The Feast

Original title: Pidot

Author: Johanna Forss

Published: 2026

Publisher: Tammi

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 198

Reading material:

English sample + draft translation

English synopsis

Finnish edition

“We didn’t really want the same things. We only wanted to feel that we did.”

When Maria arrives at her childhood friend’s party, she has no idea what to expect—or why she was invited in the first place. Her and Marianne’s paths diverged years ago, and rebuilding that connection no longer seems possible.

When they were young, Maria was the one in control, but now the roles have reversed: her friend has transformed from a small-town kiosk clerk into a celebrated influencer surrounded by the city’s elite. Maria, meanwhile, juggles family life and a job at a museum, all the while nursing a quiet longing for something different. Slowly, memories resurface—of a wordless bond, of moments filled with joy and happiness, but also of the betrayal that changed everything.

The Feast is a gripping one-night novel about choices, class, envy, and love. It is a labyrinth of conversations and rooms, where every door leads to a different fate.

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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

Johanna Forss

Johanna Forss is a Finnish publishing professional and author of the novel The Feast (2026). She grew up in central Finland, in a landscape shaped by long, cold winters and intensely luminous summers — an environment that continues to inform her writing.

Forss studied comparative literature at the University of Helsinki, where she earned a Master’s degree in Arts and Humanities. Before beginning her academic studies, she spent a year abroad working various jobs, primarily in London, an experience that broadened her cultural outlook and professional ambitions.

After graduating, Forss began working in publishing as an editor and has since worked across a wide range of roles, including marketing, public relations, editorial development, and acquisitions. This extensive professional background has given her a deep, structural understanding of contemporary literature and the publishing process.

Forss lives in Helsinki. Although writing has been a constant throughout her life, it was long balanced alongside a demanding career and family life. Several years ago, she made a deliberate decision to prioritize her own creative work, which led to the completion of her debut novel. She is currently working on her second novel.

In her spare time, Forss enjoys characteristically Finnish pursuits. She is an avid winter swimmer, practices off-track skiing in northern forests and wetlands, and forages for mushrooms and berries in the forests surrounding Helsinki.

Photo credit: Aapo Huhta/Tammi

About author

Johanna Forss

Bibliography

The Feast