Language at the heart of the Helsinki Book fair – Ville Blåfield’s final year as Programme Director
The Helsinki Book Fair takes place this week, from Thursday to Sunday, 22. - 25.10. 2026, at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The event’s theme is Kieli, språk, language… The theme places an even stronger emphasis on multilingualism, translations and the work of translators. “At the Helsinki Book Fair, we will reflect on the development and significance of language and show how it can be shaped in the hands of a writer. Language is at once convention and rebellion, a dazzling mobile that we collectively maintain and renew,” says Programme Director Ville Blåfield.
The largest literary event in the Nordic countries, the Helsinki Book Fair, is being held for the 26th time this year. The Book Fair offers a record-breaking programme: more than 1,000 discussions, interviews and book presentations across 17 stages, featuring over 2,000 speakers, including authors, influencers, artists and decision-makers. The Book Fair will feature a wide range of Finnish authors who have published books this year, as well as almost 50 international author guests. Among the international stars are Édouard Louis and Olivier Norek from France, Patrick Radden Keefe from the United States and Bea Uusma from Sweden. A total of 350 publishers, bookshops, antiquarian bookshops and other industry participants will take part in the fair. The event also includes a Record Fair and dedicated areas for arts and crafts and hobbies, collecting and art.
New Finnish fiction has always been at the heart of the Helsinki Book Fair programme, and this year, too, novelists will take to several stages throughout the event. As a new feature this year, the fair will open the Roihuvuori Stage, dedicated to Finnish fiction, in the new upper-floor hall. With the addition of Roihuvuori, Finnish fiction will have more than 60 new programme slots. The new hall will also house the Arabia Stage and exhibition stands. Discussions at the fair will explore language and take place in many languages: in addition to Finnish, Swedish and English, there will be discussions in Estonian and, for the first time, in Somali. Themed sessions will cover subjects including power and responsibility, queer experiences, war, peace and great powers, as well as humanity’s relationship with other species. This year, too, the Helsinki Book Fair will offer the opportunity to witness unique encounters, with Pajtim Statovci and Pirkko Saisio, Satu Rämö and Viveca Sten, as well as Matti Rönkä and Kari Hotakainen, appearing together on stage, among others. Sunday’s feel-good books programme will return, as will Saturday’s comics marathon, Poetry Sunday, Crime Fiction Saturday, the Science Square, and the programmes organised by KirjaKallio, book-related social media communities and writers’ associations.
Blåfield’s final year as Programme Director
The term of office of the Helsinki Book Fair Programme Director lasts between two and five years. This year, Ville Blåfield is serving his fifth year as Programme Director, and next year a new person will take his place.
“Every year as Programme Director has been different, and our results have also improved year by year. Visitor numbers have increased annually, breaking the all-time record last year and surpassing the 100,000-visitor mark. Being Programme Director is a dream job, where it has been safe to grow while relying on the support and expertise of the entire book industry. On a personal level, I am also grateful for all the books I have discovered over these years,” says Blåfield.
“The Helsinki Book Fair has also developed as a forum for public debate, with the world’s largest book fair in Frankfurt serving as one of its models. This year, we will welcome Juergen Boos, who led the Frankfurt Book Fair for 21 years, to Helsinki. He will also take part in a panel discussion in Helsinki on Friday. At the Book Fair, we will also hear from, among others, President Sauli Niinistö and former Prime Minister Sanna Marin,” says Programme Director Blåfield. “Discussions on the theme of language take place every day. Languages, translation and world literature are keys to the international dialogue and understanding that are needed in today’s world. The Book Fair programme will also include two discussions on the work of Anne Carson, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.”
Opening day highlights the importance of literacy, with fiction sales particularly strong
At the Helsinki Book Fair press briefing on 22.10 at 9.15, before the fair opens, Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie will deliver a greeting. The briefing will provide an overview of the state of the Finnish book industry, and the €15,000 Book Industry Advancement Award, funded by the Finnish Fair Foundation, will be presented.
The Finnish Publishers Association and the Finnish Booksellers Association announced sales figures for the first three quarters of the year last week. Developments have been positive, particularly in fiction sales. Publishers’ total sales to retailers have increased, with growth in both printed books and electronic publications. Growth has been driven particularly by fiction: sales of both Finnish and translated printed fiction have increased by more than 10%. Alongside printed books, the audiobook market has also grown rapidly, and digital formats already account for 57% of fiction sales. Bookshop figures are also showing strong positive momentum compared with the same period last year. Sales of fiction books in euro terms increased by as much as 9%, while non-fiction also remained in positive territory, with growth of just over 1%. Sales of children’s and young adult books increased by almost 3%.
Sakari Laiho, Director of the Finnish Publishers Association, and Laura Karlsson, Chief Executive Officer of the Finnish Booksellers Association, will discuss the outlook for the book industry at the press briefing. They will also address the decline in literacy and measures that could help reverse the trend.
The language theme will feature at the press briefing in an interview with author Mariia Niskavaara. Niskavaara’s major success, Ester, teurastaja, has already been sold to more than 30 countries, and its translations will begin appearing around the world this winter.
Programme changes available on the website
The Helsinki Book Fair programme is subject to change. The latest programme is available at www.helsinginkirjamessut.fi/ohjelma. The website also features an AI-powered search engine that visitors can use to explore the programme and create their own personalised schedule for the fair.
Four entrances to the Book Fair instead of two
In addition to the new hall, the Helsinki Book Fair will have four entrances this year instead of two. A new Solar space is being built at the southern entrance of Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. Due to the construction site, visitors arriving by public transport can use the western or eastern entrance in addition to the southern entrance. The eastern entrance provides access to the fair area without the need to use stairs. Visitors arriving by car can use the northern entrance.
A nationally significant cultural forum and literary event
The Helsinki Book Fair promotes reading, appreciation of literature and book sales in Finland. The event is a nationally significant cultural forum: a timely pioneer, a challenging participant in public debate, a storyteller and an enlightener of the mind. The most important values of the Book Fair are freedom of expression, equality and respect for human dignity.
Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre will organise the Helsinki Book Fair on 22. - 25.10. 2026 at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, in collaboration with the Finnish Publishers Association and the Finnish Booksellers Association. The Antiquarian Book Fair will be held alongside the Helsinki Book Fair in collaboration with the Finnish Antiquarian Booksellers Association. The Helsinki Book Fair also includes a Record Fair. The Wine & Food event will take place at the same time.
Further information:
Press Officer Teija Armanto, Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, tel. +358 50 376 0804, teija.armanto@messukeskus.com
Programme Director Ville Blåfield, tel. +358 50 310 3017, ville.blafield@messukeskus.com
Business Manager Tanja Pasila, tel. +358 50 387 0024, tanja.pasila@messukeskus.com
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Images from the Helsinki Book Fair: http://mediabank.messukeskus.com
