Coyote vs. ACME

 

Dave Green: Coyote vs. ACME (US 2026). Paige Avery (Lana Condor), Kevin Avery (Will Forte), Buddy Crane (John Cena). Forefront: Wile E Coyote and Road Runner. Background: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Granny, Putte Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester.

Kojootti vs. ACME / Gråben vs. Acme.

    US 2026 Warner Bros. PC: Warner Animation Group, Troll Group Entertainment, Keylight Pictures. P: Chris DeFana, James Gunn.

    D: Dave Green. SC: Samy Burch. Story: James Gunn, Jeremy Slater, Samy Burch. Inspired by: "Coyote v. Acme" by Ian Frazier (New Yorker, 19 Feb 1990). Cin: Brandon Tost. M: Steven Price. ED: Carsten Kurpanek.

    Cast: John Cena, Lana Condor, Will Forte. See full list below.

    Finnish voice actors: Tuukka Leppänen (Kevin Avery), Osku Ärilä (Buddy Crane), Emma Louhivuori (Paige Avery), Antti Pääkkönen (Väiski Vemmelsääri, Repe Sorsa), Markus Bäckman (Kukko Koppava), Juho Karppinen (Henry Heslop), Katja Aakkula (Mummi), Yannick Yamajako (Sal Maltese), Elias Salonen (Bill Pelicanos), Rauno Ahonen (Elmeri), Jenny Ye (Dottie Jones), Jere Ollinen (Tuomari Toppogrosso)

    104 minutes

    US premiere 28 Aug 2026 - distributed by: Ketchup Entertainment.

    Finnish premiere 18 Sep 2026 - distributed by: SF Film Finland Oy - Finnish / Swedish translation by Frej Grönholm / Richard S. 

    Viewed at Finnkino Tennispalatsi 12, 31 Oct 2026

AA: Coyote vs. ACME is a completely crazy feature-length animation building on characters and routines from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of beloved golden age Warner Bros. cartoons of the 1940s and the 1950s.

In the Road Runner cartoon shorts, Wile E. Coyote always tried to catch the bird speeding in the desert like a rocket. The coyote's ingenious trap devices, provided by a mail-order company called Acme Corporation, always failed spectacularly.

The coyote never learns from his mistakes. Now, after many decades, he hears for the first time about the Acme company's "Project Sisyphus": his devices were test inventions intentionally designed to malfunction.

The film develops into an incongruous courtroom drama, David vs. Goliath in which Wile E. Coyote is David, represented by another small-time player, the lawyer Kevin Avery. Their adversaries are formidable: the big league lawyer Buddy Crane and Mr. Arrogance himself, the unstoppable Foghorn Leghorn. The Coyote and his advocate lose the case, of course, but it is not the end...

A film on overdrive and an overflow of gags. All great. The original cartoons were 8 minutes long, and animation programmers know that it's not good to show too many of those in one screening, because more is not more.

Coyote vs. ACME is a witty satire. It is about the condition of justice in a world where Big Law and Big Business can crush anybody with the power of money, sidelining justice. Does justice even exist anymore? Apparently yes, because Big Tobacco, Big Pharma and now Big IT have met true resistance from those who have been abused.

Moreover, "the Wile E. Coyote moment", familiar from cartoon physics, has become a metaphor for the times, apparently first introduced by Paul Krugman in 2003. The Coyote runs off a cliff and continues to run, ignoring the canyon below. Only when he looks down, he falls.

We live like there is no tomorrow, afraid to take the look below. Biodiversity loss. The melting of glaciers. Climate change. Ecocatastrophe. The internet. The impermanence of everything digital. Crypto. AI. Israel. The Free World. The United States run by a very stable genius. NATO.

SYNOPSIS FROM IMDB: 

"In 1992, in a world where cartoon characters co-exist amongst humans, Acme Corporation scientist Dr. Lorre leaks a message to an unknown contact before being captured and imprisoned inside an Acme portable hole.

Thirty years later, Wile E. Coyote, tired of failing to catch the Road Runner, sees a television ad for Avery, Jones & Maltese, a personal injury law firm in Albuquerque specializing in cartoon violence cases involving Acme products. Wile E. meets with the senior partner Kevin Avery, looking to sue Acme for the various defective devices used in chasing the Road Runner. While Kevin's niece and intern Paige is eager to take Acme to court, Kevin prefers to settle to avoid a risky trial. However, Wile E. rejects the settlement offered by Acme's lawyer Buddy Crane, forcing a trial.

The firm tries to subpoena the Road Runner to testify, but he evades them. Meanwhile, Acme CEO Foghorn Leghorn warns Buddy to prevent the trial from revealing any corporate secrets. After a poor first trial session, Kevin receives a tip from an anonymous whistleblower to meet with former Acme employee Daffy Duck who conveys the warning Lorre sent him in 1992 about "Project Sisyphus". Kevin admits to Wile E. that he tries to settle all cases due to having lost multiple trials early in his career, but Wile E. encourages Kevin to believe he can beat Acme the same way Wile E. believes he will catch the Road Runner. Though this inspires Kevin, he soon discovers Wile E.'s motive for the lawsuit is to capture the Road Runner in court. Meanwhile, Paige learns from Lorre's wife Granny that before his disappearance Lorre did product development for Acme, who now force their pet Tweety to serve as Acme's mercenary.

The team discovers the whistleblower is Bugs Bunny, who reveals Project Sisyphus is a product testing program formerly headed by Dr. Lorre, using cartoon violence to improve Acme's products for humans. When the program drove its test subjects insane, Lorre tried to object, but was silenced, and Acme pivoted to testing in the wild on unsuspecting clients like Wile E. Off Bugs' suggestion, Kevin tries to get Project Sisyphus on the record by questioning Acme's Head of PR Tasmanian Devil on the stand, but Acme's legal team sabotage him and the judge dismisses the case. However, Kevin reveals the conspiracy to the press, prompting the government to call a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. Wile E. only agrees to join when Kevin claims the Road Runner will be there. The night before the hearing, Kevin admits the truth after being badgered about it and berates Wile E. for his obsession with the Road Runner, prompting Wile E. to storm out. While wandering the streets, Wile E. narrowly evades Tweety's attempt to kill him. Kevin tries to rescue him, but gets knocked out and separated.

Kevin rejects a last bribe attempt by Buddy and gives an impassioned speech at the hearing, admiring Wile E.'s determination despite repeated failures. Wile E. arrives, having overheard, and reconciles with Kevin. Kevin gets Foghorn to publicly admit to Project Sisyphus, but Foghorn argues that cartoons like Wile E. are not important enough for anyone to care if they are harmed. However, the Road Runner arrives and testifies to the harm Acme products have caused Wile E. over the years and further explains as Wile E.'s friend that he cares for and misses him, moving Wile E. to spare him. Senator Elmer Fudd declines to pursue federal charges due to Wile E. being the sole plaintiff. As Buddy and Foghorn gloat, Wile E. activates the machine trap he set up for the Road Runner to immaculately trap them both as revenge, humiliating the Acme team.

Back in Albuquerque, the firm is inundated with cartoons seeking to sue Acme for damages. Further leaks from Bugs launch a federal investigation that exposes the full extent of Project Sisyphus and leads to the arrests of Foghorn and Buddy. Dr. Lorre is freed and reunites with Granny and Tweety. Wile E. bids goodbye to Kevin and Paige, now a partner at the firm, before reuniting with the Road Runner and resuming their chase. A postscript states that Avery, Jones, Maltese & Avery won hundreds of cases. While still chasing Road Runner, Wile E. still visits Kevin when he's lonely and will maybe catch Road Runner some day."

Cast (en. Wikipedia)

Will Forte as Kevin Avery, a down-and-out billboard attorney and member of Avery, Jones & Maltese who becomes Wile E. Coyote's lawyer. He is named for Looney Tunes animator Tex Avery.

Lana Condor as Paige Avery, Kevin's niece and an intern at Avery, Jones & Maltese.

John Cena as Buddy Crane, the Acme Corporation's lawyer who was Kevin's rival at Harvard Law School.

Tone Bell as Sal Maltese, a partner of Kevin and Dottie at Avery, Jones & Maltese.

He is named for Looney Tunes screenwriter Michael Maltese, co-creator of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

Martha Kelly as Dottie Jones, a partner of Kevin and Sal at Avery, Jones & Maltese. She is named for Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones, co-creator of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

Luis Guzmán as Judge Troppogrosso, a strict and no-nonsense judge overseeing the trial between Wile E. Coyote and the Acme Corporation.

P. J. Byrne as Bill Pelicanos, an Acme Corporation lawyer.

John Early as Henry Heslop, a local Albuquerque television news anchor.

Nancy Linehan Charles as Cherry, the manager of the Prickly Pear motel where Kevin lives.

Kenneth Choi as Oscar Jeon, an Albuquerque lawyer.

Ernie Vigil as Talon, an Acme enforcer working with Tweety to silence Kevin and Wile E.

Voices (en.Wikipedia)

Eric Bauza as:

    Bugs Bunny, a whistleblower who assists the firm in learning about Project Sisyphus. Archival audio of Mel Blanc taken from The Ducksters is used for Bugs' screaming. Bugs Bunny's informant role is a reference to Deep Throat as portrayed in the film All the President's Men.

    Charlie Dog, a clerk at Avery, Jones & Maltese

    Daffy Duck, a former Acme test subject driven insane by Project Sisyphus and confined at St. Looney's Asylum

    Dr. Peter Lorre, an Acme corporation scientist

    Foghorn Leghorn, the crooked CEO of the Acme Corporation

    Gossamer, the process server at Avery, Jones & Maltese

    Pepé Le Pew, a flirtatious skunk who was one of Acme Labs' test subjects

    Porky Pig, an Albuquerque local and occasional client of Avery, Jones & Maltese

    Senator Elmer Fudd, the senatorial chairman of the congressional hearing

    The Road Runner, a key witness being sought for Wile E.'s trial. While Bauza voices the Road Runner when testifying before Congress, archival audio of background artist Paul Julian is used for the rest of his dialogue.

    Tweety, Granny and Dr. Lorre's pet bird who is forced to serve as a mercenary for the Acme Corporation in order to protect Granny after Dr. Lorre's imprisonment

Candi Milo as:

    Granny, Dr. Lorre's reclusive wife

    Witch Hazel, an employee at Avery, Jones & Maltese

    Miss Prissy, a hen serving on the jury at the trial

Jim Cummings as the Tasmanian Devil, the head of the Acme Corporation's Public Relations

Toy Story 5

Toy Story 5 (US 2026, PC: Pixar, D: Andrew Stanton).

 

Toy Story 5 (Finnish title) / Toy Story 5 (Swedish title).

    US © 2026 Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios. PC: Pixar Animation Studios. P: Lindsey Collins, Jessica Choi. 

    D: Andrew Stanton. Co-D: Kenna Harris. SC: Andrew Stanton, Kenna Harris. Story: Andrew Stanton. Cin: Matt Aspbury, Jean-Claude Kalache. Senior art coordinator: Kimmy Birdsell. VFX: Christina Fontana. Senior character & sets coordinator. Senior layout coordinator: William V. Ross. Directing animators: Lance Fite, Jessica Torres. M: Randy Newman. Conductor, score producer: Joey Newman.  S: Coya Elliott, Andre Fenley. ED: Jennifer Jew.

    Theme song "I Knew It, I Knew You" (comp. Jack Antonoff, lyr. Taylor Swift), perf. Taylor Swift. Musical allusions: Pachelbel (Kanon in D-Dur), Bach (Toccata und Fuge  in d-Moll BWV 565). 

    CAST (FROM WIKIPEDIA): 

Tom Hanks as Woody

Tim Allen as: Buzz Lightyear AND The Multi-Buzz, a group of 50 high-tech Buzz Lightyear units stuck in demo mode.

Joan Cusack as Jessie

Greta Lee as Lilypad "Lily", a frog-themed tablet who becomes Bonnie's new favorite plaything.

Conan O'Brien as Smarty Pants, a toilet training toy.

Scarlett Spears as Bonnie Anderson. Spears replaces Emily Hahn and Madeleine McGraw, who voiced Bonnie in the third and fourth films, respectively.

Mykal-Michelle Harris as Blaze Manoukian, a farm girl who loves animals and has a collection of horse toys

Shelby Rabara as Snappy, an excitable toy camera

Craig Robinson as Atlas, a cheerful talking GPS hippopotamus toy

Krys Marshall as Mrs. Manoukian, Blaze's mother

Matty Matheson as Dr. Nutcase, a daredevil peanut toy who fears tech and is rescued from a squirrel by Woody

Alan Cumming as Evil Bullseye, an evil version of Bullseye who appears in Blaze's imagination during playtime.

    FINNISH VOICE VERSION

    Finnish recording studio: Iyuno Finland. Director of Finnish voices: Petri Hanttu.

    Finnish voices: Woody: Antti Pääkönen, Buzz: Santeri Kinnunen, Jessie: Nina Tapio, Smartypants: André Wickström, Bonnie: Lisa Kulmala, Lilypad: Myy Lohi, Snappy: Sari Aalto, Blaze: Menni Sinisalmi, Atlas: Luyeye Konssi, Bonnien äiti: Katja Aakkula, Bonnien isä: Peter Kanerva, Maija: Ella Pyhältö, Triksi: Susa Saukko, Kahveli: Joonas Nordman, Herra Piikkis: Jukka Puotila, Rex: Mikko Kivinen, Combat Carl: Sasu Moilanen, Blazen äiti: Aissata Haapanen, Hra Perunapää: Pekka Autiovuori, Slinky: Jarmo Koski, Rva Perunapää: Maija-Liisa Peuhu, Plexipääpizza: Henri Piispanen, Bo Peep: Sanna Majuri. Tri Pöhkönä: Tuomas Uusitalo, Röh: Petteri Summanen, Kingi Kabum: Robin Svartström, Karen: Heljä Heikkinen, Napakymppi: Antero Mertaranta

    Further voices: Miriam Afriyie, Kerttu Apajalahti, Ona Bergroth, Elisa Espinosa, Tijan Foon, Navi Gill, Elmeri Hiedanniemi, Markku Huhtamo, Winston Hämäläinen, Anni Kajos, Joonathan Kettunen, Heikki Kujanpää, Juha Kuparisalmi, Mikko Laiho, Livia Sinisalmi, Leni Tamminen, Esteri Varis, Jukka Voutilainen, Inkeri Wallenius 

    102 min

    US premiere: 9 June 2026 (Los Angeles), 19 June 2026 (wide).

    Finnish premiere: 17 June 2026 - distributor: The Walt Disney Company Nordic

    Original English version with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Marko Hartama / Janne Staffans viewed at Finnkino Itis 5, 31 Oct 2026

IMDb: "Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs are challenged when they're introduced to electronics, a new threat to playtime."

AA: Toy Story is the greatest continuous series in feature-length animation in the history of the cinema. Already the first movie was groundbreaking. Exceptionally, each new entry has been equally ingenious and original.

None more epochally than Toy Story 5. The themes are profound. The end of toys in the age of virtual reality. The end of Toy Story, in effect. More than that: the end of friendship in an age of virtual friendship.

The film-makers' insight can be compared with the thought of Johan Huizinga in his classic Homo ludens (1938) / ["The Playful Man"]. In Finland we know an equally profound study, Barnlek / ["A Child's Play"] (1916) by Yrjö Hirn. We can evoke Aristotle's Poetics, where the philosopher found in the human being the most mimetic animal and saw play (acting) a key feature in education and knowledge.

Toy Story 5 is a fascinating and necessary contribution about the presence of generative LLM transformers and robot companions in children's lives. It states the premise powerfully in the beginning but waters down the issue when the film-makers posit a conscience to the machine (conscience as in "in good conscience", "in good faith").

The profound undercurrent of the Toy Story series is about the birth of imagination, creativity, and the human mind itself. Huizinga is the father of the concept of "the magic circle". The Walt Disney Company and the Pixar Animations Studios are among the greatest inventors in the "magic circle" in history. I hope they stay that way and don't fall in the trap of machine learning. It is a great tool and a bad master.

Memorable signs of our time: at the sleepover, all three girls drown in their mobile devices. At a forest trek, children follow the GPS tracker.

The movie is so relentlessly overflowing with ideas and plot turns that there is no time for them to sink in.

The movie has been masterfully visualized. There is no single imagery but several. The distinctive visual realms of the many toy worlds.  the "reality", the "magic circle" of the living toys, the "interiority" of the toys' dreams and excursions such as the limited cartoon sequence in the end credits, a nod to UPA style. A brilliant, enchanting score by Randy Newman.

Lapin sota / Lapland War

 

Aku Louhimies: Lapin sota / Lapland War (FI 2026). Luukas Niskanen as Heikki Ojala. © Backmann & Hoderoff Oy

Lapplandskriget / La Guerre de Laponie / La guerra di Lapponia / Der Lapplandkrieg.

    FI ® 2026. PC: Backmann & Hoderoff Oy. P: Andrei Alén, Aku Louhimies, Sirkka Rautiainen, Jukka Valtanen.

    D: Aku Louhimies. SC: Antti Tuuri, Aku Louhimies – based on the novel Rauta-antura / [Iron Sole] (2012) by Antti Tuuri. DP: Ari Virem – digital – scope – colour. PD: Otso Linnalaakso. Cost: Marjatta Nissinen, Riitta Peteri. Makeup: Mari Haalasranta. Head of technology: Aki Huttunen. VFX: Aki Huttunen. M: Lasse Enersen. S: Mikko Roisko. ED: Benjamin Mercer. Historical consultants: Panu Korhonen, Petri Peltola. Military advisor: Ville Vänskä. 

    C:  Luukas Niskanen / Heikki Ojala

Peter Franzén / pastori Vainio (military chaplain)

Sannah Nedergård / Saara Vainio

Volker Bruch / Joseph Duisberg (Major of 20. Gebirgs-Armee of the Wehrmacht)

Dominic Raacke / kenraalieversti Rendulic

Pyry Kähkönen / Arvo Ketola

Hilma Kotkaniemi / Irene Tuomi

Olli Rahkonen / alikersantti Ilola

Ronja Orasta / Eva Streng

Vilho Rönkkönen /  Pauli Ketola

Emma Kilpimaa / Hilkka Nuolivaara

Tommi Rantamäki / vänrikki Kaijanlauri

Amelie Blauberg / Kaarina Koski

Elias Keränen / alikersantti Puhtola

Anni-Kristiina Juuso / Anni

    The horse: Sirkka-Irmeli. Anni's reindeer: Kalle.

    Loc: Lapland: Haparanda, Kolari, Tornio, Muonio.

    Languages: Finnish, with Swedish (Vainio), German (Duisberg), Russian and English. 

    158 min

    Premiere: 23 Oct 2026 – distributed by Oy Nordisk Film Ab – 157 copies.

    Viewed at Finnkino Tennispalatsi iSense with Swedish subtitles by Monica Ödahl Åminne, 30 Oct 2026

IMDb: "Not everybody got back home." Set in 1944, in the aftermath of World War II, Finns are forced to fight the Germans in Lapland – a story of survival and forgiveness.

 

Elonet: "Directed by Aku Louhimies, Lapin sota (2026) – based on Antti Tuuri’s novel Rauta-antura (2012) – tells the story of people whose lives are transformed when Finland finds itself at war with its former ally, Germany. In the film, Heikki (Luukas Niskanen), Arvo (Pyry Kähkönen), and Saara (Sannah Nedergård) face situations that put their survival, personal relationships, and core values ​​to a severe test."

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: "The film is set in Lapland in the autumn of 1944, during the conflict between Finland and Germany in the final stages of the Second World War.

Young private Heikki is fighting on the Karelian Isthmus alongside his friend Pauli. Their company is joined by Arvo – recently released from prison – whose worldview challenges the others' perceptions of war and duty. The armistice brings hope of returning home, but it soon becomes clear that Finland must turn against its former German allies in Lapland.

Meanwhile, in Rovaniemi, Saara – who works as an interpreter for the Germans – must make a choice about her future: stay in Finland or flee to Germany with her lover, Major Duisberg.

The Lapland War is a story deeply rooted in the human experiences of characters swept up in the midst of historical upheaval. Amidst the horrors of war, they search for meaning, humanity, and forgiveness – asking how one might find mercy in a merciless environment."

AA: Directed by Aku Louhimies and based on a beloved novel by Antti Tuuri, Lapland War premiered a week ago and is on its way to become this year's most popular Finnish film. Its appeal is wide across generations and provinces (Karelia, Ostrobothnia, Lapland). It is a story about women in a man's world.

Louhimies does not follow Tuuri's bold picaresque approach into war's absurdity. But he has interiorized what Jyrki Nummi finds Tuuri's foundational template, De Imitatione Christi by Thomas à Kempis.

GRANDEUR OF SPIRIT

Lapland War is distinguished by a grandeur of spirit. In the brutalizing circumstances of a world war, we meet people able to transcend them. Pastor Vainio of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (Peter Franzén) has lost his wife Saara (Sannah Nedergård) to a German, Major Joseph Duisberg (Volker Bruch), by whom she is pregnant, but he protects both from death and welcomes Saara back when it is all over. His humiliation is extreme, his spirit even bigger. Arvo Ketola (Pyry Kähkönen), a Communist, has been in prison for refusing to join Operation Barbarossa, but now that the task is to drive the Nazis out, he is the most enthusiastic of all, also crucial for the morale of his fellow fighters.

VIA DOLOROSA

Seven women who have lived together with Germans are separated from them during the furious retreat of the 20th Mountain Army. In city clothes, with minimal equipment and resources, the women traverse forests and fells, night and day, during a journey which turns increasingly desperate. They are no shrinking violets. They are tough, they have seen it all, they have strong survival instincts, but there are limits for anybody. In Lapland, it is easy to lose your way, but a Sami woman (Anni-Kristiina Juuso) guides them.

    The climax is the arrival of the convoy at the headquarters in Oulu. Our special commando detail has not been keen about its mission. Every step of the way they have met the contempt of the people towards the "whores". They have to be defended against brutal gang rape. In Oulu the military authority receives the women in terms so threatening that the women combine forces with our boys who have grown to respect them. The women finally speak up: "there is not a single whore among us". When the commanding officer hints that the women might be executed, the soldiers mutiny almost in an intimation of a civil war. An engrossing moment in the history of Finnish cinema.

EPIC SCOPE

The film has been magnificently produced in epic terms. In WWII, Finland fought three wars. In 1939 the Winter War, alone against Stalin. In 1941 Operation Barbarossa, the greatest military offensive in the history of the world, with Hitler against Stalin. In 1944 the Lapland War, joining the Allies against Hitler. 

    After a prologue about the defeat of the Finnish Karelian front in Operation Barbarossa, the story focuses on the devastation of Lapland by the 20th Mountain Army. We meet Generaloberst Lothar Rendulic (Dominic Raacke), responsible for the destruction of Rovaniemi. He was tried at Nuremberg for the scorched earth policy in Lapland, among other war crimes.

    The epic circumstances are powerfully introduced, but the film is not about them: it is about human suffering and growth in extreme conditions.

BILDUNGSROMAN

Lapland War is the growing-up story of a 19-year-old boy, Heikki Ojala (Luukas Niskanen). In six months, he receives a lifetime of experience. The last sequence of the movie is faithful to the novel. In December 1944, back home, Heikki visits the sauna alone and takes an ice bath in the waterfall, letting the freezing water flush away as much as possible from the half-year ordeal.

    Irene Tuomi, one of the seven women, has an enhanced presence in the movie. Heikki has been gentle and protective to her. She invites him to her home in Oulu and gives him her address. She is young but already a woman of experience, a war widow. Hilma Kotkaniemi's performance is appealing, and the chemistry between her and Luukas Niskanen is evident. The promise of new love and new life is meaningful when the horror of the war is ending and an overwhelming challenge of reconstruction is imminent.

ANTTI TUURI

Antti Tuuri is a master of the epic genre in Finnish literature, famous for his cycles of Pohjanmaa (six novels), My Mother's Family (ten novels) and Rukajärvi (three novels). He has also been lucky with film adaptations, among them Pohjanmaa, Talvisota and Ikitie. Lapland War joins the ranks among the best of them.

AKU LOUHIMIES

Aku Louhimies is a key director of 21st century Finnish film, successful both in television and the cinema. He is at home in the intimate sphere (Odotus, 2022) but also a veteran of the historical epic. Käsky (2008) was set in the 1918 Civil War. The Unknown Soldier (the 2017 adaptation) is the most popular Finnish film of the century. Lapland War has had a flying start, with over 100.000 viewers during the first five days.

Helsinki Book Fair, Sunday 25 Oct 2026

SUNDAY 25 OCT 2026

Reading books bought at the Helsinki Book Fair.

Kira Poutanen: Pariisi-koodi: paperisotaa & poskisuudelmia ranskalaisittain [The Paris Code: Red Tape & Bises, French Style]. SKS-Kirjat 2026. 

SKS-KIRJAT: "Kira Poutanen’s essay collection on Paris offers a sharp, personal account of life in a city that is simultaneously mythical, unpredictable, and irresistibly beautiful.

“In reality, there is only Paris and you. Paris and me. Paris and us. Come, let’s head to Paris. Let’s go inside, dive into its veins, submerge ourselves in the Métro, and wander through its winding passageways. Let’s celebrate until dawn, only to hop on the first train of the morning—well after five o’clock.”

Having lived in Paris for nearly thirty years, author, translator, and journalist Kira Poutanen explores the invisible codes of conduct in Paris and France. She examines the experience of living between a sense of being an outsider and the process of putting down roots—in a country about which everyone holds their own preconceived notions.

Pariisi-koodi (The Paris Code) is a sharp, personal journey into the life of a Finn abroad and into the city of love—a place that has weathered many hardships, and where the glitter on the surface rarely aligns with the struggles of everyday life. Rather than attempting to explain Paris, Poutanen explores it like a riddle, the secret code of which can only be deciphered over the course of many years.

Kira Poutanen is a Finnish author, translator, and journalist who lives and works in France. Her body of work ranges from prose—including a Finlandia Prize-winning title—to television scripts, children’s literature, and literary translations. Poutanen has worked as a correspondent in France for outlets including MTV Uutiset."

AA: I read Kira Poutanen's account about her expedition into Paris almost in one go. She entered as a student from Northern Europe and experienced the cultural clash in the hard way but stayed, got married and raised a family in Paris. Her story offers a fascinating parallel with Simon Kuper's excellent Impossible City (Profile Books 2024) and his wife Pamela Druckerman's Bringing Up Bébé (Penguin 2012). 

    Both books are records of Jewish life during a decade of growing antisemitism. Where Kuper and Druckerman are both Jewish, Poutanen the gentile is married with a Jew and shares the full menu of what that means, becoming an interlocutor for sometimes incredulous circles. 

    Poutanen has lived in Paris for 30 years, Kuper & Druckerman 25 years. Poutanen's profound wisdom in the book for me resides in her ongoing encounters with the mysteries of the French language. It is a philosophical exercise (thinking about thinking) and an exploration into identity, multiplied in the adventure story of being a mother to a bilingual child in Paris.

   Not discussed by Poutanen is the epochal transformation in the language world of Paris during the last 30 years: the Internet, English becoming a world language with a domination like no other language has ever had, even Parisians speaking English to the point that they refuse to speak French with foreigners unless they speak it like natives. Obviously, Poutanen, Kuper and Druckerman do.

    As I write this, the 17 October 2026 riots are front-page news, and protesters atop the Statue de la République (11th arrondissement) are its symbol. Poutanen, Kuper and Druckerman all inhabit the 11e arrondissement (as do I during springtime). From his perfect observation point, Simon Kuper has written a remarkable Weekend Essay on the riots (Financial Times, 24 Oct 2026).

Kirsti Kuosmanen: Venuksen puutarha — tantrakirja naisen syvimpään olemukseen / [The Garden of Venus – a Tantra Book to the Deepest Essence of Woman]. 301 pages. Viisas Elämä 2026.

VIISAS ELÄMÄ: "The Garden of Venus – a Tantra Book to the Deepest Essence of Woman is a sensual and empowering Tantra book for women. It is an invitation to return to your own body, to pleasure, and to the power of the sacred feminine.

This book is dedicated to women who long for a deeper connection with themselves and wish to flourish in their full bloom. Through the teachings of Tantra, sensuality and sexuality are viewed as gateways to spiritual growth and self-discovery. Every touch, every breath, and every emotion offers an opportunity to awaken your deepest life force. The book serves as a reminder that pleasure is sacred, wisdom is inborn, and power is wild.

The book contains various tools to help you build a bridge between your body, mind, and sexuality, including:

– Body-awareness exercises that help deepen your presence and enable you to better perceive the messages from your body.

– Meditations and rituals designed to release old, limiting beliefs and help you break free from the shackles of the past.

The Garden of Venus is a journey that liberates, awakens, and nourishes. It invites you to bring into reality what you already know in your heart. Welcome to the Garden of Venus—you have come home.

Kirsti Kuosmanen is a Tantra teacher, psychotherapist, sex therapist, author, and actress. She has been actively teaching Tantra in Finland for over 10 years. She has previously published the books Hehkuvan naisen salaisuuksia (Otava, 2020) and Hehkuvan naisen voimavuodet (Bazar, 2023)."

AA: Kirsti Kuosmanen's The Garden of Venus is a book of endless happiness. Many people, Finns above all, are baffled by the fact that Finland is voted year after year as "the happiest country in the world". 

    My personal conviction: make women happier, and everyone gets happier. Fair play, equal power, equal pay, in the first instance. A lot more will follow. Sex is our superpower, and women are more talented in emotional intelligence, love and sex. 

    I am a feminist of the old school. Like Socrates according to Plato in Symposium: Diotima was the greatest teacher in love including the highest form, the love of wisdom = philosophy (philos/loving of sophia/wisdom). Like Goethe: woman as the supreme teacher and educator in Bildung. Die Wahlverwandtschaften. Faust. "Das Unbeschreibliche, hier ist's getan, das Ewig-Weibliche zieht uns hinan". The Eternal Feminine lifts us higher.

    The Garden of Venus may be a divertissement based on Western Neo-Tantric notions and practices far removed from the Hindu and Buddhist origins of Tantra. But it is a refreshing book in its uninhibited celebration of female joy of life. Men should read it and learn.

Ville Okkonen: Kamppailu "suomettumisesta" / [The Battle about Finnlandisierung], 368 pages.  30 September 2026. Vastapaino 2026.

VASTAPAINO: "In his work Kamppailu ”suomettumisesta” (The Struggle over "Finnlandisierung"), political historian Ville Okkonen seizes the most contentious concept in Finnish foreign and security policy: "Finnlandisierung." In recent years, this term has been used with exceptional abandon and spontaneity. Okkonen’s scholarly research provides a refreshing look at the foundations and origins of the concept, its intended purposes, and what it reveals about political discourse in a broader sense.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the discussion surrounding Finnlandisierung has solidified into a narrative—one whose core claims rest on a weak foundation, yet whose political objectives are clear. Indeed, talk of Finnlandisierung is part of the narrative surrounding the West’s victory in the Cold War. Historically, however, the term was not primarily associated with the specific relationship between Finland and the Soviet Union; rather, it referred to broader aspirations toward neutrality during the Cold War.

Kamppailu ”suomettumisesta” provides the necessary background for the debate on Finnlandisierung and its various connections, demonstrating that later interpretations of this discourse—and of the era itself—are often biased or agenda-driven. The research draws on a wide range of sources, including the archives of the Swedish labor movement, political discourse in Denmark and Norway, and digitized documents from the German Bundestag, the U.S. Congress, and the CIA.

Ville Okkonen is a researcher of political history. He wrote this work while serving as a visiting scholar at the Hans Blix Centre at Stockholm University."

AA: Ville Okkonen launches a sober examination of one of the core concepts of right-wing think tanks: "Finnlandisierung", the use of which has spread wide while its meaning is (perhaps intentionally) remained muddy. Launched in Austria, the term was gleefully embraced by Franz Josef Strauss, the Minister-President of Bavaria and ex-Nazi, who shamelessly ridiculed Finland, the only participant of Operation Barbarossa which was spared of occupation, while his own country was fully freed from occupation only in 1994.

    Tiny Finland fought three wars during WWII, and how we managed the aftermath after the victory of the Allied is a miraculous survival story, a combination of a fighting spirit, wisdom in security policy and talent in diplomacy. 

    All European neighbours of the USSR lost their independence except Finland. In Operation Barbarossa, our destination was the destruction of Russia, and we were not far from achieving that. In Denmark and Norway, Nazi collaborators were executed. In Finland, nobody was. 

    The small Finland turned into a great power in peacekeeping, with key contributions in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) and the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). Finland became bigger than its size, and the resulting prestige helped Finland strengthen its freedom and independence. Martti Ahtisaari stopped wars on three continents and received the Nobel Peace Prize deservedly.

Ilkka Taipale: Acceptance Speech at the Non-Fiction Writers’ Awards Ceremony at the 2026 Helsinki Book Fair

 

Helsinki Book Fair 24 Oct 2026. A high point of the Book Fair: Ilkka Taipale M.D. reading his acceptance speech. The 2026 non-fiction book awards of Suomen Tietokirjailijat / The Association of Finnish Nonfiction Writers. Flanked by Jenni Räihä and Vappu Taipale. Photo: Omer Levin / Helsinki Book Fair.

Acceptance Speech at the Non-Fiction Writers’ Awards Ceremony of the Finnish Association of Non-Fiction Writers

At the Helsinki Book Fair, on UN Day, October 24, 2026

...

On behalf of all the recipients, I would like to thank the Finnish Association of Non-Fiction Writers for this wonderful surprise. Thank you!

I never imagined a day like this back when Vappu and I—more than 60 years ago, the day before our wedding—handed over to the publisher Tammi the first work we had ever translated (Bodo Manstein’s Nuclear War and Civil Defense). That was the beginning of our adventure in conjuring up books in all their various forms.

As the writer Grigori Petrov once put it: “The world is an artist’s studio the size of the entire planet” (Petrov: The Land of White Lilies, 1907). The Helsinki Book Fair seems to be a part of this vibrant, colourful studio.

Yrjö Alanen, a professor of psychiatry, speaks of books with a calm, yet quietly enthusiastic tone: “A book—yes, of course, a book—leaves a mark, I think in a hurry. People come and go, spoken words fade into oblivion, and lessons learned are buried beneath an ever-growing pile of new things. We die, we die. But books—they remain.” Books. Dear Professor, I give thanks for books! (Florence Schmitt, Perheterapia-lehti, 3/1907). 

Regarding the current state of the world, I would say: Not the situation, but our perspective is important.

We are currently organizing an Independence Day peace matinee at the Savoy Theatre—taking place on December 6th at 1:00 PM—centered on the theme "Words vs. War." Words are significant, and the mark left by a pen is powerful. Books will still change the world and its people!

...

Republished by permission of Ilkka Taipale and Vappu Taipale.

...

Kiitossanat Suomen Tietokirjailijat ry:n Tietokirjailijapalkintojen jakotilaisuudessa

Helsingin Kirjamessuilla, YK-päivänä 24.10.2026

Kiitän Suomen Tietokirjailijoita meidän kaikkien palkinnon saajien puolesta tästä yllätyksestä, joka meitä on kohdannut. Kiitos!

En osannut tällaista päivää odottaa, kun luovutimme Vapun kanssa yli 60 vuotta sitten, päivää ennen häitämme Tammelle ensimmäisen kääntämämme teoksen. (Bodo Mansteinin Ydinsota ja väestönsuojelu). Noista päivistä alkoi myös seikkailumme kirjojen loihtimisessa kaikissa eri muodoissaan.

Kirjailija Grigori Petrov mukaan: ”Maailma on maapallon kokoinen taiteilijoiden ateljee”(Petrov: Valkoliljojen maa 1907). Helsingin Kirjamessut näyttää olevan osa tästä värikkäästä ateljeesta.

Psykiatrian professori Yrjö Alanen kertoo kirjasta rauhallisesti ja pidättyväisen innostuneena: ”Kirja, niin tietysti kirja. jättää jälkiä, ajattelen nopeasti. Ihmiset tulevat ja menevät, puheet haihtuvat unohduksiin, opetukset hautautuvat alati uusien asioiden alle. Me kuolemme, Kuolemme. Niin kuolemme. Mutta kirjat – ne jäävät.” Kirjat. Rakas professori, minä kiitän kirjoista! (Florence Schmitt Perheterapia-lehti 3/1907).

Nykymaailman tilanteesta sanoisin: Not the situation, but our perspective is important

Paraikaa järjestelemme itsenäisyyspäivän rauhanmatineaa Savoy-teatteriin 6.12.kello 13 teemalla sana vs sota. Sanat ovat tärkeitä, kynän jälki voimakasta. Kirjat muuttavat vielä maailman ja sen ihmiset!

Helsinki Book Fair, Saturday 24 Oct 2026

 

Helsinki Book Fair 24 Oct 2026. A high point of the Book Fair: Ilkka Taipale M.D. reading his acceptance speech for his Life Award. The 2026 non-fiction book awards of Suomen Tietokirjailijat / The Association of Finnish Nonfiction Writers, l to r: Kai Ekholm, Jenni Räihä, Ilkka Taipale and Vappu Taipale (absent: Markku Heikkilä). Hosted by Timo Tossavainen, Chairman. Photo: Omer Levin / Helsinki Book Fair.

Helsingin Kirjamessut / Helsinki Book Fair. Helsingin Messukeskus / Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre. Messuaukio, 00520 Helsinki (Pasila).

My trajectory:

SATURDAY 24 OCT 2026

11:00-11:30 TÖÖLÖ

Tykkäsin! Kirjallisuuskritiikin tila / I Liked! The Condition of Literary Criticism. OFFICIAL: "In the attention economy, identification and discussion of the theme threaten to displace analytical literary criticism. What is the impact of literary criticism on reading choices, the visibility of authors and literary prestige?" Suomen Kirjailijaliitto. Tommi Melender and Elina Rouhiainen, interviewed by Markku Soikkeli.

    AA: Clickbait mentality is being infiltrated into journalism, incongruously even in quality media, also in cultural sections, including literary criticism.

    On the giant monitor of the editorial room you can follow the visitor count for each review and piece of journalism. The goal is to be number one. If you lose, you are fired.

    "Parody is no longer possible, they do it themselves".

    The fundamental error here is the faith in clickbait counters.

    They may be revelatory in sensation media and sensation elements in legacy media.

    However, a supreme resource in the media is the long-term subscriber, the lifelong return customer with a continuous, permanent subscription. Brand loyalty is of incalculable value, and each successful business wants to have a large amount of faithful followers.

    The one who values deep reading, focuses on print, leaving no clickbait trace.

    The one happy with shallow browsing, glances at the digital version, leaving a faint clickbait trace.

    Clickbaits take place both with return customers and accidental visitors.

    If a quality media pursues increasingly sensation, it may start to lose brand loyalty.

    After all, the long-term reader has probably a commitment to substance and quality.

    Trivial and superficial sensation fare will distance them.

    If there is no worthy option in quality media in their country, they may turn to media in other countries and languages.

    I hope the editors of the media think more about the big picture and not only instant rewards. Looking at clickbait victories you may win the battle but lose the war.

Helsinki Book Fair 24 Oct 2026. Language: Humour in Finnish. L to r: Jussi Lehmusvesi (moderator), Anna Brotkin, Eeva Vekki, Jarno Hietalahti. Photo: Omer Levin / Helsinki Book Fair.

12:00-12:30 SENAATINTORI

Kieli-teemakeskustelu: suomi huumorin kielenä / Theme Discussion on Language: Finnish as a language of humour. The comedian, author Eeva Vekki, the scholar on humour Jarno Hietalahti and the playwright Anna Brotkin. Hosted by Jussi Lehmusvesi.

12:30-13:00  KRUUNUNHAKA

Suomen Tietokirjailijat / The Association of Finnish Nonfiction Writers: 2026 Awards for Non-Fiction Books: Kai Ekholm, Jenni Räihä, Ilkka Taipale and Vappu Taipale (absent: Markku Heikkilä). Hosted by Timo Tossavainen (chairman) and Markus Hotakainen (vice-chairman).

KAI EKHOLM

"Professor Kai Ekholm, PhD, is a prolific non-fiction author who has published over 30 books. His professional career includes serving as the National Librarian of the National Library of Finland from 2001 until his retirement in 2018. He has also held leadership roles such as Chair of the Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) committee of IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) and Chair of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL).

Ekholm’s career as an author spans many years. Following his early work in the 1980s—which included overviews of science fiction and crime fiction—he turned his focus to the "banned books" removed from Finnish public libraries during the country’s post-war recovery. This research culminated in his doctoral dissertation, Kielletyt kirjat 1944–1946 – Yleisten kirjastojen kirjapoistot vuosina 1944–1946 ("Banned Books 1944–1946: The Removal of Books from Public Libraries, 1944–1946"; University of Oulu, 2020). Since then, he has explored themes of censorship and the mistreatment of libraries in several of his works. His pace of publication has only accelerated since his retirement; in recent years, he has further broadened his scope as an author by writing biographical works, among other projects. ...on Anselm Hollo (Anselm Hollo – Beatnik planeettamatkalla, Rosebud Books, 2022), Jörn Donner (Jörn Donner, kuinka te kehtaatte, Docendo, 2020), and Matti Klinge (Mies jolla oli Matti Klingen kasvot, Otava, 2024).

Kai Ekholm is known as a staunch advocate for freedom of expression and for researchers; when necessary, he is not afraid to take a spirited stand in defense of citizens’ literacy, the value of sivistys (Bildung), and the role of libraries as the memory of the nation. As a non-fiction author, Ekholm is precise and meticulous, and the personal touch in his writing is engaging."

MARKKU HEIKKILÄ

"Markku Heikkilä worked in various roles at the newspaper Kaleva from 1986 to 2010, during which time he closely followed the development of cooperation in the North and the Arctic. Since 2010, he has served as the Head of Science Communication at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland. In this capacity, he has worked to raise awareness of Arctic research and its societal significance, both in Finland and internationally.

As a non-fiction author, Heikkilä has documented the evolution of Arctic cooperation and Finnish Arctic thought. Arktiset visiot (Pohjoinen, 1998) offers a multifaceted, eyewitness account of the birth of international Arctic cooperation. In the work Jos menetämme Arktiksen ("If We Lose the Arctic"; Arctic Centre, 2019), he examines the evolution of Finland’s Arctic thinking from the 1980s to the present day. Arktinen kattaus ("An Arctic Spread"—co-authored with Marjo Laukkanen; Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Europe Information, 2016) portrays Finland as an Arctic nation and highlights individuals from across the country who possess expertise in everyday Arctic life. The book Arktisen maailman jäljillä ("On the Trail of the Arctic World"; Into, 2023)—also available in English—brings the Arctic knowledge Heikkilä has accumulated over decades to an international readership. Based on 25 years of travel across the eight nations of the Arctic region, the work weaves together personal observations, history, Arctic cultures, Indigenous peoples, and geopolitics into an accessible narrative.

Heikkilä’s achievement lies in his ability—sustained over decades—to combine the precision of a journalist, the insight of a non-fiction author, and the skill of a science communicator in making complex Arctic issues understandable. His body of work serves as a valuable record of an era when Arctic cooperation emerged and evolved—and which, amidst geopolitical shifts, has now entered a new phase."

JENNI RÄINÄ

"The work of Oulu-based author and journalist Jenni Räinä centers on nature, humanity, and the evolving relationship between the two. In her non-fiction books, Räinä moves fluidly between personal experience, journalistic research, and broad societal issues. Her works take a close look at Northern Finland in particular, shedding light on the changes taking place both in the environment and within individuals.

Reunalla – Tarinoita Suomen tyhjeneviltä sivukyliltä (Like, 2017) depicts life on the geographical and experiential fringes of Finnish society. Metsä meidän jälkeemme (Like, 2019)—created in collaboration with Pekka Juntti, Anna Ruohonen, and photographer Anssi Jokiranta—delves into the state of Finnish forests and how they are utilized. Kulkijat – naisia ​​metsissä, soilla ja tuntureilla (Like, 2021) examines women’s relationship with nature, while Veden ajat (Like, 2025) continues Räinä’s characteristic exploration of environmental change, viewed through the lens of her own childhood and broader societal shifts.

Jenni Räinä is a distinctive, expressive, and bold non-fiction author. Her work combines rigorous journalistic research with strong literary prose and an ability to focus on the individual amidst major societal and ecological transformations. Räinä writes about the great issues of our time from an intimate and deeply moving perspective. He knows how to confront pain and raw reality, infusing them with a touch of hope—a quality that makes complex themes more accessible to the reader. Räinä does not leave the reader alone. His body of work broadens our understanding of the Finnish natural world and invites us to reflect on our own relationship with nature and what we want it to become in the future."

ILKKA TAIPALE

"Ilkka Taipale, an Adjunct Professor of Social Medicine, is a psychiatrist, politician, and civic activist. His career has included roles as a Member of Parliament, chief physician, and professor. He has also been active in numerous non-governmental organizations, such as the Committee of 100 (Sadankomitea), the Peace Union of Finland, and Physicians Against Nuclear War.

In his writings, Ilkka Taipale has highlighted the problems faced by men—particularly those who are marginalized, such as the homeless, those struggling with alcoholism, and the lonely. His more recent works include Mielisairaalassa – Lääkärin muistelmat (In a Psychiatric Hospital – A Doctor’s Memoirs; Into, 2017), Pois puute, pois kurjuus – Pari kerppua kirjoituksia (Away with Want, Away with Misery – A Collection of Writings; Kustannus Kunnia, 2019), and Sinisilmäinen pasifisti – Kirjoituksia seitsemältä vuosikymmeneltä (The Naive Pacifist – Writings from Seven Decades; Rosebud Books, 2024), as well as a joint memoir with Vappu Taipale titled Taipaleella (Into, 2022). Among the dozens of works he has edited, 100 sosiaalista innovaatiota Suomesta (100 Social Innovations from Finland; Itämerikeskussäätiö, 2006; revised edition SKS, 2013; revised edition Into, 2017) is particularly noteworthy. With over 50 translations, it is the second most translated Finnish work, following only the Kalevala. Ilkka Taipale’s body of work is characterized not only by an expert approach but also by firm conviction and profound empathy. He has never been one to bow before icons or figures of authority. A courageous writer, he consistently stands on the side of the vulnerable and fights against social inequality. Ilkka Taipale’s works are written with high quality and a lively, engaging style; even his earlier publications have stood the test of time remarkably well."

VAPPU TAIPALE

"Professor Vappu Taipale is a physician, psychiatrist, and politician. She has served as Minister of Social Affairs and Health and has headed the National Board of Social Welfare, as well as its successors—the National Board of Social Welfare and Health and STAKES (the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health). Taipale specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry and has held positions at the Helsinki University Central Hospital, as well as at the universities of Tampere and Kuopio.

Throughout her career, Vappu Taipale has authored numerous books in her field, ranging from medical publications and popular non-fiction to guides on life skills. The central theme of most of these works revolves around the well-being of children and young people, with a particular focus on mental health. Her very first book, co-authored with Eero Valanne, was titled Lastenpsykiatria (Child Psychiatry) (WSOY, 1971). Later works include, for example, Nuoruusiän kriisit (Adolescent Crises; co-authored with Tor-Björn Hägglund and Kari Pylkkänen, Gummerus, 1978), Lasten mielenterveystyö (Mental Health Work for Children, WSOY, 1992), and Rakas lapsi – Muistoja & ymmärrystä kasvamisesta (Dear Child – Memories & Understanding of Growing Up, Into, 2019). Older adults have also been a focus for Vappu Taipale; works directed at this demographic include Isoäitikirja (The Grandmother Book, WSOY, 2002; revised edition, Into, 2017) and Vanha ja vireä – Virkistyskirja vanhoille naisille (Old and Vibrant – A Book of Refreshment for Older Women, WSOY, 2011; revised edition, Into, 2017).

Vappu Taipale’s body of work combines solid professional expertise with a deep concern for the well-being of people—especially children, young people, and the elderly. She has addressed topics and problems that are far from easy, and for which there are no simple solutions—issues that, regrettably, have become increasingly relevant in contemporary society. A sense of human warmth permeates her work. Her books are written in an engaging, accessible style, skillfully weaving together personal experience and broader social phenomena."

AA: An engrossing event made even greater by an exceptional speech by Ilkka Taipale. I hope it can be made generally available. One of the great speeches of Finland.

    Edited by Ilkka Taipale, 100 Innovations from Finland: How Finland Became Finland (2006, 2017) is my candidate for the best Finnish book of all times (fiction and non-fiction). By 2023, it had been translated into 53 languages. It is the second most translated Finnish book after Kalevala.

Ilkka Taipale: Sata innovaatiota Suomesta / A Hundred Innovations from Finland (2006). Revised edition: Into 2017.

HORS D'ŒUVRE

Simon Sebag Montefiore: The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2026. On sale: 25 Aug 2026. 

Simon Sebag Montefiore: The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2026.

AA: On my way to the Helsinki Book Fair from the Academic Bookstore (where I read Hufvudstadsbladet and The Economist at Café Aalto), I bought from Rosebud Sivullinen at Yliopistonkatu my copy of Simon Sebag Montefiore's acclaimed The Cauldron. The history of the Middle East since the fall of the Ottoman Empire is the most complex subject in modern political history. I started reading from Churchill, whose long-running antisemitism is for me perhaps the great mystery in the death trap set for Israel and Palestine. Was the meaning from the start that they would destroy each other utterly? And are they unwittingly following a plot spun by the grand imperialist and antisemite (hating Jews and Arabs equally)? Sebag Montefiore certainly pursues no such vision. He has the rare talent of conveying the bigger picture in a lucid fashion.

Helsinki Book Fair, Friday 23 Oct 2026

 

Riitta Nelimarkka: Hiekanjyvässä kallio [A Bedrock Within a Grain of Sand]. Docendo 2026.

Helsingin Kirjamessut / Helsinki Book Fair. Helsingin Messukeskus / Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre. Messuaukio, 00520 Helsinki (Pasila).

My trajectory:

FRIDAY 23 OCT 2026

16:00-16:30 ESPLANADI

Riitta Nelimarkka & Anna-Liisa Hämäläinen: Riitta Nelimarkka - hiekanjyvässä kallio.

In person: Riitta Nelimarkka, interviewed by Juha Roiha.

    HELSINKI BOOK FAIR: "The growing-up story of an uncompromising artist. The biography of Riitta Nelimarkka tells about the growth of a multi-talented child from Munkkiniemi to a unique artist and a human being, for whom freedom, the family and love are supreme." Docendo.

    AA: I have already blogged about Hiekanjyvässä kallio. It is a breathtaking story of the turbo-charged artist Riitta Nelimarkka. It was an impossible mission to condense the saga into the 20 minutes on disposal. Juha Roiha the interviewer did not succeed. Perhaps nobody could have. But I missed the sense of grandeur and essence. Nelimarkka is about a constant stream of creativity and joy of art. For me she is above all the pioneer of Finnish feature-length animation. "Anima vitae" means "life spirit". A synonym for "cinema" is "biograph", "the trace of life". This is the power essence always. A totem animal for Nelimarkka is the rabbit, familiar in the history of animation from Bugs Bunny ("what's up, Doc?"), also already Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the predecessor of Mickey Mouse. The Frenchmen have the saying "Qui court deux lièvres, n'en prend aucun" / "Chase two rabbits, catch none", also familiar from the stories of Anton Chekhov. Riitta Nelimarkka catches them all.

Roland Barthes: Valoisa huone: merkintöjä valokuvasta / La Chambre claire: note sur la photographie (1980) new Finnish translation by Marjaana Kella and Hanna Weselius. Bokeh 2026. 

19:00-19:30 KALLIO

Roland Barthes: Valoisa huone / La Chambre claire (1980) new Finnish translation 2026 by Marjaana Kella and Hanna Weselius.

In person: Marjaana Kella, Janne Seppänen, interviewed by Antti Nylén.

    AA: Roland Barthes's modern classic is known in English by the name Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. The first English translation by Richard Howard (1981) has remained the single one. In Finnish it was translated in 1985 by Martti Lintunen, Esa Sironen and Leevi Lehto. The dense and opaque book is an essay and a prose poem, awash with ideas and associations. The new translation by Marjaana Kella and Hanna Weselius is highly welcome. Following the author's guidelines, commentaries are not included. Instead, there is a separate volume called Varjokuvain ["Shadow Imager"]. La Chambre claire was originally commissioned by Jean Narboni for Les Cahiers du Cinéma, and in this perspective it is in direct lineage with André Bazin's classic essay "Ontologie de l'image photographique" (written in 1944, published in 1945 in the book Problèmes de la peinture, in Finnish "Valokuvan ontologia" in Filmihullu 1/1971 in a translation by Leena Kirstinä, republished in Kuvista sanoin 1, 1983). Marjaana Kella spoke about the art of translation in the most profound terms. Janne Seppänen had a fascinating comment on photography in Mars, the essence of the photographic experience surviving in the long distance digital transmission from Mars to the Earth. La Chambre claire is an art book with a formidable selection of photographs from Nièpce, Nadar and Stieglitz to Avedon, Mapplethorpe and Klein, also present in the Finnish editions.

Helsinki Book Fair, Thursday 22 Oct 2026

Helsingin Kirjamessut / Helsinki Book Fair. Helsingin Messukeskus / Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre. Messuaukio, 00520 Helsinki (Pasila).

My trajectory.

THURSDAY 22 OCT 2026

Mikko Porvali: Kremlin näkymätön sota / [The Kremlin's Invisible War], 2026

Mikko Porvali. Photo: Hanne Manelius.

 Helsingin Kirjamessut: Hakaniemi, 22 Oct 2026. Mikko Porvali interviewed by Laura Niemi-Pynttäri. Photo: Omer Levin / Helsinki Book Fair.

16:00–16:30  HAKANIEMI

Mikko Porvali: Kremlin näkymätön sota: Venäjän tiedustelupalveluiden pitkä historia /  [The Kremlin’s Invisible War — The Long History of Russia’s Intelligence Services), Atena 2026.

    In person: Mikko Porvali, interviewed by Laura Niemi-Pynttäri.

    ATENA: "An experienced historian of espionage recounts the origins of Russia’s intelligence services, how they have extended their reach everywhere, and how they have influenced the history of Finland as well.

    Assassinations, acts of sabotage, the violent silencing of the opposition—Russian intelligence services have always served as an extension of the ruler’s power: a fist used by those in charge to secure their own position.

    This authoritative work chronicles the blood-stained history of these espionage organizations—from the Tsarist Okhrana to the NKVD, the KGB, and today’s Russian intelligence agencies. Their operations have also reached Finland, as evidenced by poisonings, abductions, and numerous espionage cases.

    Delving deep into the history of this great power, the book sheds light on the methods Russia has employed throughout its long history to expand its influence."

    AA: My visit to this year's Helsinki Book Fair starts on a high note. In 20 minutes, Mikko Porvali gives us an overview of the Kremlin's devastating intelligence history from Nestor's Chronicles to the present day. Issues of great complexity he explains with exemplary clarity. Although we are dealing with issues of brutal autocracy / dictatorship, Porvali distances himself from Russophobia and confesses an affinity with Russian culture. In this he is like George F. Kennan, the great Russophile who was also the father of the Cold War. I was also thinking about Sergei Loznitsa's remarks in 2023 at the Midnight Sun Film Festival. He talked about the dual power in the Russian power elite since Ivan the Terrible: the political rule and the intelligence machine. According to Loznitsa, in Putin's Russia for the first time the political leader is himself the intelligence officer. No more dual rule.

   I agree with Porvali that the most important year in Finnish history is 1704 - the founding of St. Petersburg.

Helsingin Kirjamessut: Hakaniemi, 22 Oct 2026. L to r: Jesse Hirvelä, Anni Reuter, Hannu Takala, hosted by Oula Silvennoinen. Photo: Omer Levin / Helsinki Book Fair.

17:30-18:00  HAKANIEMI

Three books about Ingria - Hannu Takala, Anni Reuter, Jesse Hirvelä - interviewed by Oula Silvennoinen.

Hannu Takala: Kirjasalon nousu ja tuho / [The Rise and Fall of Kirjasalo: the Attempts at Independence of the Ingrian Finns 1919-1920], Vastapaino 2026.

BOOK FAIR OFFICIAL ABOUT ALL THREE BOOKS: "Kirjasalon nousu ja tuho: a non-fiction book aimed at a general audience, focusing on the history of the Ingrian Finns—specifically their efforts to achieve self-governance between 1919 and 1920. Why did Ingria fail to attain independence, and why is so little known about this chapter of history?

The Dictators of Ingria: Who truly ruled Ingria in the decades following the Russian Revolution? Jesse Hirvelä’s *The Dictators of Ingria* uncovers the forgotten story of "Reds" who fled Finland, rose to become the Finnish elite in the Leningrad region, and used the Ingrian people as tools to create a "Soviet Finland." Their story is a compelling account of power, ideology, and individuals caught in the crushing grip of great-power politics.

The Land That Vanished: In the winter of 1942, Anni Reuter’s grandfather, Juhani, was sent from Finland on a secret reconnaissance mission to Ingria, then occupied by Nazi Germany. Juhani becomes an eyewitness to famine, terror, and a culture on the verge of extinction. He negotiates with SS leaders, searches for fellow Finns in camps and along the front lines, helps hundreds escape, and documents everything he sees. Juhani’s journey is a poignant tale of faith, survival, and people—crushed by the machinery of great-power politics—who refused to remain silent."

KIRJASALON NOUSU JA TUHO OFFICIAL: "In the aftermath of the First World War, countries such as Finland and the Baltic states gained their independence. The Ingrian Finns also harbored aspirations for independence. Why did Ingria fail to achieve independence, and why is so little known about this subject?"

Kirjasalon nousu ja tuho ("The Rise and Fall of Kirjasalo") by Hannu Takala is a non-fiction book aimed at a general audience; it focuses on the history of the Ingrian Finns, specifically their efforts to establish self-governance between 1919 and 1920.

The independence aspirations of the Ingrian Finns culminated in the village of Kirjasalo in North Ingria—located on the Karelian Isthmus—which has subsequently been referred to as the "Republic of Kirjasalo." What exactly was this short-lived republic, and what kind of goals for independence or autonomy were envisioned for it? Furthermore, what was the nature of the armed uprising by the Ingrian Finns, and why were their hopes for an independent Kirjasalo—or even for joining Finland—ultimately extinguished?

Hannu Takala is a Docent of Archaeology at the University of Turku. His research interests include the earliest post-glacial human settlement in Finland, Karelian cultural heritage, and the Finnish Civil War of 1918."

Anni Reuter: Maa joka katosi: isoisäni salainen tehtävä Inkerissä / [The Land That Vanished — My Grandfather’s Secret Mission in Ingria], SKS Kirjat 2026.

MAA JOKA KATOSI OFFICIAL: "What happened to the Ingrian Finns caught between Stalin and Hitler? In this gripping historical account, Anni Reuter recounts her grandfather’s secret journey into the occupied villages of Ingria—a land on the verge of disappearing.

In the winter of 1942, military chaplain Juhani Jääskeläinen is sent from Finland to Ingria—then occupied by Nazi Germany—right on the outskirts of besieged Leningrad. What begins as a secret investigative mission evolves into a struggle for survival, both spiritual and human. Juhani becomes the sole Lutheran pastor for more than 65,000 Ingrian Finns, as well as an eyewitness to famine, terror, and the erasure of a culture. He negotiates with SS commanders, searches for fellow Finns in camps and along the front lines, helps hundreds escape, and documents everything he witnesses.

In this book, Anni Reuter, PhD, follows in her grandfather’s footsteps, giving a voice to the Ingrian Finns swept up in the turmoil of war, forced relocations, and evacuations. Drawing on diaries, letters, photographs, and interviews, the work transcends a simple biography to become a collective history of human experience. At the same time, it is a moving story about faith, survival, and people caught in the machinery of great-power politics—people who refused to be silenced."

Jesse Hirvelä: Inkerin diktaattorit: Leningradin suomalaiset kommunistit 1918-1938 / [The Dictators of Ingria — The Finnish Communists of Leningrad, 1918–1938]. SKS Kirjat 2026.

INKERIN DIKTAATTORIT OFFICIAL: "A forgotten story about the Finnish elite in the Leningrad region.

Who truly ruled Ingria in the decades following the Russian Revolution?

In this work, Jesse Hirvelä uncovers the forgotten story of the "Reds" who fled Finland after the Civil War and rose to become the Finnish elite of the Leningrad region. They used the Ingrian people as a tool to create a "Soviet Finland."

The book presents new information regarding the experiences of the Ingrian Finns, as well as the rise and destruction of the Finnish community in Leningrad. Why did the Reds promote pro-Finnish activities that ultimately proved fatal? What transpired within the Finnish inner circle as Stalin’s purges began and the net of accusations tightened?

The Dictators of Ingria is a compelling account of power, ideology, and individuals caught in the grip of great-power politics.

Jesse Hirvelä holds a doctorate in political science; he has conducted research on the history of Finland and the Soviet Union and worked on the National Archives’ research project, "Finns in Russia 1917–1964.""

AA: A devastating 20 minutes symposium around three important books, by Hannu Takala, Anni Reuter and Jesse Hirvelä, about the destiny of Ingria after the fall of the Russian Empire, expertly moderated by Oula Silvennoinen. This story has been under-investigated until recently, but now much has been unearthed in the nick of time.

18:00-18:30  SENAATINTORI

Sirpa Kähkönen: Marius. Siltala 2026

Erotiikka, romaani, romantiikka.

In person: Sirpa Kähkönen, interviewed by Touko Siltala.

Sirpa Kähkönen: Marius. Siltala, 2026.

Sirpa Kähkönen: Photo: Helsinki Book Fair 2026.

MARIUS OFFICIAL: "Lili spends a sweltering August day in her garden pavilion on the grounds of an old manor—nestled in an ancient stream valley, through which a tram line runs. She is awaiting the arrival of Marius—a young Frenchman she admires—who is to visit her one last time.

  

During the day, Lili’s dear friend Paul stops by the pavilion, prompting Lili to reflect on the time they spent together in various European cities, as well as her own intense romance in Paris. She contemplates her erotic history, a female painter she once admired—who created radiant portraits of men—and the nature of death.

  

Evening falls, but Marius does not appear.

The world of the novel expands beyond the confines of a single day, evolving into a narrative about art, Europe, and a profound sorrow that exists alongside the burning intensity of love and passion.

“Surely one more day

could be endured—one could bear

the waiting, the joy, this

quiet, humming vibration”

AA: Sirpa Kähkönen has been in the forefront of the Finnish literary scene for a long time, as editor, translator and author, and in important functions in literary organizations. The versatile Kähkönen had her breakthrough in young adult literature, then created an epic series of historical novels, starting with a Kuopio cycle. Her most acclaimed novel is The Granite Man, the tragedy of Finnish Red exiles crushed in Stalin's Great Terror. She has also written non-fiction books of political history. Against this background, Marius is something new and different: a psychological novel about female desire. The protagonist is a red-blooded 60+ woman caught in an attraction to a younger man. "Love is a rebellious bird", sang Carmen. This is a gentle, subtle and tender account. Unafraid of vulnerability. This book could only have been written by a woman. It is necessary for men to read such books for several reasons. Foremostly because women have a higher emotional intelligence.

18:30–19:00  ARABIA STAGE

Leopoldina Fortunati: Uusintamisen salaisuus: kotirouvat, prostituoidut, työläiset ja pääoma / L’arcano della riproduzione: casalinghe, prostitute, operai e capitale, 1981. 2024, 2025, Finnish translation: Janne Löppönen. Tutkijaliitto 2026. The Secret of Reproduction. The author was not present. The discussion was conducted by Katri Jurvakainen with Janne Löppönen (the translator) and Juho Narsakka.

Leopoldina Fortunati: Uusintamisen salaisuus: kotirouvat, prostituoidut, työläiset ja pääoma / L’arcano della riproduzione: casalinghe, prostitute, operai e capitale, 1981. 2024, 2025, Finnish translation: Janne Löppönen. Tutkijaliitto 2026. 

BOOK FAIR OFFICIAL: "The Secret of Reproduction is a groundbreaking study by Italian feminist and theorist Leopoldina Fortunati. It examines the labor that takes place in the "hidden abode of production"—specifically, the realm of reproduction, where the labor force itself is produced. Originally published in 1981, this classic of Marxist feminism was among the first works to theorize immaterial labor, affective labor, and the role of technology in social reproduction. The book will be discussed by its translator, Janne Löppönen, alongside Katri Jurvakainen and Juho Narsakka—known for their work on the Barrikadi podcast."

TUTKIJALIITTO OFFICIAL: "The Arcana of Reproduction is a groundbreaking study of labor that takes place in a "site of production" even more hidden than the factory floor: the sphere of reproduction, where labor power itself is produced. Drawing on her experience in the Wages for Housework movement, Leopoldina Fortunati applies Karl Marx’s analysis of the logic of capitalist production to the realms of domestic labor, care work, and sex work. While this reproductive labor goes unpaid, it plays a vital role in the capitalist production of value.

Originally published in 1981, this classic of Marxist feminism was among the first studies to theorize immaterial labor, affective labor, and the role of technology in social reproduction. The analyses presented in the book remain essential today for understanding the internal division of labor within capitalism—a division structured by gender and race.

The volume also includes an afterword written by Leopoldina Fortunati in 2025—originally published alongside the new English edition, The Arcana of Reproduction (Verso, 2025)—as well as introductions by Silvia Federici and the Finnish translator, Janne Löppönen."

AA: The first Finnish publication of Leopoldina Fortunati's The Secret of Reproduction, an essential study about a hugely under-investigated moment in forces of production: the reproduction of the human labour power. 

    This neglect has been linked with a gross injustice regarding women's contribution to society. Women have been taken for granted, and economic studies have assumed the value of their unpaid work to be zero. Women's contribution is invaluable and priceless. Without it there would be nothing.

    Fortunati's ideas could contribute to an eighth volume of Das Kapital. The ninth volume could cover crypto, paradise islands and "AI'".

HORS D'ŒUVRE

PATRICIA NILSSON: GUILTY PLEASURE: THE PORNIFICATION OF THE INTERNET, THE ECONOMY, AND EVERYTHING ELSE

Patricia Nilsson: Guilty Pleasure: The Pornification of the Internet, the Economy, and Everything Else. Allen Lane, 2026.

ALLEN LANE OFFICIAL: "This is the story of one of the most influential – and least examined – industries on earth. Worth billions of dollars, and commanding a tenth of global internet traffic at peak times, it has quietly reshaped our world: it has transformed technology, work, culture, love and relationships, and even our sense of self. Most industries of this scale make daily headlines. This one rarely does.

In Guilty Pleasure, investigative journalist and FT reporter Patricia Nilsson turns her attention to an industry few have dared to confront, and tells the story of pornography in the online age. Drawing on more than five years of reporting, Nilsson reveals how the internet turned the business of erotic art into something else entirely: a vast, secretive industry dominated by obscure owners, platform logic and profit at almost any cost. She traces how porn helped to shape the online world, and then spilled far beyond it – restructuring everyday life and saturating society with its logic of stimulation, self-soothing and craving.

Whether we consume it or not, Nilsson argues, we are living in the world pornography made: one in which our desires and anxieties are relentlessly monitored and manipulated by unaccountable forces. And because this industry has escaped meaningful scrutiny for so long, the power to regulate it has increasingly fallen to political extremists and payment companies. The result is a system that has quietly revolutionized everything, while remaining – until now – hidden from view."

Sophia Chetin-Leuner: "A fascinating and terrifying read about the history of porn - and the unsettling ways it has come to shapy our everyday lives and desires, whether we realise it or not. Nilsson's thorough research illuminates dark corners of the internet, revealing truths that shouldn't be ignored."

About Patricia Nilsson

"Patricia Nilsson is a reporter with the Financial Times, where she has covered a broad range of industries such as retail, media, tobacco, cannabis and pornography. Her discovery that the world's biggest adult company had a secret owner led to a year-long investigation into the business of porn, which culminated in the FT's first narrative podcast series, Hot Money. Patricia grew up in Sweden but was raised Polish. She has lived and worked in Shanghai, Istanbul and London and now resides in Frankfurt. Guilty Pleasure is her first book."

AA: I bought his book from Rosebud Sivullinen (Kluuvin Kauppakeskus, Yliopistonkatu, Helsinki) on my way to the Helsinki Book Fair. I had been alerted by Amelia Gentleman's interview of the author Patricia Nilsson in The Guardian. She was struck by the paradox of some of the richest billionaires  of the world successfully hiding their identity as the owners of the main pornography companies while exploited sex workers have to bare it all and increasingly humiliate themselves, even to the point of torture. Her investigations led to a much greater revelation: online porn as the origin story of all online addiction.