Ukrainian Association in Finland to host discussion at Helsinki Book Fair

The Ukrainian Association in Finland (UAF) announced the first event of this year’s Ukrainian program at the Helsinki Book Fair, one of the largest literary exhibitions in the Nordic region.

The discussion, titled “How to improve Ukrainian–Finnish literary translations”, will take place on Oct. 23.

Since 2022, interest in Ukrainian literature has been growing in Finland. Finnish readers are discovering works by authors such as Yevhenia Kuznietsova, Sofia Andrukhovych, and Serhiy Zhadan. 

However, UAF notes that a shortage of translators often forces books to be translated through intermediary languages rather than directly from Ukrainian.

The discussion will focus on ways to support direct translations from Ukrainian and improve the quality of literary exchange between the two countries.

Speakers include Eero Balk, winner of the 2024 Drahomán Prize and a leading Finnish translator; Jenni Kavén, Executive Director of the Finnish Association of Translators (SKTL); and Anna Vovchenko, translator and coordinator of the Drahomán Prize (PEN Ukraine).

The event is organized by the Ukrainian Association in Finland, the Finnish Association of Translators, and PEN Ukraine.