The Finlandia winner gave the decision-makers of the literary industry harsh criticism

Literary industry those in power received strong criticism on Wednesday night from the winner of his second Finlandia prize for fiction Statovcilta agreement.

“It doesn’t feel good to spoil anyone’s joy on an evening like this, but since the most influential people in our country’s book industry are here, I want to once again draw attention to the shortcomings of the Finnish publishing industry, which have been discussed in public for several years, without much having actually changed”, Statovci said in his speech at the award ceremony.

The 2024 Finlandia awards for literature were handed out on Wednesday evening in the restaurant Töölö’s ballroom in Helsinki.

With his work A cow gives birth at night In his speech, Statovic, who won (Otava), criticized the pricing of study time services in particular.

“You have publicly admitted that the compensation the author receives for the work consumed in the reading and listening time service is not fair. Why don’t you do something about it, make sure that the author really receives the appropriate and proportionate compensation for his work according to and required by the new copyright law?”

Statovci also asked the publishers a question about why authors or their representatives have not been invited to negotiate book prices in reading time services.

“You can do better. In fact, it is a choice not to be able to,” he stated.

Statovci, on the other hand, reminded the decision-makers of the effects of the cuts.

“Cuts from art, including the increase in VAT on books, punish people for reading, for the need to understand the world through art. This is also a choice.”

For politicians also sent greetings Skutsi received the Finlandia prize for children’s and young people’s literature with his work (Nukkahiiri). Päivi Lukkarilawho remembered his own grandfather in his speech.

“Even though it was tight, Kalle was ready to give his little to the establishment of the Finnish Culture Fund, because he understood that without its own culture, Finland has no future. If only our current decision-makers understood the same”, said Lukkarila.

He emphasized the importance of reading, especially in the development of children’s and young people’s critical thinking.

“We don’t want to arouse hatred and prejudice, we already do enough of that anyway. Nothing is easier than inciting anger. A person blinded by anger follows the jerk with the loudest voice and the stupidest claims. A person who reads thinks and questions,” he said.

Locker room In his speech, he thanked the immigrant children with whom he works as a Finnish as a second language teacher.

“I teach these best people in the world a game called the Finnish language. I want them to learn the game as well as possible, because we will need these wonderful people more than they need me now”

In her speech, Lukkarila expressed her hope that every person would understand what kind of resource these children are.

About disability written by Sofia Tawast and Riikka Leinonen celebrated in their speech the rise of disability from the margins. Winner of the Finlandia prize for non-fiction The big lie about disability According to them, (Tammi) is a book about disability, which basically tells about humanity.

“With Riika, we believe in pretty wild things. In our opinion, Finland should, for example, comply with human rights treaties. In some people’s opinion, even the idea that disabled people should have a voice and decide on things is radical,” Tawast stated.

Leinonen, the first publicly disabled Finlandia winner, on the other hand, reminded the general public about the agency of disabled people.

“We disabled people have a wish shared all over the world that the power belongs to us too. We are actors, not targets of action,” Leinonen said.

In the process however, the duo also expressed their concern about the weak state of the rights of the disabled by highlighting, for example, the weak situation of social security services and the employment challenges of the severely disabled.

“We also still don’t see accessibility as a human right,” Leinonen stated.

Towards the end of the speech, Leinonen brought up collective responsibility in the pursuit of accessibility.

“Building an accessible world requires everyone, disabled and non-disabled.”

Correction 28.11. at 7:35 am: The author’s name is Sofia Tawast, not Sofia Tawasti.

Modified on 27.11. at 10:16 p.m.: It has been added to the story that mother tongue teacher Päivi Lukkarila works with immigrant children as a Finnish as a second language teacher.