Lovely news for our authors: Päivi Lukkarila, J.S. Meresmaa and Annukka Salama have been nominated for the Laivakello Prize.

Established in 1996 by the Väinö Riikkilä Association and the Pekkas Academy, the Laivakello Prize is awarded on a yearly basis to authors of YA literature, either for a specific work or for their entire production. The prize will be awarded on September 10th in Kotka.

Päivi Lukkarila, (b. 1967), is a Tampere-based author known for her sensitive yet realistic portrayal of young people’s lives and emotions in her novels. She was awarded the prestigious Finlandia Prize for her Deep in The Woods, and has additionally received the Klara Prize in 2024, which is granted for an outstanding easy-to-read book for children or YA in Finnish or Swedish. She has also won the Tampere City Literature Prize twice. Furthermore, her books have been nominated for both the Arvid Lydecken and Anni Polva literary awards. In addition to her work as an author, Lukkarila teaches Finnish language and literature.

In Deep in The Woods four characters meet for a summer trekking camp. Luka feels like he’s in high school only to satisfy his parents. Why bother with something you’re not interested in?

Sabina’s relationship with Nella has ended. Nella liked her when she was just “conveniently” queer, still girly and sporting long hair. Now that Sabina has decided to be who she always wanted to be, Nella has left her. How do the other three participants in the hike feel about her?

Nasim, from Nokia, dreams of studying literature and becoming a writer, but is constantly confronted with prejudice.

Joel is convinced that one day he’ll be a world-famous stand-up comedian. Comedy’s tough, and it’s easy to overdo it when you’re trying to make people laugh. Joel tells a very different story about his background. What’s real, and what is he making up?

The expedition is only supposed to last three days, but a fateful event changes everything and the teens have to survive in the wild without their guide. They try to entertain each other with ghost stories, and as they tell them, their own frightening childhood experiences come back to haunt them. There seems to be something creepy about their surroundings. What was it in there that spooked all the tourists and will the four be left to wander the wilds until their final days?

REQUEST MATERIALS FOR DEEP IN THE WOODS HERE

J. S. Meresmaa (b. 1983) is an award-winning Finnish author of fantasy and other speculative fiction. A versatile and imaginative storyteller, Meresmaa has been nominated for multiple literature prizes, and her books have earned glowing praise from both critics and readers. Her backlist spans more than 30 titles, ranging from picture books and chapter books to middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction. Meresmaa writes across formats—including novels, short stories, and verse novels—and she is constantly exploring new creative territory. Meresmaa’s recent titles include the middle-grade horror trilogy Lumola (Monster Manor), the ongoing chapter book series Hirviöhoitola (Monster Care), and the romantic cottagecore YA fantasy The Witch of Sardesia, which was recently awarded the Tähtifantasia Award.

The Witch of Sardesia is magical and emotional story about a young pearl whisperer who seeks out a powerful witch to find a cure for her sister, who has been stricken by a deadly sleep sickness.

Soon to turn seventeen, Noa is the daughter of a pearl whisperer. She lives with her older sister and her mother, who has been crippled by a bear attack, in a house on Shady Pine Ridge, deep in the forest. The family cultivates pearls in their farm in the river, selling them to jewelers in the city. But the pearl farm is in trouble. No new pearls have been whispered for years. Noa’s mother has lost her ability to pearl whisper, and it was recently revealed that Noa’s sister Midja has no gift for pearl whispering either. Their father is serving a debtor’s sentence in the city of Paulava. Noa is their only hope.

When Midja falls ill with a deadly sleep sickness, the family faces a harsh reality: she can only be cured by the most powerful witch in Kernos—the Witch of Sardesia. Noa must venture out into the world for the first time, find the witch, and bring back a cure. Otherwise, her sister will die, their pearl farm will be doomed, and their father will never leave prison.

Together with a sly, wise toad and an enigmatic young man named Vesper who joins in the journey, Noa encounters dangers in the city and in her own heart.

REQUEST MATERIALS FOR THE WITCH OF SARDESIA HERE

Annukka Salama (b. 1980) is a Finnish YA author from Tampere. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees. In addition, she has studied fashion design and architecture. Salama’s young adult novels are known for their fast-paced plots and addictive romances. Her stories also give space to LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent perspectives. Salama’s books enjoy wide popularity among readers and have consistently performed well in annual Blogistania awards voted by book bloggers. In 2024 and 2025 she won the Queer Book of the Year Award. In 2026 she won the Thank You for the Book award for her YA title The Melting Point.

In The Melting Point the queen of addictive romances, Annukka Salama, now takes your breath away on the hockey rink! Oliver and Niklas are hockey’s brightest prospects—and sworn enemies on junior national teams from Finland and Sweden. When the boys are forced onto the same team, a Finland–Sweden showdown begins like nothing the hockey world has ever seen.

Oliver Järvinen rockets from complete obscurity to a trial with the national team. All his wildest dreams are coming true, until Niklas Gauffin skates into his life: a Finnish-Swedish hockey star and a total pain in the neck. Tipped to be the NHL’s number-one draft pick, Niklas has ditched his Swedish Tre Kronor jersey and moved to Finland, and, to top it all off, he’s Oliver’s new roommate in the high school dorm.

When fate throws them onto the same ice, the game, and the tension, heat up to unbearable levels. With the media scrutinizing their every move ahead of the NHL draft, the boys face huge choices as they fight for their future.

REQUEST MATERIALS FOR THE MELTING POINT HERE

Warmest congratulations to our authors and all nominees, and fingers crossed!