Books from Finland - A literary journal of writing from and about Finland.

Seven books were chosen out of approximately 200 to be the candidates of the Runeberg Prize, to be awarded on 5 February 2010.

The candidates are the novels Herra Darwinin puutarhuri (‘Mr Darwin’s gardener’, Otava) by Kristina Carlson, Glitterscenen (Säihkenäyttämö, ‘The Glitter Scene’, Söderströms/Teos) by Monika Fagerholm, Ihmisen osa (‘The human lot’, Siltala) by Kari Hotakainen, Lykantropia (‘Lycanthropy’, Johnny Kniga) by Gerry Birgit Ilvesheimo and Marilynin hiuspinni (‘Marilyn’s hairpin’, Like) by Juha Siro, a collection of short stories, Normaalia elämää (‘Normal life’, Tammi), by Maarit Verronen and a collection of poems, Harry Harlow’n rakkauselämät (‘Harry Harlow’s love lives’, Otava), by Sanna Karlström.

The prize, worth €10,000, will be awarded in February 2010 by a jury – appointed by the Uusimaa newspaper, the Finnish Writers’ Union and the Finnish Critics’ Association – of three critics and writers, Eija Komu, Markku Envall and Petter Lindberg.