Book fair | Sofi Oksanen and Pekka Haavisto argue about Russia at the book fair: Helsinki Book Fair and HS organize constructive debates

Helsinki Book Fair the program has been published. More than 1,000 performers will participate in the event organized on the last weekend of October: there will be 900 different programs.

The book fair organized now is the new program director, Ville Blåfield’s, the first ones. In January, Blåfield said in an interview with HS that he hoped for more social discussion in the program than before.

“It would be sweet if the trade fair was a social forum where exits would be made and where there would be interesting speeches. Not only that the topics of discussion would be limited to the book program published in the fall, but that the fair would also be a starting point for social and cultural discussion,” said Blåfield.

Read more: Book fairs should be the starting point for social discussion, says the new program director Ville Blåfield – “A writer’s speech is more valuable than Twitter rants”

Social discussion is promised, for example, in eight debates, which Kirjamessut organizes in cooperation with Helsingin Sanomat. The debates are moderated by Blåfield and HS’s reporter Veera Luoma-aho.

Author Sofi Oksanen discusses the topic “Are we too blue-eyed about Russia?” foreign minister Pekka Haaviston with. Author Jenni Räinä on the other hand, debated the topic “Do we need more blame in the climate crisis?” Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization Petteri Taalansen with.

In addition to these, there will be debates about the war in Ukraine and foreign policy with no alternative, Finnish architecture, misogyny of our time, drug policy, decision-makers of different generations and the relationship of humans to other species. Controversial articles published in Helsingin Sanomat are also related to the debates.

At the book fair this autumn we will see a wide range of domestic author favorites, always Raija from Orase Jari Tervoon and Kari from Hotakainen Riitta Jaloseen.

In HS’s traditional author interviews, they come to talk about their works Fairy tale Rämö, Riikka Pulkkinen, Anna Brotkin, Kari Häkämies and Rosa Meriläinen, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Esa Saarinen, Anu Kantola, Tommi Kinnunen, Antti Tuuri, Kjell and Mårten Westö mixed Enni Mustonen.

In addition, on the last day of the book fair, Sunday 30 October, the top ten winners of the Helsingin Sanomat literature prize will be revealed.

International guests are seen at the book fair both on site and via remote connection. Author guests at the fair include, among others To Alexei Navalny press secretary Kira Jarmysh, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr from Senegal, Heather Morris From Australia, Swedish Erik Engelv and Nordic detective writers Anna Jansson, Lars Kepler, Denise Rudberg and Viveca Ste.

Helsinki Messukeskus organizes the Helsinki Book Fair from 27 to 30. October in cooperation with the Finnish Publishing Association and the Norwegian Book Store Association. In connection with the book fair, there is an Antiquarian book fair, which is organized in cooperation with the Finnish Antiquarian Society. At the same time, there is also the Wine & Food event as well as the Record Fair and the Stamp Fair.

The Turku Book Fair will now take place this coming weekend, September 30th – October 2nd. Turku Messukeskus.