Join us September 26 for a discussion with award-winning author and artist Marika Mijala, translator Mia Spangbenberg, and Etana Editions children’s book publisher Jenni Erkintalo, in celebration of the release of Rosie Runs! They’ll discuss their work across artmaking, translation, and children’s book-making, while sharing visuals from Rosie Runs, which is out August 15 in translation from Elsewhere Editions.
An illustrator of children’s books for all of the major publishers of Finland as well as worldwide, Marika Maijala has received awards including the 2020 State Award for Illustration Art, and was chosen in 2021 as one of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards candidates of Finland. Rosie Runs (Ruusun Matka), which was made using her distinctive oil-pastel artmaking technique, follows a very special trip made one day by Rosie the race dog, and was released in the Finnish language in October 2018 by Etana Editions. Illustrations from Rosie’s Journey were selected in The Bologna Illustrators Exhibition 2019, and the book was also nominated for The Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2019.
In today’s event, the three speakers will discuss topics including how Nordic children’s picture books are made; how authors and illustrators work together, as well as the role of the editor and publisher; the importance of images as well as pre-production work; the meaning and the work of translators; and trends and challenges in the Nordic children’s picture book world.
This event will take place at Scandinavia House. Advance registration recommended; sign up at the link above.
About the Speakers
Marika Maijala is a Finnish illustrator, writer, visual artist, graphic designer, and animator. Currently she holds an atelier in Harakka Island Artists’ House. Maijala’s body of work includes picture books, art books, paintings, drawings, texts, animations, videos, installations, and illustrations for public spaces. She received the Rudolf Koivu award for the best children’s book illustration in 2009 and 2019, and the Finnish State Award for Illustration Art in 2020. Her debut book as an author, Rosie Runs, was a nominee for The Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2019.
Mia Spangenberg translates from Finnish, German, and Swedish into English. Her work has been published in Finland and the UK, and appeared in journals such as LitHub and Asymptote. She was awarded an honorable mention for the Nadia Christensen ASF Translation Prize for her translation excerpt from Finnish of Pirkko Saisio’s Punainen erokirja (The Red Book of Farewells). She is particularly passionate about children’s literature and a regular contributor to the WorldKidLit blog. Mia holds a Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Washington, Seattle, where she resides with her family.
Jenni Erkintalo is a picturebook maker, illustrator, graphic designer and co-founder of independent children’s book publisher Etana Editions. She received her BA & MA at Aalto University and worked as the Art Director of Miltton Oy, Helsinki, and also founded Jeje Oy. She is the author of books including Kuka Ihana? (Who’s Lovely), 2023, Ystäväni vesi (My Friend Water), 2023, Pop ja värikkäät numerot (Pop and Colorful Numbers), 2022, and others.
See a 2021 discussion and virtual workshop with Marika Maijala here: