Ukrainian bestselling author Illarion Pavliuk and children’s writer Kateryna Yegorushkina featured at record-breaking Helsinki Book Fair

Ukrainian literature was featured at the 2026 Helsinki Book Fair, which concluded on Oct. 25 after four days of literary discussions, author meetings, and international exchanges. The event brought together writers, translators, publishers, and readers to explore language, translation, and contemporary literature. According to the organizers, the fair’s international program featured nearly 50 visiting authors from 10 countries.

The fair took place from Oct. 22–25 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. Together with the concurrently held Wine & Food Fair, it recorded 112,214 visits, up more than 7% from 104,516 in 2025, according to the organisers’ final report. Attendance has increased for five consecutive years.

The Ukrainian programme was organised by the Association of Ukrainians in Finland as part of Ukraine Season 2026. Ukraine, participating in the fair for the fourth time, also had a dedicated stand showcasing books from 19 publishers, including Vivat, Ranok, The Old Lion Publishing House, and Ukraïner. The stand offered Ukrainian-language books, English-language publications about Ukraine and its culture, and a selection of Finnish-language titles. According to the association’s cultural coordinator, Iryna Horkun-Silen, interest in Ukrainian literature and culture among Finnish audiences has been growing beyond the context of Russia’s war, encouraging deeper engagement with Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

Writers Viktoriya and Pavlo Matyusha presented the English translation of their book “Letters of Love and War” on Oct. 23, in a discussion moderated by Ukrainian-Finnish cellist and filmmaker Lukas Stasevskij. The book explores love, separation, and maintaining relationships during wartime.

Presentation of “Letters of Love and War” at the 2026 Helsinki Book Fair. Photo: via Pavlo Matyusha’s Facebook page.

Award-winning Ukrainian author Kateryna Yegorushkina presented the Finnish translation of her nonfiction book “And Then Our Home Became a Ship: Stories of the Emotional Legacy of War” at the fair. The Finnish edition, by award-winning translator Eero Balk, was published by WSOY on Oct. 14 under the title “Tuho ja toivo. Kertomuksia Ukrainan sodasta” (“Destruction and Hope: Stories from the War in Ukraine”). The book draws on testimonies collected from Ukrainians affected by Russia’s war.

Kateryna Yegorushkina at the Helsinki Book Fair. Photo: Kateryna Yegorushkina’s Instagram

In an Instagram post following the fair, Yegorushkina said approximately 150 people attended her presentation, where she discussed cognitive warfare, childhood, and culture during wartime. She also brought a book destroyed by Russian forces. According to the author, Ukrainian readers later shared how books they had taken with them during evacuation helped their children maintain a connection to home. Yegorushkina added that Helsinki’s central library had ordered 37 additional copies of the Finnish edition.

The Helsinki Book Fair’s Ukrainian programme also featured a discussion dedicated to bestselling Ukrainian novelist Illarion Pavliuk and the Finnish translation of his psychological thriller “I See You Are Interested in Darkness,” which has sold more than 146,000 copies in Ukraine. Scheduled for Oct. 24, the session was to bring Pavliuk into an online conversation with Finnish war researcher Ilmari Käihkö about literature and the experience of war. The Finnish edition of the novel was published under the title “Näen että teitä kiinnostaa pimeys.”

The Ukrainian programme also included translator Yurko Zub, who was scheduled to discuss the translation of Finnish literature into Ukrainian, including his work on Mika Waltari’s novel “The Egyptian” (“Sinuhe egyptiläinen”). 

Estonia had a dedicated literary programme scheduled for Oct. 23, featuring writers Triinu Laan, Urmas Vadi, and Tõnu Õnnepalu, alongside illustrator Anne Pikkov. The programme highlighted Finnish translations of Estonian literature, including Laan’s award-winning children’s book “Luuranko-Juhanin loppuelämä” and Õnnepalu’s “Pienet talot ilta-auringossa.” An Estonian-language book club with Vadi was also scheduled.

Publishers reported strong reader interest during the four days. Eva Reenpää, CEO of Finnish publishing house Otava, said book sales had increased alongside attendance, while Timo Julkunen, CEO of WSOY, highlighted growing audiences at literary discussions and longer queues for book signings. French writer Édouard Louis was among the most popular guests, with copies of his books nearly selling out during a signing session lasting almost two hours.

The 2026 edition also marked the final year of Ville Blåfield as programme director. Organisers expanded the event into an additional exhibition hall to accommodate growing attendance. The next edition is scheduled for Oct. 28–31, 2027.

The programme featured more than 1,000 events across 17 stages and over 2,000 speakers and participants. Online broadcasts attracted approximately 15,000 views during the four-day event, a figure comparable to the previous year. Language was the central theme, with discussions exploring translation, world literature, and the role of language in society.

Among literary guests were French writers Olivier Norek and Philippe Collin, Czech novelist Alena Mornštajnová, and Hungarian writer Gábor Szántó.

As reported earlier, Pavliuk’s novel “I See You Are Interested in Darkness” was published in Czech by Argo in September 2026, translated by Jiřina Dvořáková with support from the Ukrainian Book Institute’s Translate Ukraine programme. Finnish, Polish, Romanian, and Azerbaijani editions were also selected for publication through the programme in 2026.

Ukrainian literature has also gained visibility in Finland through the work of translators such as Eero Balk. As reported earlier, Balk received the 2024 Drahomán Prize for his Finnish translation of Eugenia Kuznetsova’s novel “The Ladder.” He has translated more than 30 books over four decades, introducing Finnish readers to works by Ukrainian writers. In a previous interview with Chytomo, Balk discussed the development of Ukrainian-Finnish literary ties and opportunities for translating contemporary Ukrainian literature.

First held in 2001, the Helsinki Book Fair has grown into the Nordic region’s largest literary event and a major annual gathering for Finland’s publishing industry. Organised by Messukeskus in cooperation with the Finnish Publishers Association and the Finnish Booksellers Association, the fair brings together authors, publishers, booksellers, translators, and readers. Its programme includes book presentations, literary discussions, author interviews, and public debates, with freedom of expression, equality, and respect for human dignity among its core values.

Main photo: Ukrainian Book Institute

Images: Association of Ukrainians in Finland