Born in 1961, Kjell Westö lives in Helsinki. He made his literary debut in 1986, and since then has published poetry, collections of short stories, and novels. His five great novels set in Helsinki in the twentieth century have established him as a leading name among today’s Swedish-language writers in Finland. His international breakthrough came in 2006 with the novel Där vi en gang gått (Where Once We Walked), which was translated into most major European languages and for which he was awarded the Finlandia Prize, Finland’s most prestigious literary prize. His novel Hägring 38 (The Wednesday Club) was awarded the Nordic Council award 2014.
Born in 1961, Kjell Westö lives in Helsinki. He made his literary debut in 1986, and since then has published poetry, collections of short stories, and novels. His five great novels set in Helsinki in the twentieth century have established him as a leading name among today’s Swedish-language writers in Finland. His international breakthrough came in 2006 with the novel Där vi en gang gått (Where Once We Walked), which was translated into most major European languages and for which he was awarded the Finlandia Prize, Finland’s most prestigious literary prize. His novel Hägring 38 (The Wednesday Club) was awarded the Nordic Council award 2014.
Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.
VideoMay 12 2026
Laurent Binet – Perspective(s) Q&A
Check out our Q&A with Laurent Binet, author of shortlisted title Perspective(s), as he discusses the inspirations behind his work and reflects on the role libraries have played in shaping his journey
VideoMay 8 2026
Ali Smith – Gliff Q&A
Shortlisted author Ali Smith discusses the creative inspirations behind Gliff and reflects on the significance of libraries throughout her reading and writing life in our latest Q&A.
