The finale of our writing competition is closing in – but fear not, there is still time to participate. You have until the 13th of April to send in your text.

During the past weeks we have received some excellent questions about the rules and background of this competition. Some came from the audience, while others have occupied the thoughts of our team members. In this article, we will answer some of them. Thank you for these excellent questions, for all who brought forward their thoughts!

Do not hesitate to contact us if the question you are currently contemplating is not on the list. Leave us a message on social media or via email (cityoflit@kuhmo.fi). No matter what worries you have, we will solve them together.

Q: How do I know that the jury has received my text – will I get a notification?

A:  Yes, you will. Once your text reaches us, we will send you an email starting with “Dear writer, thank you for taking part in Kuhmo City of Literature’s Jutun Juuri – Root of the Chatter Writing Competition.

If you have not received a message like this within three business days after sending your work in, send us a DM on our social media channels. Let’s make sure that your text gets there in time.

Q: How do I send my text to the jury?

A: By sending a MS Word file, or a scanned version of your text to cityoflit@kuhmo. If you do not already have an email address, you can create a free one via Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo.

Q: In what language can I write my text?

A: We need two language versions of your entry: one written in English, and a direct translation in the writer’s mother language. If your mother language is English, write one version using the standard form – and use your local dialect for the other one.

To make this competition as fair as possible, we do require two language versions from each and every participant.

Q: I do not own a computer. Can I write my entry by hand?

A: If all other options are unavalable to you, yes you can. Write you entry in neat handwriting that is easy to read. Scan it, and send it to us. This can often be done at your local library.

Q: Do I need to write my text using a specific genre: poetry, essay, or a short story?

A: Great news! All of these are accepted.

Be mindful that you answer all of the questions, using the languages mentioned in the call. Stick to the word limit. However, the way you construct your text is completely up to you. Get creative, and surprise us!

Q: I am interested in participatng, but my English is not that good. Can I write the text in my mother language, and ask someone else to translate it?

A: The short answer would be no. The idea of this competition is that participants write both versions by themselves. But even if writing in a foreign language worries you, do not hesitate to take part.

Clear structure, rich vocabulary and the use of full sentences will bring you points, but grammar is not the our most important criterion when it comes to scoring. Think of this as an exercise in creative writing, and putting your thoughts to words – as well as a good opportunity to practise your language skills.

Q: Do I need to use external sources? Can I summarize another writer’s text?

A: No, that is not necessary. We are interested in hearing your very own houghts and experiences, and thus summarizing writer’s work is not what we are looking for.

Q: I am very interested, but busy with schoolwork. Why should I participate?

A: Taking part in a writing competition is very beneficial. Good writing skills will come in handy when it comes to work, studying, or applying for jobs. Also, taking part in an international competition is a good addition to your CV when you appy for summer jobs. And if you are interested in writing a book, it is helpful to bring different types of texts to public attention.

If you are a student, this is good ractice for exams: the length of the entry is close to the word count of an essay. And while the topic is well defined, you can interprete it in various ways.

And the prizes are none too bad, either. 400€ will go a long way when it comes to everyday expenses. It will help you cover the costs of hobbies, or a summer vacation. Whether you are a student or working, this sum can hel you a lit if you budget it carefully.

And finally: Some questions we were pondering while we planned this project.

When our team developes different projects, we try to think ahead and figure out what kind of questions we will get later on. Here are a few examples – answers included.

Q: Why mother language is he theme of this competition, and not some other current topic?

A: We wanted to pick a theme that everybody has some experience in. Our aim is to encourage writers to look at a familiar thing from a different point of view. In addition to this, languages and the differences between them, and their power of uniting people are themes that influece our work greatly.

One can say that languages are an important part of our everyday life. We write messages, and chat with friends and family. When we listen to music, we interprete the lyrics. And if one listens carefully, the way one speaks can reveal one’s home region, and plenty of other things. One might not think about the meaning of language all that often, but it is a fascinating subject.

Q: Ai technology is becoming increasingly common. Why is it banned in this competition?

A: It is very true that AI tech is becoming more and moe opular. However, there are many valid reasons for our rule.

One of our key responsibilities as a City of Literature is to encourage writing and reading. Were are not just looking for a good text, but critical thinking skills and captivating way of describing one’s thoughts and experiences, too. Machines can do a lot, but only you know what you feel.

From our perspective, writing is a skil that can be learned, jus like swimming or cooking. The more you practice, the better you get. We want to encourage you to try creative writing, and competitions are a good way of gaining experience.

If the word count feels large, try to divide it ino smaller parts. Sometimes it helps if you plan the structure ahead.

We welcome all kinds of writers to join in! We hope to see your text among the entries.

Tools for communication. Shapers of our view of the world. Part of our identity, and bridges between people. Languages are all of the above.

In 2023 Kuhmo celebrated its status as the Finno-Uralic Culture Capital, and shined a light on the traditions of this language- and culture family. At the same time this marked our fifth year as anUNESCO City of Literature. 

Inspired by these special events, we turn our gazes towards our growing Network. Kuhmo City and Kuhmo Town Library and Kuhmo’s City of Literature programme invites young writers of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network to share their thoughts on the meaning of mother language. Let’s celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity together!

The winner will receive a prize of 400 €. They will also have the opportunity to perform their text at a public literary event organised by Kuhmo’s City of Literature Team. Writers on the second and third placement will be awarded with books.

From the entries we will put together a public exhibition.

The Rules:

1. Timeline

The call is open from the 5^th of February to the 13th of April. The winner will be announced on the week nro 19, or in the beginning of the week after, at latest.

• Who can participate?

This competition is open to 15–21-year-old writers, who live in a city that is a member of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network. If you are unsure of whether your home city is a member, you can check it here: https://www.citiesoflit.com

Don’t hesitate to take part, for this competition is meant for all writers! There are no requirements for the level of experience, educational background, or other qualifications. Whether you are a young author who has already published their first work, or someone who is starting their first ever creative writing course, this opportunity is meant for you.

Please note that due to the war in Ukraine, City of Kuhmo has stopped all collaborations with Russian organisations. This means that Ulyanovsk is not a partner in this project.

• Entries: length and content

Write a text of 800-1500 words that answers the following questions:

• What is my mother language?
• What does my mother language mean to me?
• How has my mother language shaped my identity?
• What is the most beautiful word of my mother language – why did you choose that one?

You can choose the style of writing yourself, but there is a catch: we need two language versions of the same text. One written in English for the jury, and one written in your native language for the exhibition

Once your entry is ready, send it to cityoflit@kuhmo.fi. Use the following heading: your name, hometown, Jutun Juuri – Root of the Chatter Writing Competition. Add in a MS Word or PDF file of your text, and a background information sheet. The latter you can download from here:

• Permitted languages

To recap the above section: Write two versions of your text – one in your mother language, and one in English.

If English is your mother language, write the first version in your local dialect, and the other in standard English.

• Prizes

The winner will receive 400€ and an opportunity to perform one’s text during a public literary event later during the year 2024. This performance will be executed via online connection.

Those who rank second and third will be awarded with books.

Later on, the entries will be displayed in a public exhibition located in Kuhmo.

• Restrictions

• Each writer can send in one text that has not been published before.

• Please note that copying other peoples works, as well as using ChatGBT or other AI apps to produce your text, is strictly prohibited. Entries that turn out to be written with these methods will not proceed to evaluation.

A text can be very moving even if it’s not grammatically perfect. First and foremost, we are looking for a writer with a strong literary voice, and a touching way of describing their thoughts. Do not hesitate to seize this opportunity!

• If you are a minor by the legislation of your home country, please show these instructions to your guardian, and ask that they sign the background information from with you. In this case, being a minor refers to those not old enough to form contracts independently.

• Copyright

By sending their text to the jury, participant grants Kuhmo City of Literature their permission to display their work in a public exhibition related to the competition, and to share the text on Kuhmo City of Literature’s communication channels. However, the writers retain full copyright to their work, and possible further uses will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

• Who to contact if I have some questions?

If you have some questions about the rules, worry not. Contact Kuhmo’s City of Literature team: cityoflit@kuhmo.fi (Finnish/English). We will be happy to help.

How do we use your personal information?

We do ask that you provide us some background information, such as your age, name, and contact details. But fear not, we will not use it for commercial purposes, nor will we share it with third parties irrelevant to the execution of this competition. We collect these details for the sole purpose of successful execution of this project. For more information, take a look at the privacy statement:

In May we thanked our long-term library director Taina Hyvönen for her distinguished work for Kuhmo’s library and culture services, wishing her all the best for her retirement – and welcomed our new library director and head of culture Hanne Heikkinen.

We have done collaborations throughout the year, and we are very delighted to officially introduce her to you.

Our warmest welcome, and thank you for joining the City of Literature team!

1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Hanne Heikkinen, Kuhmo’s library director and head of culture. I come from Kuhmo, and I studied in Oulu University majoring in Literature, with a minor in Information studies. One could say that the choice was made for the love of the game – I have always felt drawn towards books.

After getting my degree I worked in Kajaani as a librarian. Before long our family felt that it was time to return to Kuhmo. When the call for applications opened, I knew this was an opportunity that needed to be seized.

I belive that literature and culture have a great impact to our everyday life, and in they are a sorce of wellbeing in many ways. I wish to work towards making this true, especially in this home town of ours.

2. What makes Kuhmo a City of Literature?

It must be the heritage of the Kalevala epic, which can be be experienced in Kuhmo through many ways. We have the Juminkeko Centre, Kalevala area and story tradition, for example. In Kuhmo Kalevala and nature come together in a wonderful way.

For a city the size of this we have a very active base of library users, and compared to our total population there are many writers living in Kuhmo. We have already had some literary events, and we are working on further development. There are many interesting things coming up in the future.

I would say that people’s love for literature can be clearly seen in Kuhmo.

3. What is the most fascinating aspect of the City of Literature work you are looking forward to?

It is probably the international cooperation with the other member cities, and the opportunities the brings for our small City. The activities organised through the work give our residents, especially the youth and children, new ways to experience literature and culture. It is great to get connected to the people within our Network, and to be able to participate in the cultural exhange. It seems that the Network does many small, yet very nice projects – it does not always need to be large and lofty to be impactful.

4. Before we conclude our interview – could you share a reading tip, and recommend some local literary activity or sight everyone should experience at least once?

For books to read I recommend Marko Raassina’s Kalevala and Viena themed comics. Those are a fun interpretations of the Kalevala epic, and easily approachable for readers of many ages.

The first literary experience that comes to mind is runosinging that one can, on occasion, hear live performed in some of Kuhmo’s events. Of course I also warmly recommend that people visit our beautifully designed Town Libray, located near the gorgeus scenery of the Pajakkakoski rapids.

Hello, friends of poetry from Kuhmo!

Cities of Literature Network’s annual Slam-O-Vision spoken word competition is nearing, and we are looking for a champion to represent us in it. Could you be the poet that we are looking for?

Kuhmo’s local competition will be held at Kaesan kahvila on the 14th of October, 6 pm. Our warmest welcome!

What is Slam-O-Vision?

Slam-O-Vision is an annually organised spoken word competition, hosted by the Cities of Literature Network. In 2022 this spoken word version of the Eurovision will be back for the fourth year.

This year’s competition will be hosted by last year’s winner, Nottingham City of Literature. The competition starts when the cities choose from their residents a poet who will represent them with a poem of their own writing. When the decision has been made, the cities will film an unedited video of the performance, and send it to be added on the official Slam-O-Vision website: https://cityofliterature.com.au/slam-o-vision/

When every participating city has chosen their champion, it is time to evaluate the performances. Each City of Literature will assemble a jury that will rate the performances in the 1-10 -style. The results will be announced at the final, organised in Nottingham on the 6th of December. This event will be streamed, thus making it possible for all the Cities of Literature to join in on the excitement.

Kuhmo’s local competition

Kuhmo’s representative for the 2022 Slam-O-Vision will be chosen in a local competition, organised by the City of Kuhmo and Kuhmo’s City of Literature-office in the evening of October 14th. Perhaps you could be our spoken word champion?

You can choose the theme of your poem freely, and perform it in any language – the most important thing is that it is written by you.

This event is open for poets of all ages and backgrounds, be they professionals or hobby writers. Warm welcome to all writers! Please note that if the winner is underage, we’ll require their guardian’s permission for filming the video.

The global competition is about fame, glory, and the Slam-O-Vision championship – as well as shraing the joy of creativity and poetry. However, the winner of Kuhmo’s spoken word championship will be rewarded with a small prize. Mark the 14th of October into your calendar, and pick up your pen and some paper! Stay tuned, and you’ll be among the first to hear more about the details of the event.

About the performance and video

The maximum length of the perfromance is 5 minutes, and you can enliven it with, for example, physical movement. Please note that special effects and editing of the video are prohibited.

If the poem is perfromed in a language other than English, subtitles are highly recommended. If needed, Kuhmo’s City of Literature office will be happy to help with the translation and the filming of the video.

Do you have any questions about the competition? Don’t hesitate to contact Kuhmo’s City of Literature office, our coordinator Aino will be happy to help you. You can reach her via email (cityoflitkuhmo@juminkeko.fi) or phone (044 491 6226).

We will soon give more details about this event. Keep an eye out for our posts on social media, and you’ll be among the first to learn more!

Kuhmo’s library was planned by Arkkitehdit NRT Oy (former Arkkitehtitoimisto Nurmela-Raimoranta-Tasa Oy), a Finnish arcitecht office from Helsinki. The chief arcitech for this project was Jyrki Tasa. Located on the banks of the Pajakkakoski rapids, this postmodernistic library was opened for the use of the public in 1988. The working title for the construction project was ”Atalante”, which refers to a riverboat in the French director Jean Vigo’s similarily named movie.

Works from local artists, such as the nature photos of photographer Antti Leinonen, Ariadna Donner’s ”Kirjan merkit” -textile tapestry, and Niilo Hyttinen’s artwork ”Lentua – myyttinen tarina” are on display inside the library. There is also a permanent display of the difefrent editions of the Finnish national epic, The Kalevala.

Kuhmo Town library has a large and diverse collection of books, encompassive music library, and magazines & newspapers available in both physical and digital form. One can either loan items and study them at home, or peruse them on site. For the latter option the Kuhmo Town Library also has a special Satusoppi, a Fairytale corner for children, as well as many tables for both adults and younger customers to read at. The library also offers good facilities for holding meetings and exhibitions. The Kuhmo Tourist Information services are also located at the Kuhmo Town Library.

 The library’s doors are open to all, and the Kuhmo Town Library welcomes all permanent residents, summer-time dwellers and tourists as their customers. Kuhmo Town Library collaborates with different partners to enhance literacy and raise awareness of different forms of literature. There are also many literary events organised at the library, such as author visits and the Book Fair.

Events in the library

There are all sorts of events happening in the Kuhmo Town Library during the year. Reading tips are published on the library’s social media accounts on a weekly basis. From the library’s webpages one can also find a book blog. On this platform the staff publishes a post about varying literary themes four times per year. In addition to this, the library also serves as a place for art-, photography-, and other kinds of exhibitions all around the year. The Kuhmo Town Library also organises book promotion and -publishing events.

There are five different reading clubs in total. The Kuhmo Town Library’s own book club focuses on reading and discussion of literary classics. Every other week from September to April the Adult Education Centre’s reading club meets at the library. The group selects a book that fits a certain theme, and then discuss the their thoughts about it. 

The Novella hook – club meets once per month between September and April. During this event the participants listen to novellas being read aloud while making handicrafts and knitwear to be donated to charity. For their youngest customers the Kuhmo Town Library offers Fairytale Hour with care dogs. During this event the little ones get to listen to fairytales and stories while aquainting themselves with the Care Dogs From Finnish Kennel Club’s Kainuu district organisation.

The highlight of Kuhmo Town Library’s year 2021 will be The Kainuu Book Fair. This event will be jointly organised by the City of Kuhmo and the Regional Council of Kainuu.

Inspired by the Kuhmo Book Fair 2020, the Kainuu Book Fair will be held for the very first time between the 19th and 20th of November 2021. The Book Fair offers an opportunity to showcase the expertice of Kainuu district’s literary talents and -organisations, and celebrate the local literature.

Contact the library

Kuhmo Town Library

Pajakkakatu 2, 88900 Kuhmo

Phone: 044 7255 389

Nanjing City of literature has opened the call for applications for the 2021 Nanjing Residency 2021 virtual program, which will be organised in November. The call is open until the 15th of October. The call is open for all writers living in a UNESCO City of Literature. When the call is closed, six writers will be selected to attend the residency programme; the results will be announced on the 22nd of October.

During this virtual residency the selected writers have a chance to take part in various interesting activities. These opportunities include:

• Virtual tours of literary landmarks in Nanjing
• Selection of literary activities
• Interactions with local writers, poets, translators, literary oragnisations, or common residents of Nanjing according to the participating writer’s choice

What is expected from the writers?

The participating writers will be selected will be done by a specific panel in Nanjing City of Literature. During the reviewing process they will pay attention to the following criteria:

• Fluent skill in either English or Chinese
• Create a literary work in English
• The applicant should have three year`s experience in writing, at minimum, or at least one published work. This can belong to any genre. Alternatively, the call is also open to writers who haw received literary awards.

How to apply?

The programme is open exclusively to writers living in a UNESCO City of Literature. Please add the following attachments to your application before sending it in;

• CV
• Excerpts from your published works
• A recommendation letter from any literary society, or your city`s City of Literature office

Please write your application in English, and send it to: info@njliterature.org before the 15th of October. When you send the application, please CC: ray.bai@njliterature.org. If you have any questions, please contact Nanjing City of Literature by using the email adress mentioned above.

Be quick, and take this chance to get know Nanjing’s literary culture!

If you need a letter of recommendation from Kuhmo’s City of Literature office, please contact our project coordinator. You can also ask her to help you with any inquiries regarding the practicalities of a virtual residency. You can find our number and email address from the Contact us -section.

Mercedeh Khadivar Mohseni was born in Teheran, and she studied graphic design at the local university. In addition to working in the field of graphic design, Mohseni has built herself a career in art and translation. Together with her husband Amir-Yar-Ahmad, she has translated Finland`s national epic, the Kalevala, into Farsi (Gandom publications, 1999). Their other translations include Tove Jansson`s Moomin-books.

Mercedeh Mohseni and Mahmoud Amir-Yar-Ahmad as translators of the Kalevala epic

Mohseni`s ja Amir-Yar-Ahmad`s translation of the Kalevala is a close adaptation of the original epic, and the translation has been written in the trochaic meter used by the epic`s writer, Elias Lönnrot. During their background research they familiarized thjemselves diligently with both Finnish and Karelian literature. To their surprise, every Finnish word had a Farsian equivalent.

Mercedeh Mohseni finds her inspiration in mythology, history and old folklore. When she lived in Helsinki, Mohseni continued her studies by reading art history st the local university. To her, the Kalevala is first and foremost a tragicomic story. According to Mohseni, the heroes of the epic are diverse characters that speak to the reader, and that makes it nice to dive into their adventures. She sees a lot of common things between Lönnrot`s work and the writer of the Persian national epic Shahnameh, Ferdows.

Welcome to the 2021 summer exhibition

The artwork displayed by the Lore (Taru) summer exhibition are Mohseni`s illustrations for her and her husband`s translation of the Kalevala epic. The paintings have been created digitaly, and they illustrate the tales and heroes if the Finnish national epic. In addition to the adventurous, striking heroes, some of these paintings also display their worrying mothers. Persian influences can be sen in the paintings, and Mercedeh Mohseni`s works include many captivating details. The Juminkeko Center warmly welcomes visitors to enjoy Lore (Taru), the 2021 summer exhibition!

In the morning of the opening day, our project coordinator had a chance to interview Mercedeh about her career, influences and her relationship with the Kalevala epic.

When you get to the end of the video, you can hear her reading the Kalevala in Farsi. The video also reveals what, in Mercedeh`s opinion, a modern day reader can learn from the Kalevala epic.

Juminkeko Center`s summer exhibition is open until the 1st of October 2021 – warmest welcome to come and enjoy the art! The entry fee is 5 € for adults, and 3 € for students and pensioners. Children can come to Juminkeko for free.Lapset pääsevät Juminkekoon ilmaiseksi.

From https://www.juminkeko.fi you`ll find more information about the Juminkeko Center`s exhibitions, events, and the history of the Kalevala epic.

People have had an interest towards their roots and past throughout the history. In the 19th century interest towards folk tradition reached new heights. This century is known as an era of great change when revolutions, accelerating industrial developement and clashing ideologies resulted in gmany changes in society. On the other hand this era is known as the age of romanticism, when nationalism and interest towards cultural history became some of the leading ideologies in Europe. In addition to these developements civil rights, democracy, local education & culture related work took great steps forward. When it came to the different fields of art, all these influences had a great affect to it.

In Finland the 19th century gave birth to the Finnish National museum and the first public libraries. This century was also an era of growing interest towards the idea of a Finnish nation, Finnish language and the old folklore. Especially for the higher social classes these concepts were somewhat new ideas – until the 1809 Finland was a part of Sweden, and the for the latter part of the century it belonged to Russia. As apart of this development artists created works that included mythological elements. Many of the famous artworks of this era show signs of a drive to seek out what makes Finns different from other people of the world. University students collected historical artifacts for museums, and the literary field experienced a rising interest towards th Finnish language and folklore.

One of the writers inspired by these various influences was Elias Lönnrot, who was born in 1802. He developed an interest towards cultural heritage right in his youth, and read about this topic while studying in the university. Lönnrot even wrote his thesis about the mythical figure of Väinämöinen. Young Elias started collecting old poetry in 1828, when he made his first trip to Kainuu. Yet most of his poems were collected when he worked as Kajaanis district phycisian. According to the officially approved estimation Lönnrot made nine trips in total to collect these runosongs. Oftentimes his trips took Lönnrot to Kainuu, and it is said that he has used Kuhmos old vicarag as his lodgings. The locals tell that Lönnrot even signed the last third of his manusript for the Kalevala while staying in the vicarage. (Nieminen, Dobrinin 1999, p. 7.).

Although most of the source material for the Kalevala epos comes from the Karelia of the White Sea, Lönnrot collected some of these poems from Kainuu – from Kuhmo also. Kalevalas influence to Kuhmo is undeniable. Culture, arts and the city feed each other – and the landscapes of Kuhmo have given inspiration to both writers and artists. Akseli Gallen-Kallela, the first artist to experiment with the style of Karelianism, painted the scene of lake Lentua into his famous Aino triptych. He also immortalized Eljas Ahtonen, the famous patriarch of Rimminkylä, into this painting. Ahtonen was his model for the figure of Väinämöinen.

Nowadays Kalevalas influence to Kuhmo can be seen in many ways. Juminkeoko Center for Kalevala and Karelian culture works to preserve the Kalevala tradition and culture. From the Kuhmo city library you can find many Kalevala related books, comics and other kinds of materials. In addition to this there are many events and festivals that, such as the Arhippa Perttunen symposium, the Sommelo ethno music festival and the Joutsentanssi Kuhmo Dance Festival, use Kalevala and runosinging as a source for inspiration. From the ”Events” section you an learn more about these and other events in Kuhmo City of Literature.

Sources:
http://www.juminkeko.fi/lonnrot/index.html
Nieminen, Markku & Dobrinin, Vitali (1999): Elias Lönnrotin matkat Kainuussa. Pohjoinen.