Building Bridges Through Books: A Conversation on African Literature in Finland

Interview by Khaya Ronkainen on behalf of Finnish-African Society

A self portrait of Laura

As conversations about diversity in literature continue, one passionate advocate is working to ensure that African voices find their rightful place on Finnish bookshelves and beyond. For Laura Hytti, a board member and key volunteer with the Finnish-African Society (FAS), representation in literature is more than just expanding reading choices. It’s a means of fostering belonging, cultural understanding, and meaningful cross-continental connections.

Drawing from a deep love of children’s literature, Hytti shares her journey from recognising gaps in literary representation to promoting African diaspora writers in Finland. In her work, she underscores how children’s literature shapes children’s understanding of the world, their identity, and their relationships.

PERSONAL JOURNEY

What initially drew you to the Finnish-African Society and to promoting African literature in Finland?

It feels like a long time, but when I looked back at my old Instagram posts, I realized my journey with the Finnish-African Society (FAS) began in early 2023. I first met Sarah and the FAS team during an event at Pasila Library. At the time, I was working with Familia, an NGO supporting intercultural families in Finland in various ways, and my work concentrated on supporting children’s multilingualism and identity development. During the event, we promoted our volunteer-run language clubs, and I remember visiting the FAS booth and picking up a few Kunda Kids books. That’s where it all started—a shared love for inclusive children’s literature.

I’m also the proud mother of a wonderful little human who is both Finnish and Kenyan. I wanted to find ways to connect my child with his Kenyan heritage, to give him access to the culture and sense of belonging that I couldn’t provide on my own. As a parent, I want him to grow into his full, unique self, and being involved in organizing these events has been a deeply personal journey—one rooted in identity, representation, and connection.

Last year, after several years of collaboration, I joined the FAS board and began contributing more strategically. I’ve helped organize our participation in the Helsinki Book Fair, worked on funding applications, and supported new ideas with the team. Beyond the meaningful work, I truly enjoy being part of the FAS community—I always feel welcomed, valued, and inspired to think differently, learning from the smart, accomplished, and creative people around me.

KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHTS

Diversity has become a “dirty” word. Given your project management experience, how do you approach building collaborative partnerships between Finnish literary institutions and African diaspora writers?

I believe that right now, championing diversity and valuing different perspectives and voices is more crucial than ever. A great deal of racist and harmful rhetoric is becoming commonplace.   Literature is more than an artistic expression. It can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and distort historical facts and lived experiences, undermining our ability to envision a more inclusive future. 

By working together to include African diaspora voices in the Finnish literary landscape, we collectively reshape the narrative of belonging and amplify marginalized voices. Having had my misconceptions corrected, I understand the importance of partnerships and critical thinking. I aim to ground my work in co-creation. It’s crucial to be guided by a broad range of viewpoints and ideas.

Regarding Finnish literary institutions and African diaspora writers working together, the first step is to make room for the perspectives and contributions that African diaspora writers wish to share. It can’t be only the expected stories based on outdated understandings, like the survivor story. While these stories are powerful examples of human resilience and experience, and can be beautiful works of literary expression, they aren’t the only narratives.

Having had my misconceptions corrected, I understand the importance of partnerships and critical thinking.”

– Laura Hytti

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

How do you ensure that diverse stories reach and resonate with the community beyond the bookshelf?

It’s important to ensure stories extend beyond the bookshelf; published work needs to be visible and accessible to all. It’s also vital to merge written works with readings, performances, and workshops in public spaces, like libraries and events, and schools and daycares later, to keep these stories alive. After all, storytelling and oral traditions are at the heart of African literature. Drawing on this oral tradition and communal expression helps audiences engage with literature.

The African Culture Day we organised at Pasila Library is one example of a co-created event to celebrate diverse children’s literature and cultures. The collaboration involved authors of children’s books, Kunda Kids publisher, embassies representing different countries, the library, families, and children. This resulted in a well-attended gathering of families of different African origins. Inspired by Sarai’s Culture Day, a book written by Tania Omotayo and illustrated by Chike Obasi, it created a multilingual cultural expression, where we could have discussions about the author, illustrator, audience, time, and intent behind the work.

Laura at the FAS stand during the Helsinki Book Fair

WINDOWS, MIRRORS, AND SLIDING DOORS

What key themes or conversations do you think we should prioritise to represent authentic African literary voices while engaging Finnish audiences?

African literary voices offer essential perspectives for Finnish audiences, presenting themes that reflect both universal human experiences and the unique histories of African writers. I believe literature functions as what multicultural education expert Rudine Sims Bishop describes as “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” — spaces where African diaspora readers in Finland see authentic reflections of themselves, while Finnish readers access stories that expand their world-view beyond Eurocentric frameworks. In fact, this approach aligns perfectly with this year’s Helsinki Book Fair theme of civilization (sivistys) and the joy of reading, embracing the Finnish concept of personal growth through learning that contributes to the wider community.

Culture is not a fixed inheritance but dynamic. It’s a collective practice enriched by diverse voices, and literature plays a crucial role in reshaping our collective world-view. Every engagement with a story offers opportunities to challenge our sense of self, examine power structures, and discover new possibilities for understanding our past, present, and future — making African literary voices not just relevant but essential for a truly inclusive Finnish cultural landscape.

THE NEED FOR INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM

From your observations, and as a parent, what changes would you most like to see in how literature is taught at schools?

There’s still much work to be done to diversify bookshelves in daycares and schools. Yet, it’s encouraging to see progress. More children’s books featuring diverse main characters and more inclusive titles are becoming available. Many daycare centres are also adopting creative initiatives like eteiskirjastot – “hallway libraries” or multilingual bookshelves – where staff collaborate with local libraries to offer multilingual books children can borrow and take home. Digital tools such as Lukulumo, which provides stories in nearly 90 languages, are expanding access even further.

Beyond access, however, I believe we need to strengthen critical reading skills—for both educators and children. Literature is never neutral; every book exists because someone chose to publish it, while others were left out. Recognizing this helps us understand that stories reflect power, history, and perspective.

We all need to learn to engage with literature in an anti-racist way. We all need to learn this skill; it is an active process of continued learning. We should ask: Who wrote this story? Who illustrated it? Whose voices are centred—and whose are missing, erased or ignored? What norms are being reinforced, and what is being challenged? These questions help children (and adults) see how literature shapes the way we understand the world.

By teaching children to read thoughtfully, we empower them to notice bias, value multiple viewpoints, and understand the need for diverse stories. The best way to do this is through discussion—talking about what we read. With young readers, that can begin simply: identifying the author, illustrator, language, setting, and time period.

In short, I’d like to see more conversations about books, especially with children. Because the stories we share with our youngest readers help them understand who they are, and their place in the world.

“By teaching children to read thoughtfully, we empower them to notice bias, value multiple viewpoints, and understand the need for diverse stories.”

– Laura Hytti

BUILDING PLATFORMS, BREAKING BARRIERS

Your contribution to the Finnish-African Society is huge. How do you measure the impact of your work in promoting African literature?

Thank you for the acknowledgement. For me, the most meaningful metric is always the reaction of children when they see themselves or recognize something that resonates with them in a book or a story. You can see them shift weight forward, eyebrows raised, a look of anticipation on their faces as they lean into the story. It’s the joy in their voices when you ask children to say something in their own home languages, name some animals in a story or their reaction to another child in the audience who also knows how to say tree in Twi, or Swahili or Mandinka. It’s my child opening a book and saying, “Look, Mama, that boy is brown like me, and he likes manzadi too.” I’m most proud of playing a small role in those moments, and I’m happy I get to do that work with FAS.

I’m also proud to have worked with the team to make sure that one of the Nordics’ largest book fairs, the Helsinki Book Fair, has African-authored literature represented. Last year, we had two multilingual children’s book readings. And this year we have an exciting panel discussion and a children’s program. I’m really excited because we have even more literature available at the stand for people to browse through and hopefully take home with them. 

The FALA Network has been an incredible platform for supporting African diaspora artists and writers in Finland. I’m honoured to be part of an initiative that creates connections between authors and offers visibility that didn’t exist before. I’d like to see this network expand its reach and impact, connecting with more people in the Nordics, using shared knowledge and resources. Because with stronger publishing partnerships, there’s real potential to expand across the Nordics.

Of course, significant barriers remain. Language continues to be a major challenge for authors navigating grant applications in Finnish or Swedish and in securing funding for translations. Even well-intentioned funding processes can carry unconscious biases. As the Suomi lukee (to link the article: suomi-lukee-2025-medialle.pdf) article noted, readers often buy what they already know—so if African diaspora authors aren’t visible, they won’t be discovered. 

That’s why we focus on raising author profiles at book fairs and community events, ensuring books reach schools, libraries, bookstores, and online platforms. Building Nordic networks and supporting translations—especially bilingual editions, especially for children—are key steps toward lasting visibility and inclusion.

LOOKING AHEAD

What untapped opportunities do you see for expanding the African literary presence in Finland?

First, I believe there’s an amazing pool of talented storytellers and writers who, if given the opportunity, can enrich the Finnish literary landscape. Some of these voices are already here—living, writing, and producing literature in Finland. 

At the same time, there’s a noticeable shift in the literary scene. Awareness of the need for more diverse literature is increasing, with growing interest in multilingual and non-mainstream Finnish works. According to the 2025 Booksellers Association of Finland report (Suomi lukee 2025), sales of foreign-language literature are rising, and young readers, in particular, are driving this trend by seeking books in a variety of languages.

These developments signal an important opportunity—broadening access, visibility, and appreciation for the stories and voices that reflect a more inclusive literary world. Tapping into underserved markets might be another way of expanding African literature in Finland.

Laura Hytti is an implementation design specialist with experience in development, research cooperation, partnership-building, and project management across the UK, East Africa, and Finland. Her work is grounded in co-creation, and she seeks to build partnerships across cultures. A proud mother of a multilingual child, she advocates for children’s multilingualism, and works to increase access to inclusive books that normalise diversity, challenge colonial narratives, allowing children to see themselves in stories. Laura also edited Kokonainen minä (2024), a participatory children’s book that encourages children to share their languages and cultures. And she is on the Finnish-African Society board.

Khaya Ronkainen is a writer and creative professional with a business background. She is passionate about the power of storytelling to inspire change and foster meaningful connections. A South African native, she’s embraced Finland as her second home and draws on the richness of cross-cultural experiences to shape her work and advocacy.