The Nordic Reader

In this first episode of The Nordic Reader, we are joined by author Juhani Karila to discuss his novel Summer Fishing in Lapland (is more dangerous than you think). The book is translated into English by Lola Rogers. 

Originally published in Finnish in 2019, the novel has now been translated into more than 20 languages. It is published by Pushkin Press in the UK and by Restless Books in the US, where it appears under the title Fishing for the Little Pike (is more dangerous than you think). 

In the novel we follow Elina, a young Finnish woman who is cursed. Every summer she returns to her childhood home in Lapland, where she must catch the pike that lives in a nearby pond – or she will die! But this year Elina’s attempt doesn’t quite go to plan. She must race against the clock to defeat the curse, while being followed by a host of strange mythical creatures, and a homicide detective who suspects her of murder. 

Join us as we talk about the quirky, magical world of Juhani’s novel, humour and heartbreak in Lapland, and Juhani’s experience with translation. 

Books Mentioned: 

Summer Fishing in Lapland (is more dangerous than you think)/Fishing for the Little Pike (is more dangerous than you think) by Juhani Karila

The Shining by Stephen King 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 

The End of Drum Time by Hanna Pylväinen

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen

Guest: Juhani Karila

Producer and Host: Mia Todd 

Co-host: Francis Neale

Editing and Marketing: Hanna Todd