Helsinki Book Fair offers a record number of events, more than 30 international author guests

Helsinki Book Fair, the largest literary event in the Nordic countries, is preparing for its 25^th anniversary next year and is already offering more venues and a record number of events. More than 1 500 writers, influencers, artists and decision-makers will take to the stage. Over four days, there will be nearly 1,000 debates, interviews and book launches, while children will play and explore literature in the children's area. The theme of this year’s Helsinki Book Fair is The Future.

”Writing new literature, finding it, publishing it, putting it in the hands of readers and finallu reading it – and sharing it with other readers – are all acts of the future. Signs of constant renewal of culture and thought, of evolution,” says Programme Director Ville Blåfield.

A diverse programme for all readers

The venues of the Helsinki Book Fair are named after the districts and places of Helsinki. The programmes on the stages are lightly themed. The Book Fair will feature a detective story Saturday, a non-fiction programme by Tietotori (Thu-Fri), a poetry programme compiled by the Young Power Union (Sun), a programme by the Finnish Writers’ Union (Sat) and the Finnish Informational Writers’ Association (Sat), and a programme for young people at the Kallio High School of Expressive Arts (KirjaKallio). This year there will be a lot of comics (Sat) and discussions on translation. Topical issues that move with the times will also take to the stage at the Helsinki Book Fair. These include Ukraine and Russia, Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, and the US presidential election, but also nature cover, the climate crisis and the impact of artificial intelligence on literature.

This year’s Helsinki Book Fair will feature international stars such as Donna Leon, Sarah Lark, Elly Griffiths and Liv Strömquist. Ingeborg Arvola, the Brage Prize winner from Norway, and Johannes Anyuru, the August Prize winner from Sweden, will also be in Helsinki. Naomi Alderman will attend the Book Fair online. Almost all the well-known Finnish authors who will publish a book in 2024 will be present, as well as a large number of first-time authors. On Thursday 24 October, President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb will take to the stage to discuss the future of Sweden and Finland in HBL’s 160^th anniversary programme. This will be followed by an interview with Stubb on the books on the President’s bookshelf. President Tarja Halonen will be at the Book Fair on Saturday and Sunday to discuss with Meri Valkama the book Inheritance, and to interview academy researcher Timo Miettinen about his new book, Time of Democracy.

The theme of the future is present in many of the programmes, but especially in the discussions on the future, where Aino Miikkulainen, the Chief Culture Officer of Helsingin Sanomat, and Blåfield of the Helsinki Book Fair discuss the future of books, reading and literature together with star Finnish authors, artists and decision-makers. Helsingin Sanomat also features daily interviews with authors and on Sunday 27 October the finalists of the HS Prize for First Book will be presented. The Helsinki Book Fair will again this year award 10 prizes, including the Information Writers’ Prize, the Young Aleksis Prize for Secondary Education and the Book Industry Promotion Prize.

Encounters are important at the Book Fair

There are many unexpected  encounters at the Book Fair. Li Andersson will be seen on the fairgrounds with both comic artist Liv Strömquist and writer Johannes Anyuru. Sofi Oksanen will interview Swedish thriller master Arne Dahl on Friday 25 October. Iida Turpeinen, Olli Jalonen and Pirkko Saisio will all meet their translators at the Book Fair. The 80^th anniversary of the first Moomin book will be celebrated with a series of debates, including an interview with Board Chair Sophia Jansson.

There will also be a record number of activities for children and families, and a new feature of the fair is the Character Parade at noon on Sunday 27 October, featuring Supermarsu, Kakkakikkare, Tatu and Patu, and Herra Hakkarainen.

Once again the popular book clubs, which there are a total of ten of, will take place on Thursday and Friday, where the readers can meet the authors. You can also meet the authors at the stands signing points and at the BookGram meeting point, where the authors come to meet the readers. BookGram will also have a stronger presence at the Book Fair. There will be a panel of debut authors from the BookGram, a trend report from BookGram, discussions on the classics and the future, and stressful or inspiring reading challenges.

A nationally significant cultural forum and literary event

The Helsinki Book Fair promotes reading, the appreciation of literature and book sales in Finland. The event is a nationally siginificant cultural forum; a topical pioneer, a challenging debater, a storyteller and a cultivator of the heart. The main values of the Helsinki Book Fair are freedom of expression, equality and respect for human dignity.

Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre organises the Helsinki Book Fair 24-27.10.2024 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre in cooperation with the Finnish Publishers and Booksellers Association. The Helsinki Book Fair will be accompanied by the Antiquarian Book Fair, organised in cooperation with the Finnish Antiquarian Booksellers Association. The Helsinki Book Fair also includes a Record Fair and a Stamp Fair. At the same time, there will be the Wine & Food event and On the Plate Fair, which focuses on special diets.