Helena Halme's Blog, page 40
June 8, 2013
Father's Day Kindle Offer!
Father's Day is just around the corner and if your children (like mine) always expect you to know the perfect gift for their Father, I have good news: what could be a better than the gift of books on the go?
So especially for you, my lovely readers, Amazon will take money off any Kindle Fire Tablet if you buy it via my blog.
But hurry, this is a limited offer: £15 reduction on any Kindle Fire Tablet. Limited time offer: Ends 6 PM Monday 10 June 2013Here are the technical details…
Kindle Fire Tablets
With options including 7” and 8.9” HD displays, Dolby Audio, Dual Antenna Wi-Fi and 8, 16 or 32GB storage, and with over 22 million films, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, apps and games (including top favourite apps such as Skyscanner, Jamie's 20-minute meals and Auto Trader) to choose from, the Kindle Fire HD Tablet range makes a perfect Father’s Day gift.For four days only you can save £15 on any Kindle Fire Tablet. Limited time offer: ends 6pm Monday 10 June 2013.
Get your discounted Kindle Fire here.
June 7, 2013
The 5:2 Fast Diet Update - Five Ways How the Diet Has Changed my Life
It's now been over six months since I wrote the first ever 5:2 post about a fasting diet I'd seen on TV a few weeks earlier. The rest is history: Dr Mosley and Mimi Spencer wrote The Fast Diet book and included that first post in it. The book is now world-wide best seller for the small indy publisher Short Books.
Sadly I don't think this makes me a world-best selling author, too; but I digress.
Anyway, I thought it was about time to let you know how I'm getting on with the Fast Diet.
1. Feeling Great!
I have just started going back to the gym. After all my problems with the small op, my back and my frozen shoulder (touch wood!) I feel fit. The extra weight I'd gained due to the health problems have gone, and I feel as if I am back to myself again.
2. Feeing Healthier
What's more ( again, touch wood!) I seem to be able to shrug off any colds and sniffles very quickly. I can't really put this down to anything else but the Fast Diet. Before I started the diet, I'd get two or three really bad colds a year and I'd be really poorly at least for a week, and it would take two for me to feel fully well again. Now any little sniffles take just a day or two to clear.
3. My Weight
Although my weight fluctuates, I have kept the 8 kilos off that I lost in the first 3-4 months. This is quite a feat since I've had several long breaks in the diet (Christmas and holidays) when I've eaten exactly what I've wanted (cinnamon buns, Daughter's cakes, beer, pizza, curries etc., etc.). I also do not count calories on the days when I'm not fasting. To me, being able to not worry about what I have on the 'free' days is what this 5:2 diet is all about. Plus there are weeks when I just do one fast day.
4. New Relationship with Food
The 5:2 Diet has given me the confidence not to eat. This sounds strange, but in the past I'd be afraid of feeling hungry, and would often eat a meal 'just in case' I might feel hungry later. I've learned that feeling hunger is OK, it's nothing to be afraid of.
5. Healthier Lifestyle
Taking into account all the pizza and cinnamon buns, on the whole as a result of the 5:2 diet, I eat more healthily purely because on the fast days I cannot have the empty sugary and fatty calories. I also think that my body has got used to eating less sugar and fat on the non-fasting days too. I also drink less wine (mores the pity!) because I just don't seem to want as much of the bad stuff as before. There's also independent evidence for this: the little health scare I had just about at the same time I started the 5:2 diet, with raised glucose levels, which is the first sign of developing type 2 diabetes, has totally disappeared. My levels are now normal.
In summary, I feel great! Of course I'd like to lose more weight. To be table to fit into a size 12 (again) would be nice, but since I am quite tall (175 cm), of a certain age, and have - what someone once very gamely put it - a tennis players physique, size 14 is OK with me.
Sadly I don't think this makes me a world-best selling author, too; but I digress.
Anyway, I thought it was about time to let you know how I'm getting on with the Fast Diet.
1. Feeling Great!
I have just started going back to the gym. After all my problems with the small op, my back and my frozen shoulder (touch wood!) I feel fit. The extra weight I'd gained due to the health problems have gone, and I feel as if I am back to myself again.
2. Feeing Healthier
What's more ( again, touch wood!) I seem to be able to shrug off any colds and sniffles very quickly. I can't really put this down to anything else but the Fast Diet. Before I started the diet, I'd get two or three really bad colds a year and I'd be really poorly at least for a week, and it would take two for me to feel fully well again. Now any little sniffles take just a day or two to clear.
3. My Weight
Although my weight fluctuates, I have kept the 8 kilos off that I lost in the first 3-4 months. This is quite a feat since I've had several long breaks in the diet (Christmas and holidays) when I've eaten exactly what I've wanted (cinnamon buns, Daughter's cakes, beer, pizza, curries etc., etc.). I also do not count calories on the days when I'm not fasting. To me, being able to not worry about what I have on the 'free' days is what this 5:2 diet is all about. Plus there are weeks when I just do one fast day.
4. New Relationship with Food
The 5:2 Diet has given me the confidence not to eat. This sounds strange, but in the past I'd be afraid of feeling hungry, and would often eat a meal 'just in case' I might feel hungry later. I've learned that feeling hunger is OK, it's nothing to be afraid of.
5. Healthier Lifestyle
Taking into account all the pizza and cinnamon buns, on the whole as a result of the 5:2 diet, I eat more healthily purely because on the fast days I cannot have the empty sugary and fatty calories. I also think that my body has got used to eating less sugar and fat on the non-fasting days too. I also drink less wine (mores the pity!) because I just don't seem to want as much of the bad stuff as before. There's also independent evidence for this: the little health scare I had just about at the same time I started the 5:2 diet, with raised glucose levels, which is the first sign of developing type 2 diabetes, has totally disappeared. My levels are now normal.
In summary, I feel great! Of course I'd like to lose more weight. To be table to fit into a size 12 (again) would be nice, but since I am quite tall (175 cm), of a certain age, and have - what someone once very gamely put it - a tennis players physique, size 14 is OK with me.
June 3, 2013
4 Ways to Get Your Book into Bookshops
Back in April at the London Book Fair 2013 I got into a discussion with a fellow writer about how difficult some independent writers find it to get their books stocked in bookshops. Now, I don't pretend to be an expert in this field, but having been a bookseller in an independent bookshop and having also been part of a team which published the MA in Creative Writing Anthology, I know a little about the subject.
So here goes, these are my top tips to get your books stocked in bookshops.
1. Make your local book seller your friend. Yes, I mean a friend. Make sure you go and buy books in the shop regularly and get to know the person who decides what books are stocked. This might be the manager, or a book buyer. Sometimes this is one person, sometimes if the shop is tiny, it's the owner. This is a long term policy, but then your writing career is a life-time thing, right? Sometimes, though, if the bookseller is particularly keen your kind of genre, they might take a few copies off your hands there and then on a first visit. (So take copies of books with you). I've seen it happen, especially in newly opened bookshops (which are as rare as rocking horse poo, I know).
2. Help the bookshop make money out of your books. Give them a good discount - anything below 35% and a bookseller won't even consider taking your books. The deal will always be on sale or return basis anyway, but their shelf space is valuable, so your books will only make it there if the bookseller can get some profit out of the book. I've heard a rumour that even Waterstones now have a policy to stock local authors, so it's worth trying all the bookshops in your area, even the large chains.
3. Ask if you can have a book launch in the bookshop. Independent bookseller love local authors, because often they know a lot of people who are loyal enough to fill the event. (You'd be surprised how many traditionally published authors cannot fill a room in a small bookshop). Booksellers want people in their shops; they want to build their clientele just as much as you do. If you help to promote the event, you also promote the bookshop so it's a win, win situation. (I will blog about author events and how to make sure they're a success in detail under a separate post.)
4. Get your books stocked by established wholesalers like Gardners. When I worked at West End Lane Books in North West London, we used (almost exclusively) Bertrams and Gardners. A small bookshop cannot stock all titles, so much of our trade came from providing a next day ordering service. If your book is easily available to order from one of these wholesalers, any bookshop in the country can order your book. Gardners also now offer a print on demand service. This is the more costly option, however, as they too need a cut from your book, and will charge for the printing. Perhaps this would be something to consider when you've first conquered your local bookshops?
The thing to always remember is that you, the author, and the bookseller are on the same side. Both of you love books and want to share them and sell them.
It's very important for us as authors that bookshops don't fail - the current rate of shop closures is shocking, so we need to stem the tide. As for booksellers, if as an author you can help them, they will support you and recommend your books. And I know, having seen it at first hand, what an invaluable thing a bookseller's recommendation is.
So here goes, these are my top tips to get your books stocked in bookshops.
1. Make your local book seller your friend. Yes, I mean a friend. Make sure you go and buy books in the shop regularly and get to know the person who decides what books are stocked. This might be the manager, or a book buyer. Sometimes this is one person, sometimes if the shop is tiny, it's the owner. This is a long term policy, but then your writing career is a life-time thing, right? Sometimes, though, if the bookseller is particularly keen your kind of genre, they might take a few copies off your hands there and then on a first visit. (So take copies of books with you). I've seen it happen, especially in newly opened bookshops (which are as rare as rocking horse poo, I know).
2. Help the bookshop make money out of your books. Give them a good discount - anything below 35% and a bookseller won't even consider taking your books. The deal will always be on sale or return basis anyway, but their shelf space is valuable, so your books will only make it there if the bookseller can get some profit out of the book. I've heard a rumour that even Waterstones now have a policy to stock local authors, so it's worth trying all the bookshops in your area, even the large chains.
3. Ask if you can have a book launch in the bookshop. Independent bookseller love local authors, because often they know a lot of people who are loyal enough to fill the event. (You'd be surprised how many traditionally published authors cannot fill a room in a small bookshop). Booksellers want people in their shops; they want to build their clientele just as much as you do. If you help to promote the event, you also promote the bookshop so it's a win, win situation. (I will blog about author events and how to make sure they're a success in detail under a separate post.)
4. Get your books stocked by established wholesalers like Gardners. When I worked at West End Lane Books in North West London, we used (almost exclusively) Bertrams and Gardners. A small bookshop cannot stock all titles, so much of our trade came from providing a next day ordering service. If your book is easily available to order from one of these wholesalers, any bookshop in the country can order your book. Gardners also now offer a print on demand service. This is the more costly option, however, as they too need a cut from your book, and will charge for the printing. Perhaps this would be something to consider when you've first conquered your local bookshops?
The thing to always remember is that you, the author, and the bookseller are on the same side. Both of you love books and want to share them and sell them.
It's very important for us as authors that bookshops don't fail - the current rate of shop closures is shocking, so we need to stem the tide. As for booksellers, if as an author you can help them, they will support you and recommend your books. And I know, having seen it at first hand, what an invaluable thing a bookseller's recommendation is.
June 2, 2013
Crouch End Knowledge: Scarlet Rage Vintage
I have to come clean: I don't like vintage shops. The only good item I've ever got in a second hand shop (as they used to be called) was a beautiful Victorian christening gown for Son. And that was nearly twenty-six years ago. (Time flies). I still have it, for the next generation, and I truly treasure it.
Oh, come to think of it, I did once get a very lovely burgundy ball gown in a vintage shop, called Bertie Golightly's in Bradford-on-Avon. I remember that they had to take the waist in, I was that thin. (Those were the days!) That was before Son was born, so best not think how many years ago that was... I still have that purchase too, so I may have to eat my words on not liking vintage.
But, the idea of wearing someone else's clothes fills me with dread. Besides, I think the whole vintage fashion phenomena is over. There are now far too many shops calling themselves vintage, when in truth they're just full of second hand wares, or last season's sale items at normal prices.
Of course there are exceptions, and one such shop is Scarlet Rage Vintage in Crouch End, North London. I've been meaning to visit this shop for ages, because it has such an attractive window display, but have never quite managed it. And now they are already celebrating their first Birthday!
As soon as you walk into the shop you notice this is a professional outfit: all the clothes are beautifully displayed and they're clean, ironed and not stuffed into overfull rails (and there's no 'old clothes' smell). The lady in the shop, Rosie, was friendly, not overly pushy, just lovely.
My eye soon caught a treasure; 1920's waitress' (or servant's?) uniform. The lace at the cuffs and the thin white linen pinny convinced me it was truly original. Perfect for a fancy dress; although it looked on the small size (this time it would have to be altered in the other direction). Rosie told me it was probably a size eight, so erhm, perhaps not for me.
Rosie told me the stock comes mostly from the US and Europe, and that they make sure the items are from their chosen era of 1920's to 50's. They also stock a large collection of handbags, vintage jewellery, and a few homes wares such as cushions and chairs.
If you're into your American 20th century vintage, this is definitely a place to visit. And if you're in Crouch End this week, why not pop in on Thursday to celebrate Scarlet Rage Vintage's first birthday?
Scarlet Rage Vintage,
11 Topsfield Parade,
Crouch End,
London,
N8 7LAOpening time are:Monday to Friday 10:30am till 6pm
Saturday 11am till 6pm
Sunday 12pm till 6pm
Oh, come to think of it, I did once get a very lovely burgundy ball gown in a vintage shop, called Bertie Golightly's in Bradford-on-Avon. I remember that they had to take the waist in, I was that thin. (Those were the days!) That was before Son was born, so best not think how many years ago that was... I still have that purchase too, so I may have to eat my words on not liking vintage.
But, the idea of wearing someone else's clothes fills me with dread. Besides, I think the whole vintage fashion phenomena is over. There are now far too many shops calling themselves vintage, when in truth they're just full of second hand wares, or last season's sale items at normal prices.
Of course there are exceptions, and one such shop is Scarlet Rage Vintage in Crouch End, North London. I've been meaning to visit this shop for ages, because it has such an attractive window display, but have never quite managed it. And now they are already celebrating their first Birthday!
As soon as you walk into the shop you notice this is a professional outfit: all the clothes are beautifully displayed and they're clean, ironed and not stuffed into overfull rails (and there's no 'old clothes' smell). The lady in the shop, Rosie, was friendly, not overly pushy, just lovely.
My eye soon caught a treasure; 1920's waitress' (or servant's?) uniform. The lace at the cuffs and the thin white linen pinny convinced me it was truly original. Perfect for a fancy dress; although it looked on the small size (this time it would have to be altered in the other direction). Rosie told me it was probably a size eight, so erhm, perhaps not for me.
Rosie told me the stock comes mostly from the US and Europe, and that they make sure the items are from their chosen era of 1920's to 50's. They also stock a large collection of handbags, vintage jewellery, and a few homes wares such as cushions and chairs.
If you're into your American 20th century vintage, this is definitely a place to visit. And if you're in Crouch End this week, why not pop in on Thursday to celebrate Scarlet Rage Vintage's first birthday?
Scarlet Rage Vintage,
11 Topsfield Parade,
Crouch End,
London,
N8 7LAOpening time are:Monday to Friday 10:30am till 6pm
Saturday 11am till 6pm
Sunday 12pm till 6pm
May 29, 2013
Is the e-book revolution passing Finland by?
[image error] Ulla Lundberg Picture: Teos.fiE-book sales have been sluggish in Finland, as displayed by the sales figures of the latest Finlandia Prize winning novel, Jää , by Ulla-Lee Lundberg.
[image error] According to the Finnish newspaper, Uusi Suomi, Lundberg’s best selling book has sold over 100,000 old-fashioned paper copies, but only 100 e-books. That’s a mere 0.1 percent of the total sales. And this is even less than the total Finnish e-book sales in 2012 , which made 1% of total book sales, compared to about 10 % in Britain.
But Jää may be a bad example. It’s a high-end fiction title, a genre which often attracts a different kind of buyer. Award-winning books are also often bought as a present, which could explain the low e-book figure, say the Finnish publishers of Jää, Teos.
At the other end of the spectrum, titles such as Fifty Shades of Grey (all three books in the trilogy were bestsellers in Finland) have done much to increase the popularity of e-books worldwide. This may be due to privacy issues; no-one can see the cover of an e-book and judge its reader accordingly.In spite of the disappointing sales of e-books, the trend is definitely on the up, even in Finland. According to the Finnish Book Publishers Association, printed book sales went down in 2012, while the sales of e-books rose in the same period by 8%.
Because the cost of publishing an e-books is negligible, there has been an explosion of independently published e-books by author/ entrepreneurs worldwide. The Fifty Shadestrilogy is one such success story, which has made author E L James a millionaire. This trend is bound to be mirrored in Finland, so who knows, at this very moment there may be a Finnish independent author who is penning his or her best-selling e-book. In my view, that is when the sales of e-books in Finland will also explode.
This article was also published in the summer issue of the Finn Guild magazine, Horisontti.
May 26, 2013
Helsinki shopping
When in Helsinki I rarely miss a visit to Stockmann's department store. This shop is a bit of a Selfridges of Helsinki, and you'd be pushed to want something they don't stock. Especially the food hall downstairs is so moorish, I have to be really careful not to buy it all up! (Suitcase issues are always a problem when I'm travelling).
Edible roses…or
Strawberries and blueberries...
...or a rye sandwich to go?Another place which I rarely miss is the large Marimekko store on North Esplanade, as I am a bit of a Marimekko freak. I've been brought up on the stuff after all!
This is me wearing the classic Raitapaita
circa 1970…!You can imagine my delight when a friend asked me last Saturday if I'd like to go to the outlet store (Tehtaanmyymälä) in East Helsinki, near the newly branded shopping centre, Itis. I didn't even know such a thing existed!
Although some of the stuff in the Tehtaanmyymälä is not that heavily discounted (dresses were only down from 129 Euros to 119 Euros, for example), you can still find some fantastic bargains, like this classic striped t-shirt. I've head several of these Raitapaita t-shirts over the years, so I thought it was about time to get another one. I found a perfect summer combo: Navy and white, and it was discounted in the Marimekko Outlet store. Couldn't really say no…?
These are my other finds: the dress is from the current collection, but I couldn't resist as it's really thin fabric and perfect for a beach to bar cover up (we are off on holiday soon; can't wait).
Another great Finnish clothing store which a good friend recommends for businesswear is Andiata. They do good quality suits, shirts and dresses for special occasions. The fit is just right, and when in Finland I buy one or two pieces. This time I went for this sleeveless cotton shirt. It was so comfortable to wear I tried to get another one in white (you know me and my serial shopping problem), but they had run out of my size everywhere. (Andiata can also be found at Stockmann's).
A very different store, which I'd not visited before is Moko Market and Cafe. It's a sort of Finnish Anthropologie, although I was told Moko precedes the US store. This shop stocks quirky home wares and clothing from the Nordic countries, as well as French and American stuff.
The coffee they grind onsite is delicious, we brought home this breakfast blend, which was just perfect for a morning brew.
Finally, for me, a shopping trip in Helsinki would not be complete without a visit (or, erhm, half a day's browse) to Akateeminen Kirjakauppa. This vast bookshop on North Espalande has a coffee shop upstairs, called Aalto Cafe. Here you can hear literary discussions abound, or see refined Helsinki ladies having coffee and cakes.
Akateeminen Kirjakauppa has books on any subject in almost any language you may require. In short; a writer's heaven.
I love these old escalators.This time I was also delighted to find a friendly face (or book cover) to remind me of London. In the biography section on the second floor I spotted Maggie and Me, salonista par exellance Damian Barr's recent book. I hope it'll soon be translated into Finnish and Swedish so everyone in Finland can enjoy this excellent biography.
In spite of now having no space at all in my suitcase, I bought three hardback books by new Finnish writers. I will report back soon on my book review site on these. Just as well my friend had room in her suitcase for my books. The same old story! (Kindle, what Kindle?)
Stockmann HelsinkiAleksanterinkatu 52Puh. +358 (0)9 1211Marimekko Tehtaanmyymälä (Outlet Store) Address: Puusepänkatu 4, 00880 Helsinki, FinlandPhone:+358 9 75871Transit: Herttoniemen metroasema
AndiataAlexanterinkatu 40 - 42Helsinki
Moko Market & Café Punavuori
Perämiehenkatu 10
00150 Helsinki
p. 09-41504500
mokomarket@moko.fi
Moko Market & Café Sörnäinen
Vilhonvuorenkatu 11
00500 Helsinki
p. 045 144 6225
mokosornainen@moko.fi
Akateeminen KirjakauppaKeskuskatu 1, Pohjoisesplanadi 39 (PL 128), 00101 HELSINKI
Tel: 09-121 41
Sähköposti: tilaukset@akateeminen.com
Edible roses…or
Strawberries and blueberries...
...or a rye sandwich to go?Another place which I rarely miss is the large Marimekko store on North Esplanade, as I am a bit of a Marimekko freak. I've been brought up on the stuff after all!
This is me wearing the classic Raitapaita circa 1970…!You can imagine my delight when a friend asked me last Saturday if I'd like to go to the outlet store (Tehtaanmyymälä) in East Helsinki, near the newly branded shopping centre, Itis. I didn't even know such a thing existed!
Although some of the stuff in the Tehtaanmyymälä is not that heavily discounted (dresses were only down from 129 Euros to 119 Euros, for example), you can still find some fantastic bargains, like this classic striped t-shirt. I've head several of these Raitapaita t-shirts over the years, so I thought it was about time to get another one. I found a perfect summer combo: Navy and white, and it was discounted in the Marimekko Outlet store. Couldn't really say no…?
These are my other finds: the dress is from the current collection, but I couldn't resist as it's really thin fabric and perfect for a beach to bar cover up (we are off on holiday soon; can't wait).
Another great Finnish clothing store which a good friend recommends for businesswear is Andiata. They do good quality suits, shirts and dresses for special occasions. The fit is just right, and when in Finland I buy one or two pieces. This time I went for this sleeveless cotton shirt. It was so comfortable to wear I tried to get another one in white (you know me and my serial shopping problem), but they had run out of my size everywhere. (Andiata can also be found at Stockmann's).
A very different store, which I'd not visited before is Moko Market and Cafe. It's a sort of Finnish Anthropologie, although I was told Moko precedes the US store. This shop stocks quirky home wares and clothing from the Nordic countries, as well as French and American stuff.
The coffee they grind onsite is delicious, we brought home this breakfast blend, which was just perfect for a morning brew.
Finally, for me, a shopping trip in Helsinki would not be complete without a visit (or, erhm, half a day's browse) to Akateeminen Kirjakauppa. This vast bookshop on North Espalande has a coffee shop upstairs, called Aalto Cafe. Here you can hear literary discussions abound, or see refined Helsinki ladies having coffee and cakes.
Akateeminen Kirjakauppa has books on any subject in almost any language you may require. In short; a writer's heaven.
I love these old escalators.This time I was also delighted to find a friendly face (or book cover) to remind me of London. In the biography section on the second floor I spotted Maggie and Me, salonista par exellance Damian Barr's recent book. I hope it'll soon be translated into Finnish and Swedish so everyone in Finland can enjoy this excellent biography.
In spite of now having no space at all in my suitcase, I bought three hardback books by new Finnish writers. I will report back soon on my book review site on these. Just as well my friend had room in her suitcase for my books. The same old story! (Kindle, what Kindle?)
Stockmann HelsinkiAleksanterinkatu 52Puh. +358 (0)9 1211Marimekko Tehtaanmyymälä (Outlet Store) Address: Puusepänkatu 4, 00880 Helsinki, FinlandPhone:+358 9 75871Transit: Herttoniemen metroasema
AndiataAlexanterinkatu 40 - 42Helsinki
Moko Market & Café Punavuori
Perämiehenkatu 10
00150 Helsinki
p. 09-41504500
mokomarket@moko.fi
Moko Market & Café Sörnäinen
Vilhonvuorenkatu 11
00500 Helsinki
p. 045 144 6225
mokosornainen@moko.fi
Akateeminen KirjakauppaKeskuskatu 1, Pohjoisesplanadi 39 (PL 128), 00101 HELSINKI
Tel: 09-121 41
Sähköposti: tilaukset@akateeminen.com
May 23, 2013
Win a free copy of Coffee and Vodka!
I'm giving away three copies of Coffee and Vodka over at Displaced Nation! All you have to do is leave a thoughtful comment on the post, but hurry, the Displaced Nation community is hugely active!
May 22, 2013
Coffee and Vodka Goes Forth
After my extended week 'away' in Finland, I've come home to a hive of activity on the Coffee and Vodka front.
I already knew before I went away that my second novel would be featured on Triskele Books site as their June book club read, but I was delighted that Kate Battrick of Girlonomics fame posted a review of my 'Nordic Noir Meets Family Saga' tale of immigration on her blog Twisted Skirt today. You can find her review here.
While I was away, I got an email from the great blog for international creatives, Displaced Nation. They wanted to know if I'd like to be a guest blogger on their site for a feature exploring how authors, writing memoirs and novels, convey what it feels like to live in other countries. YES!!! was my subdued (not) reply. My guest blog on how I wrote about Eeva's struggles with a new country, language and culture in Coffee and Vodka, will be up on Displaced Nation this week.
As if this wasn't enough, a fellow Finn, journalist Charlotta Buxton, is also going to be featuring little old me and Coffee and Vodka on her site, London Lotta later this month.
I am feeling very loved!
But there is more potentially exciting news (just between me and you).
Part of the reason I went home to Finland was to meet up with Finnish publishers. I can't say much yet, put please keep everything crossed for a Finnish (and possibly Swedish) version of Coffee and Vodka!
Taking a deep breath and carrying on.
This is where I want to be…
Akateeminen Kirjakauppa
(Stockmann's Bookstore)
in Helsinki
I already knew before I went away that my second novel would be featured on Triskele Books site as their June book club read, but I was delighted that Kate Battrick of Girlonomics fame posted a review of my 'Nordic Noir Meets Family Saga' tale of immigration on her blog Twisted Skirt today. You can find her review here.
While I was away, I got an email from the great blog for international creatives, Displaced Nation. They wanted to know if I'd like to be a guest blogger on their site for a feature exploring how authors, writing memoirs and novels, convey what it feels like to live in other countries. YES!!! was my subdued (not) reply. My guest blog on how I wrote about Eeva's struggles with a new country, language and culture in Coffee and Vodka, will be up on Displaced Nation this week.
As if this wasn't enough, a fellow Finn, journalist Charlotta Buxton, is also going to be featuring little old me and Coffee and Vodka on her site, London Lotta later this month.
I am feeling very loved!
But there is more potentially exciting news (just between me and you).
Part of the reason I went home to Finland was to meet up with Finnish publishers. I can't say much yet, put please keep everything crossed for a Finnish (and possibly Swedish) version of Coffee and Vodka!
Taking a deep breath and carrying on.
This is where I want to be…Akateeminen Kirjakauppa
(Stockmann's Bookstore)
in Helsinki
May 18, 2013
Will my Strindberg obsession produce a novel?
One of my tasks here in Helsinki has been to do some research for my new book. Or one of them…I've long had an idea to write a fictional story about the life of August Strindberg and particularly something involving Siri Von Essen, August Strindberg's first and most influential wife.
Siri von EssenSiri, who was a Swedish speaking Finnish daughter of a nobleman, was herself married when she, in the mid 1970's, met the famous Swedish playwright. Strindberg was a young writer and librarian at the time, and had yet to make his mark on the world. He wooed Siri with his clever words and promises of fulfilling her deeply held desire to enter the stage. They married in 1877 after Siri had divorced her first husband.
The tumultuous nature of this socially scandalous marriage between the two artists is well documented in Sweden, but the story is less well known elsewhere. As you may by now know, I've always been obsessed with Strindberg, and have lately also become fascinated by Siri. (Especially after I read this excellent novel/biography.) Her life seems to have been so full of love, and tragedy. She lost her first daughter to a mysterious lung disease and her second child (and first with Strindberg) was stillborn. There are rumours that Siri was somehow to blame for both deaths, and that this was due to her selfish desire to prioritise her own career. Historains disagree on whether she was good or bad for Strindberg; a spoilt, unfaithful empty-headed acress, or a wronged passionate woman trying to make the best of a bad marriage? You can imagine which side I take. Whatever your opinion, a life so controversial is also utterly fascinating.
Siri strikes a pose.My interest in Siri is further piqued by the fact that she was born Finnish, but spent most of her life abroad. She moved to Sweden with her first husband, and then with Strindberg she visited almost every corner of Europe while the two stayed in string of hotels, often leaving in the dead of night to avoid paying their bills. Siri had three more children with Strindberg, but the marriage ended when the playwright became convinced that the two youngest children were fathered by another man.
After the divorce, in 1983, Siri moved back to Helsinki with her children and a friend who was rumoured to be her lover. The last ten years Siri spent in Helsinki, a place which she called home, were not all happy. She struggled with money and lost her friend to alcoholism. Strindberg didn't exactly pay regular maintenance to his estranged family.
In 1907, at the age of 61, just two weeks before Strindberg himself perished, Siri Von Essen died in Helsinki, after she suffered a fatal fall.
Siri and her three children lived in several different places in Helsinki, and today I've been tracing her steps. Here are a few photos to show you some of the houses the first Mrs Strindberg might have spent her days in.
Siri von EssenSiri, who was a Swedish speaking Finnish daughter of a nobleman, was herself married when she, in the mid 1970's, met the famous Swedish playwright. Strindberg was a young writer and librarian at the time, and had yet to make his mark on the world. He wooed Siri with his clever words and promises of fulfilling her deeply held desire to enter the stage. They married in 1877 after Siri had divorced her first husband.The tumultuous nature of this socially scandalous marriage between the two artists is well documented in Sweden, but the story is less well known elsewhere. As you may by now know, I've always been obsessed with Strindberg, and have lately also become fascinated by Siri. (Especially after I read this excellent novel/biography.) Her life seems to have been so full of love, and tragedy. She lost her first daughter to a mysterious lung disease and her second child (and first with Strindberg) was stillborn. There are rumours that Siri was somehow to blame for both deaths, and that this was due to her selfish desire to prioritise her own career. Historains disagree on whether she was good or bad for Strindberg; a spoilt, unfaithful empty-headed acress, or a wronged passionate woman trying to make the best of a bad marriage? You can imagine which side I take. Whatever your opinion, a life so controversial is also utterly fascinating.
Siri strikes a pose.My interest in Siri is further piqued by the fact that she was born Finnish, but spent most of her life abroad. She moved to Sweden with her first husband, and then with Strindberg she visited almost every corner of Europe while the two stayed in string of hotels, often leaving in the dead of night to avoid paying their bills. Siri had three more children with Strindberg, but the marriage ended when the playwright became convinced that the two youngest children were fathered by another man.After the divorce, in 1983, Siri moved back to Helsinki with her children and a friend who was rumoured to be her lover. The last ten years Siri spent in Helsinki, a place which she called home, were not all happy. She struggled with money and lost her friend to alcoholism. Strindberg didn't exactly pay regular maintenance to his estranged family.
In 1907, at the age of 61, just two weeks before Strindberg himself perished, Siri Von Essen died in Helsinki, after she suffered a fatal fall.
Siri and her three children lived in several different places in Helsinki, and today I've been tracing her steps. Here are a few photos to show you some of the houses the first Mrs Strindberg might have spent her days in.
May 17, 2013
On location in Tampere, Finland
Those of you who know about my books (or have read them), will have noticed that Tampere, my home town, features heavily in two of them. It wasn't something I exactly planned, but I think in my mind I'm often there, even if I was only ten years old when I moved away with my family.
Every time I visit Tampere, I’m reminded of the stories, and the lives of Kaisa (The Englishman) and Eeva (Coffee and Vodka). I take pictures upon pictures of all the locations featured in the two books.
So I thought I’d share with you some of pictures I took of the places I had in my mind when I wrote the two novels.
The steps of the church (Tampere Cathedral) where
Kaisa and The Englishman were married.
The Tampere Cathedral basking in sunshine.A few pictures from Kalevankankaa cemetery where Eeva and her sister Anja (in Coffee and Vodka) played when they were growing up in Tampere.
Here is the magnificent rapids which Kaisa in The Englishman feared when she was little.
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