Taiga: Exile, Memory and the Finnish North

Tapahtuma on englanninkielinen. American writer Andrew Mayeshiba reads from Taiga, a literary novel set entirely in Finland. At its center is Matti, an aging man living alone above the Arctic Circle, where hunger, injury, memory and Finnish folklore begin to converge. Moving between his isolated life in the north and the events that drove him there, Taiga explores self-exile, remorse, the damage people carry with them, and the possibility of tenderness even after much has been lost. Mayeshiba will read selected passages from the novel and discuss what drew him to Finland, how the country shaped the story, and the experience of writing Finnish characters and places from an American perspective. The reading will be followed by conversation and questions from the audience. The event will be held in English and is free and open to everyone.