The Finlandia Prize 2026 shortlist features 18 books by Finnish writers and other authors, with six titles selected in each of the competition’s three categories: fiction, non-fiction, and children’s and young adult literature. The annual literary awards will recognise works covering subjects ranging from Finnish history and family relationships to climate change, LGBTQ rights and the war in Gaza.
The Finnish Book Foundation will award €30,000 to the winner of each category, bringing the total prize money to €90,000. The winners will be announced on 26 November during a live broadcast by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
The fiction shortlist includes a returning winner, Rosa Liksom, whose novel Talo (Like) has earned her another nomination. Liksom previously won the Finlandia Prize for Fiction in 2011 with Hytti nro 6 (Compartment No. 6). Her latest shortlisted work follows a young woman living in Finnish Lapland before the Lapland War.
Five other writers join Liksom on this year’s fiction shortlist. They are Satu Erra for Rondo ja modulaatio (Tammi), Sanni Isometsä for Katoamiskertomus (S&S), Jyrki Kiiskinen for Kolme päivää, kolme yötä (Teos), Heikki Kännö for Silmät (WSOY), and Dess Terentjeva for Suuri koira juoksee ja päätön kukko lentää (WSOY).
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Several of the shortlisted novels explore personal relationships, identity and difficult periods in people’s lives. Isometsä’s debut novel deals with grief following the death of a partner, while Kiiskinen examines fatherhood and family relationships. Kännö’s story is set in post-war Paris, and Terentjeva explores identity and the experience of giving up Russian citizenship.
The nominations also mark an important milestone for three authors. Erra, Isometsä and Terentjeva have received their first Finlandia Prize nominations. Kännö, meanwhile, has appeared on the shortlist twice before, in 2020 and 2022.
The non-fiction shortlist, announced on 3 November, brings together six works examining social, political and environmental issues. The subjects include climate change, the history of Finnish wellbeing, individualism, the experiences of LGBTQ people in Russia, food production and the destruction in Gaza.
Among the nominees is Sohvi Kangasluoma with Sitten purjehdimme pohjoiseen (Atena). Antti Karisto and Jussi Simpura are nominated for Hyvinvoinnin historiaa (Gaudeamus), while Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen has been shortlisted for Itsekkyyden aika (WSOY).
Journalist Erkka Mikkonen is also among the nominees with Homona Putinin Venäjällä (WSOY), a work documenting the experiences of a gay man living in Russia under President Vladimir Putin. The book brings attention to the realities facing LGBTQ people in the country.
Other shortlisted works include Kylvö (Teos), written by Hanna Nikkanen, Mikko Pelttari, Johannes Roviomaa and Touko Hujanen, which examines the challenges surrounding food production. Timo R. Stewart’s Miksei kukaan tee mitään? (Gummerus) explores the destruction in Gaza through a collection of 12 essays.
Children’s and young adult literature completes the 18-book shortlist, with nominees representing a range of writers and illustrators. Aida ja helleaalto (Teos), created by Hannah Lutz, Jenny Lucander, Carina Frondén and Ida Berg, is among the six selected works.
The other nominees are Maria Vilja for Ilmapallokivi (Karisto), Kristiina Wallin and Erika Kallasmaa for Älä pelkää, PÖÖ! (Teos), Lena Frölander-Ulf for Lysinea (Teos), Elina Vahvaselkä for Kolmesti viety sielu (Tammi), and Päivi Haanpää for Retro (Hertta).
The final selection in each category will be made by three judges drawn from different professional backgrounds. Opera singer Helena Juntunen will choose the fiction winner, business executive Ilkka Paananen will select the non-fiction winner, and television personality Jukka Hildén will decide the recipient of the children’s and young adult literature prize.
Established in 1984, the Finlandia Prize is one of Finland’s best-known literary awards. The 2026 ceremony marks its 43rd presentation, continuing an annual tradition of recognising published works across different areas of Finnish literature.
