Guest Authors

Anne Puumala is a Writer and a Journalist from Seinäjoki. Her work centers around culture and history, in her debut non-fiction work Fransin kirje 1918 she opens up new perspectives on the Finnish Civil War through a single letter found by chance. In her work, she combines investigative journalism, history and personal human destinies into an interesting whole.

Anni Reuter is a sociologist and researcher who studies the history, memory and culture of the Ingrian Finns. Her research also deals with Stalin’s persecutions, deportations, diaspora and the experiences of ethnic minorities. Reuter’s non-fiction book Suomalaiset Stalinin vanioissat  published in 2023, it tells the story of forgotten Finns who were persecuted, exiled and killed during the regime of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union.

Axel Åhman is a writer, musician, journalist and comedian from Ostrobothnia, he is also known as a member of the band KAJ. He writes both fiction and plays for both stage and television. Åhman’s work combine humor and warmth with tragedy, their events often being set in the Ostrobothnian rural landscape. 

Åhman made his debut as a writer with the short story collection Rääppöö , in which he examines everyday situations, growing up, manhood, and social norms. His first novel, Tulisielu, was published in Finnish in 2026. 

Ellen Strömberg is a Finnish-Swedish author, she has been blogging and working with creative writing for years now. She writes for children, young people and adults.

Strömberg, grew up in Luoto and now lives in Pietarsaari. She is best known for her insightful and humorous depictions of youth she the August Prize in 2022 for her young adult novel  We’ll just go by it, the work was also nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize and the Nordic Council Children’s and Young Adult Literature Prize. In the work she tackles themes of friendship, small town boredom and growing up. 

Emmi Itäranta is an award-winning speculative fiction writer based in Tampere. Her debut work Teemestarin kirja (2012) has become a classic, having been translated into over 20 languages ​​and adapted into a film. 

Itäranta’s second novel, The City of Woven Alleys, was published in 2015. For her third work, Moonlight Letters, she received the Tähtivaeltaja Prize in 2021. The Snowsinger (2026) tells the story of Louhe from the Kalevala and marked a return to the world of fantasy. The work was nominated for the Runeberg Prize in 2026.

Enni Mustonen based in Mänstälä Finland, is the pen name of author, researcher and screenwriter Kirsti Manninen. Her beloved novels are known for their vivid historical descriptions and captivating stories, which examine Finnish history particularly through the lives of women. Mustonen’s works have sold over a million copies in Finland.

Erkka Mikkonen is a foreign correspondent and non-fiction writer for Yle, specializing in Russia and international politics. He worked as Yle’s Moscow correspondent from 2019 to 2022 and has also served as a South American correspondent.

Mikkonen’s non-fiction book Homona Putinin Russa, published in 2026, is a personal and insightful description of the transformation of Russia and the status of sexual and gender minorities during Putin’s rule. The work combines personal experience with a broader societal examination.

Janne and Johnny Ramstedt are twin brothers from Pietarsaari, Finland, who currently live in Turku. In addition to writing, they also work on comics. The brothers write together in Swedish and are particularly known for their fast-paced Hanna Becker detective series.

The first part of the series, The Man Who Cried Wolf, was published in Finnish in 2025. In the work, Hanna Becker, who has had an international police career, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and the world of conspiracy theories. The second part of the series, The Fifth Commandment , and the third part, Innocent, continue Becker’s adventures.

Jessikka Aro is a journalist, non-fiction writer and journalist specializing in Russian information influence. She worked for a long time as a journalist for Yle and has become known especially for her journalism covering Russian online propaganda and information warfare. Her work has been awarded, among others, the Grand Journalism Award. 

Aro’s debut non-fiction book, Putin’s Trolls (2019), deals with Russia’s information warfare and its effects on the West. It was followed by Putin’s World War (2024), which exposes Russia’s covert operations and information warfare against the West. Putin’s USA, published in 2025, deals with Russia’s cyber and influence operations in the United States. Aro currently serves as Tehy’s communications director.

Johanna Venho is an award-winning author and poet who writes for both adults and children. Her diverse productions have been translated into multiple languages. Having been nominated for several awards including the Finlandia Prize in 2019 for her historical novel The First Woman, about Sylvi Kekkonen . Her latest novel What Love Does to Us (WSOY 2026) is based on the life of Maria Raunio (1872-1911), a member of parliament and a seamstress. 

Juhani Karila is a writer and journalist from Pelkosenniemi, Lapland. His debut short story collection Gorilla (2013) was critically acclaimed and placed second in the Helsingin Sanomat debut book competition. 

Karila’s novel The Catch of a Small Pike (2019)  about aggressive ambush predators has become an international bestseller having been translated into several languages. Karila also won the JH Erkko writing competition in 2010. 

Juuli Niemi  is a writer and poet whose debut work  Tara  was published in 2003. Her second collection of poems  Pitkästä ilostan  (2005) deals with growing up and conflicted friendship. Her short story collection  Tule hyvä  contains nine stories about young people in the midst of change. 

Youth, growth and human relationships are central themes in Niemi’s texts. she is also involved  in the audiobook Runoa! (2008), in which eight young poets interpret their own texts.

Ivan Maniraho is a Rwandan-born social worker and writer living in Finland . His work deals with identity , belonging and social issues . His debut novel, Why the Sun, published in 2025 deals with a young boy and his journey from the Rwandan civil war to the suburbs of Helsinki Finland.

Kaisa Viitala is a communications designer, historian and author who has also published under the maiden name Ikola. She is particularly known for her historical novel series Nummien kutsu , in which the main character Agnes is based on Viitala’s own experiences living with a congenital musculoskeletal disorder. The first two parts of the series, As a Guest of the Clan and Under the Protection of the Clan , have been recognized for two consecutive years in the Romance and Feelgood category of the Storytel Awards. Viitala’s works combine historical background work, strong characters and compelling stories.

Kjell Westö is one of Finland’s most respected contemporary writers writing in Swedish. He began his career as a poet and later switched to prose. In Westö’s novels, history, Helsinki, human relationships and societal changes intertwine into multidimensional stories. 

Westö has received numerous significant literary awards, including the Finlandia Prize for his novel Where We Walked Once and the Nordic Council Literature Prize for his book Kangastus 38. His works have been translated into over 20 languages ​​and adapted for film, television and theatre. 

Marko Hautala is a writer from Vaasa, known for his atmospheric and psychologically charged horror novels. He has been called the Stephen King of Finland for his ability to combine eerie and exciting elements with everyday environments. Hautala has worked, among other things, as a teacher, film translator and psychiatric hospital nurse. He has received the Kalevi Jäntti Prize and the Tiiliskivi Prize, and his works have been translated into several languages. In addition to his work as a writer, Hautala served as the artistic director of Vaasa’s bilingual Vaasa LittFest literature festival in 2013–2015.

Monika Fagerholm is one of Finland’s most respected contemporary writers. Writing in Swedish, Fagerholm is known for her original style, strong characters, and atmospheric novels that weave together memories, relationships, and stories of growing up. 

Fagerholm has received several major literary awards, including the August Prize, the Nordic Council Literature Prize and the Finlandia Prize. His best-known works include Beautiful Women on the Beach, The American Girl, The Electric Theatre and Who Killed Bambi?.

Olli Jalonen  is one of Finland’s most respected prose writers. He entered the literary field in 1978 with the short story collection  Unien tausta . Jalonen’s extensive output includes novels, short stories and non-fiction, which examine, among other things, life, human relationships and the passage of time. 

Jalonen has received numerous literary awards, including the Finlandia Prize in 1990 for his novel  Isäsiksi ja tyttäreksi . His works have been translated into several languages. Jalonen received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tampere in 2006 and has also worked as a journalist, public relations officer and researcher.

Saila Susiluoto is a writer and poet living in Perniö, known for her diverse and experimental work. She has published several works of poetry, a novel, and works combining digital and sound art. Susiluoto’s poetry combines mythology, history, and the present in an original way. 

Susiluoto has received, among others, the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Finland Prize and the Einari Vuorela Poetry Prize. She was also nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2012. Her most recent works are the acclaimed Akheron (2024) and Ritual (2025). Susiluoto’s poems have been translated into 15 languages.

Siri Kolu is a writer, dramaturge, director and theatre teacher. She is known as a versatile storyteller whose work combines literature, theatre and imagination. Kolu, who lives in Vantaa, writes with an open mind for readers of all ages and has also served as a Lukuinto ambassador. 

A lover of vintage clothes, flea markets, disaster movies, and steampunk, Kolu’s works combine playfulness, originality, and keen observation. Her output has established her as one of the most interesting authors in Finnish literature. 

Sirpa Kähkönen is a writer and columnist focusing on historical and social topics. Her works address, among other things, the fates of civilians in times of crisis, the history of children and women, and the impact of great ideas on individual lives. 

Kähkönen has published over ten novels, three non-fiction works and three plays. Her works have received several Finlandia and Tieto-Finlandia nominations. She also serves as the chairman of the Finnish Writers’ Association.

S. K. Rostedt , also known as Saara Rostedt , is a marketing professional who grew up in Sastamala now living in Helsinki. Forests, nature and cottages are her main sources of inspiration. She is a bestselling author, most known for her writing in romance and fantasy. Her debut novel Daughter of two bloods (2024) won the Suomalainen Kirjakauppa award in the fiction category.

Rostedt is known on social media as @s k rosted.

Tuomas Enbuske is a journalist, columnist, podcaster and media personality known for his sharp and open-minded approach to dealing with society and phenomena. He began his career in radio and has since worked extensively in television and the press. 

Enbuske has become known as a straightforward debater and writer who challenges conventional perspectives. In 2025, Tuomas Marjamäki published Enbuske – elämänkerta [sic], which reviews Enbuske’s journey from childhood to radio star, television and columnist, to the changes in recent years.

Ralf Andtbacka is a Swedish-language poet, literary critic, publisher and teacher. He is one of the central figures in Finnish-Swedish poetry and has been an active developer of the literary scene in Ostrobothnia. Andtbacka was the provincial artist for Ostrobothnia literature in 2000–2005 and was involved in launching the Vasa LittFest literary festival. 

Andtbacka has published numerous works of poetry, including Café Sjöjungfrun and Magnetmemoarerna, which were nominated for the Runeberg Prize. Potsdamer Platz. He won the Runeberg Prize in 2020. In 2024, he was awarded the prestigious Karl Emil Tollander Prize. Andtbacka is also the founder of the Ellips publishing house. He has a distinct postmodern and experimental style of poetry where he blends language materialism with the exploration of physical objects.

Ulrika Hansson is a writer whose novels focus on the countryside, village communities, and complex human relationships. Her hometown of Terjärvi in ​​Ostrobothnia has served as an important source of inspiration. Hansson’s works combine natural settings, a strong village tradition, and warm and humorous storytelling. 

Hansson’s acclaimed debut novel Hunting Club was nominated for the Runeberg Prize in 2021. The children’s book Kom, vi springer!, illustrated by Maija Hurme , was nominated for the Runeberg Junior Prize in 2025. Hansson lives with his family in Pietarsaari and has a Master’s degree in Literature. 

Vesa Rantama is a cultural researcher and literary critic.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​He has been writing literary criticism since 2007 and has worked as a freelance editor for Helsingin sanomat, Parnasso and Kiiltomado. He has also served as the editor in chief of Tuli & Savu and Nuori Voima magazines, and as chairman of the Finnish Critics´Association. In his work he talks about poetry, reading culture. pop music and ecophilosophy.  ​​​​​

Ville Mäkipelto is a psychologist, doctor of theology, and runs one of Finland ‘s most popular science based youtube channels.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​He is especially interested in the human mind, true crime and religious trauma. In his works he talks about how ancient texts were compiled and altered over time, the historical origins of god and the mental processes behind notorious serial killers.

Photo: Otava