Dear friends of Helsinki Lit,

Many of you have already asked will we arrange the festival this year due to restrictions in Finland, caused by corona-virus infections. Now it is clear that the festival will not happen at least at that form as we originally had planned. Our foreign guests can not travel to Finland at the moment, and events with 500 capacity have been banned until the end of May by the Finnish government.

We are still looking for alternative solution and program together with the national broadcasting company YLE, and we will keep you updated about possible news and plans via our social media channels and website. The main events of Helsinki Lit 15.5.-16.5. are however now cancelled, and those who have bought the tickets may have their money back by contacting lippu.fi.

https://www.lippu.fi/campaign/info-covid-19/

AUTHORS

Max Porter

Max Porter’s small but powerful book Lanny will melt even the most sceptic heart.
Vigdis Hjorth

Vigdis Hjorth is the author of over a dozen prize-winning and bestselling novels. Will and Testament sold 150,000 copies in Norway and has received several awards, including the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature.
László Krasznahorkai

László Krasznahorkai has written five novels and won numerous prizes, including the 2019 National Book Award for Translated Literature, the 2015 Man Booker International Prize, and the 2013 Best Translated Book Award in Fiction for Satantango.
Emilie Pine

Emilie Pine is associate professor of modern drama at University College Dublin, Ireland. Her book Notes to Self is a collection of personal essays.
Matilda Gustavsson

Matilda Gustavsson is the award-winning journalist behind the already historical scoop that has rocked the Swedish Academy.
Alex Schulman

Alex Schulman is a writer and journalist who produces one of Sweden’s most popular weekly podcasts, Alex & Sigge. His latest novel, Burn All My Letters, was lauded unanimously by critics and became a runaway bestseller.
Witold Szabłowski

Witold Szabłowski is an award-winning Polish journalist. The book Dancing Bears was praised in The New York Times.
Patrik Svensson

Patrik Svensson’s The Gospel of Eels (Ålevangeliet) is a rather unusual but imposing book about eel, the world’s most mysterious fish.
Juno Dawson

Juno Dawson is a bestselling YA-novelist, screenwriter, journalist and columnist. She will come to Helsinki to talk about the novel Meat Market.
Aase Berg

Aase Berg’s writing on literature and culture has appeared widely in Sweden. Her most recent book is the wild revenge-themed novel Haggan.
Kayo Mpoyi

Kayo Mpoyi’s Mai Means Water is the debut novel of this Swedish writer. It's inspired by myths told in her own family, whose origins are in Tanzania.
Elina Hirvonen

Helsinki based author Elina Hirvonen will be interviewing Kayo Mpoyi at this year's Helsinki Lit.
Juha Itkonen

Author Juha Itkonen is a regular at Helsinki Lit Festival as a commentator and interviewer. He will be moderating Aase Berg’s and Vigdis Hjorth’s mutual conversation at Helsinki Lit.
Malin Kivelä

Malin Kivelä’s latest novel Hjärtat was awarded with Swedish YLE Literature Prize in 2019. She will be interviewing Emilie Pine at Helsinki Lit.
Pietari Kylmälä

Pietari Kylmälä is a cultural journalist focused on radio, podcasts and writing. Kylmälä is currently on parental leave from the daily current affairs culture program Kulttuuriykkönen at Yle Radio 1, and is hoping to find time to read more books. Photo: Jukka Lintinen
Sirpa Kähkönen

Sirpa Kähkönen is an author and a playwright. She has published ten novels of which three have been nominated for Finlandia Prize, three non-fiction books and three plays.
Markus Leikola

Markus Leikola is a Helsinki based journalist, poet, author, columnist and a consultant. He will meet Witold Szablowski at this year's festival.
Riikka Pelo

Riikka Pelo is one of the masters of modern Finnish prose. She won a Finlandia-Prize in year 2013 with her novel Jokapäiväinen elämämme.
Saska Saarikoski

Alex Schulman’s interviewer, Helsinki based journalist Saska Saarikoski has done a remarkable career as cultural journalist and editorial author.
Sisko Savonlahti

Sisko Savonlahti’s first novel Ehkä tänä kesänä kaikki muuttuu was published in 2018 and was an immediate sales and review success in Finland.
Riikka Suominen

Riikka Suominen is an author and journalist. Her first novel Suhteellisen vapaata has just been published in Finland. The novel is a brave and funny story about sexual desire and love, challenging and questioning traditional monogamy. Photo: Jonne Räsänen/Otava