The Finlandia is Finland’s version of the Booker. Obviously the field is smaller, as there are a lot fewer Finns than members of the Commonwealth, but on the other hand the Finns don’t arbitrarily ignore some works because of their content. Johanna Sinisalo’s Not Before Sundown (Troll in the US) won the Finlandia as well as the Tiptree.
This year’s short list doesn’t include anyone I know, but it is notable for being all female. I have some hopes for this book:
Laura Gustafsson broke in to the list with her first novel Huorasatu (“Whorestoryâ€), which was earlier seen as a play. The author rewrites ancient myths as she charts out the prehistory of women and constructs the perfect world.
Can any of my Finnish readers tell me more about it? It sounds rather like a Cat Valente novel.
Also of note is the fact that there is a “Junior Finlandia” for YA books. This year one of the nominees is Routasisarukset by my good friend Anne Leinonen and her writing buddy, Eija Lappalainen. Tero describes the book as “the first in a series of novels set in a dystopian 24th century”, and Irma tells me that the book reminds her of Le Guin. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for them, both in the prize, and at the book fairs next year as this is the sort of recognition that helps sell translations.
I haven’t read Huorasatu, so I can’t say anything about the quality of the book, but it’s been described as a feminist pamphlet about what it’s like being a woman today, about violence towards women, and about why it’s not ok for women and men to do the came things in society.
The main characters are two women who end up as hookers, but the Olympian gods (and especially goddesses) also appear as characters.
I have to say I’m not instantly tempted by a book that intentionally describes all men as violent buffoons (and suggests that the world will be all right after Afrodite kills off the Patriarchy), but of course I’ll have to read the book first to see for myself what’s my take on these things that have been mentioned in reviews. (BTW, the reviews of the book I’ve read were written by women, so they shouldn’t have been tainted by hurt male egos in their assesments.) Merja L, whom you know from the FINFAR circles, didn’t seem to think too poorly about the book.
Fingers crossed for Routasisarukset!
Sorry about nitpicking, but “Finlandia Junior” isn’t for YA books. It’s for all kinds of children’s books, from YA novels to picture books and poetry for children.
Thank you! That’s an interestingly mixed category, but I’m pleased to have it right now.