On stage

Ayòbámi Adébáyò

Ayòbámi Adébáyò

Saturday

Ayòbámi Adébáyò’s debut novel, Stay With Me was shortlisted for the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. She is one of the brightest stars in Nigerian literature today.

Naja Marie Aidt

Naja Marie Aidt

Saturday

Naja Marie Aidt’s latest novel, Carl’s Book  is an autofictive novel dealing with the her adult son’s sudden death in 2015. Carl’s Book will be published in Finnish in March 2018 and later this year in English.

Johannes Anyuru

Johannes Anyuru

Friday

Johannes Anyuru is one of the most acclaimed young writers on the contemporary Swedish literary scene. His latest novel De kommer att drunkna i sina mödrars tårar was awarded with the August Prize in 2017.

John Freeman

John Freeman

Saturday

American writer and a literary critic John Freeman was the editor of Granta until 2013, nowadays he publishes his own magazine called Freeman’s which concentrates on short stories from all over the world.

Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde

Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde

Friday

Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde’s second book, What We Owe, is becoming an international phenomenon. The praised novel, a strong story about motherhood and hope, has been sold to more than 20 countries.

Kim Leine

Kim Leine

Saturday

Kim Leine has written an epic novel about European history, about war and peace, evil and good.

Samanta Schweblin

Samanta Schweblin

Friday

Feverish stories from rural Argentina. The author Samanta Schweblin has been compared to the director David Lynch. Her latest novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker Award 2017.

Domenico Starnone

Domenico Starnone

Saturday

Domenico Starnone, one of the most well known Italian writers internationally, has now been translated to Finnish for the first time with the novel Ties.

Morten Strøksnes

Morten Strøksnes

Friday

A salty story of friendship, adventure, and the explosive life that teems beneath the ocean. The novel Havsboken by the Norwegian author Morten Strøksnes’ is becoming an international bestseller.

Ilmar Taska

Ilmar Taska

Friday

Ilmar Taska writes about Estonian life during the Sovjet era in his reclaimed debut novel Pobeda 1946: A Car Called Victory. Taska is one of the most active cultural figures in his home country.

Cristóvão Tezza

Cristóvão Tezza

Saturday

Cristóvão Tezza is one of the leading contemporary novelists of Brazil. His big breakthrough novel, O filho eterno/Eternal Son is now followed by the novel Professor.

Ebba Witt-Brattström

Ebba Witt-Brattström

Saturday

Swedish author Ebba Witt-Brattström is the professor of Nordic Literature at the University of Helsinki. She’s known as a non-fiction writer, but published her first novel in 2016 which is now translated in Finnish.

Koko Hubara

Koko Hubara

Saturday

Koko Hubara started a blog few years ago. Now the blog, Ruskeat tytöt/Brown Girls is a remarkable small media in Finland. Hubara’s first esssey collection was published last year dealing with the topics of gender, race and popular culture.

Juha Hurme

Juha Hurme

Friday

Juha Hurme is one of the most well-known theatre directors in Finland as well as an author. His latest novel Niemi won the Finlandia Prize in 2017.

Sirpa Kähkönen

Sirpa Kähkönen

Saturday

Sirpa Kähkönen is a beloved author as well as an active spokesperson for writers. Kähkönen has been the president of Finnish PEN and is now the president of the Finnish Authors Association.

Laura Lindstedt

Laura Lindstedt

Saturday

Laura Lindstedt’s contemporary novel Oneiron won the Finlandia Prize in 2015 and has been sold to a dozen countries.

Maria Manner

Maria Manner

Saturday

Maria Manner is a journalist at the leading newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. She has worked as a correspondent in Brazil.

Sofi Oksanen

Sofi Oksanen

Friday

The novelist and playwright Sofi Oksanen returns to Helsinki Lit. This year, she will interview Estonian author Ilmar Taska.

Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo

Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo

Friday

Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo is a versatile Finnish-Swedish writer who has published novels, short stories, dramatics – and most recently a graphic novel.

Jani Toivola

Jani Toivola

Friday

Jani Toivola is a Finnish actor, dancer and politician. He debuted as a writer in 2016 with an autobiographical book, and is now publishing a new book – written for his daughter.

Kjell Westö

Kjell Westö

Friday

Kjell Westö is the leading Finnish-Swedish author, who has been awarded and praised for three decades.

The Berlin Sound Poets Quoi Tête

The Berlin Sound Poets Quoi Tête

Friday

The Berlin Sound Poets Quoi Tête explores vocal-based performances of poetry, experimental music, and a conceptual linguistic approach with solos, and different group formations.

Programme

Friday May 25th

Savoy Theatre
Doors open at 16.30
Hosted by Pekka Strang

17.00

Welcoming words!

17.05-17.45

Johannes Anyuru (SE) & Kjell Westö (in Swedish)

17.50-18.20

Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde (SE) & Jani Toivola (in English)

18.25-18.55

Ilmar Taska (EE) – Sofi Oksanen (in English)

19.20-20.00

Samanta Schweblin (AR) & Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo (in English)

20.05-20.45

Morten Strøksnes (NO) – Juha Hurme (in English)

20.50-21.20

Berlin Sound Poets

Vocal poetry concert, multilingual

Saturday May 26th

Savoy Theatre
Doors open at 12.30
Hosted by Pekka Strang

13.00-13.30

Ayòbámi Adébáyò (NG) – Laura Lindstedt (in English)

13.35-14.05

Cristóvão Tezza (BR) – Maria Manner (in English)

14.10-14.40

Naja Marie Aidt (DK) – John Freeman (US) (in English)

14.40-14.55

Jarl Hellemann -palkinnon jako

15.25-16.00

Domenico Starnone (IT) – Philip Teir (in English)

16.05-16.45

Kim Leine (DK) – Sirpa Kähkönen (in English)

16.50-17.20

Ebba Witt-Brattström (SE)  – Koko Hubara (in English)

The International Literature Festival Helsinki Lit celebrates the 5th anniversary of 17-18 May 2019. As before, the program will consist of a dozen profound and entertaining literary talks. The idea of ​​the festival is to bring  contemporary literature to Helsinki and to pair international writers......

Helsinki Lit, the festival that celebrates translated fiction and great ideas, is back for the fourth time! This year’s festival hosts authors from Europe, North America, South America and Africa. It will be held in Savoyt theatre on May 25th and 26th. Friday 25.5. Golnaz......