.

The award-winning poet has never before published either short stories or novels - and during his 79-year life has never had a thought of writing anything other than poetry.

- I would have said that the chances that I would write a book in prose were zero.

Not a chance in the world, she says.

"Marigold and Rose: A Fiction" will be released in November.