The Thanks for the Book Award, (''Kiitos kirjasta -mitali'' in Finnish and ''Tack för boken-medaljen'' in Swedish), is a Finnish literary prize that has been presented since 1966 by the Organization of the Booksellers’ Association of Finland (Kirjakauppaliitto r.y.), Libro ry and the Finnish Library Association (Suomen kirjastoseura ry). The

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

is presented once a year to a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

whose work of

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

the previous year has particularly stimulated

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

in Finland. The book may have been written in

or in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Prizewinners

* 1966: ''Prinsessan'' by

Gunnar Mattsson Kaj Gunnar Wolter Mattsson (5 May 1937 – 9 August 1989) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish writer and journalist.Jaakko Syrjä Jaakko Syrjä (7 March 1926 – 22 May 2022) was a Finnish writer. He served as the president of the Union of Finnish Writers from 1975 to 1980. Biography Syrjä was born in Pälkäne, the son of Martta née Niemiö and Juho Nestori Syrjä, w ...

* 1967: ''Mörkrets kärna'' by

Marianne Alopaeus Marianne Alopaeus (9 October 1918 – 10 November 2014) was a Finland, Finnish-born writer who published in Swedish language, Swedish. Biography Marianne Rosenbröijer was born in Ekenäs, Finland, Ekenäs in southern Finland on 9 October 1918.

* 1968: ''Arkkienkeli Oulussa'' by

Anu Kaipainen Anu Kaipainen ( Mustonen; 14 March 1933 — 29 September 2009) was a prolific Finnish writer and literary critic. Early life and education Aune ("Anu") Helinä Mustonen was born in Muolaa, Karelia, to the school principal Johan Emil Mustonen an ...

and ''Hänen olivat linnut'' by Marja-Liisa Vartio * 1969: ''Tilapää'' by Eila Pennanen * 1970: ''Mustan lumen talvi'' by

Kalle Päätalo Kaarlo (Kalle) Alvar Päätalo (11 November 1919 – 20 November 2000) was a Finnish novelist, the most popular Finnish writer in the 20th century. His ''Iijoki'' series, comprising 26 novels, is one of the longest autobiographical works ever ...

* 1971: ''Solveigin laulu'' by Lassi Sinkkonen * 1972: ''Människan som skalv'' by Christer Kihlman * 1973: ''Varokaa, voittajat'' by

Eeva-Liisa Manner Eeva-Liisa Manner (5 December 1921 – 7 July 1995) was a Finnish poet, playwright and translator. Biography She was born in Helsinki, 5 December 1921, but spent her youth in Vyborg (Viipuri). Manner started as a poet in 1944 with ''Mustaa ja ...

* 1974: ''Simpauttaja'' by Heikki Turunen * 1975: ''Vetää kaikista ovista'' by Eeva Joenpelto * 1976: ''Dyre prins'' by Christer Kihlman * 1977: ''Ihmisen ääni'' by

Elina Karjalainen Aili Elina Karjalainen (née. Saraste, 3 June 1927 Viipuri – 14 August 2006 Kuopio) was a journalist and author from Finland. She is best known for books for children. The protagonist of many of Karjalainen's books is Uppo-Nalle, a teddybear ...

* 1978: ''Ja pesäpuu itki'' by Matti Pulkkinen * 1979: ''Vuosisadan rakkaustarina'' by

Märta Tikkanen Märta Eleonora Tikkanen (born 3 April 1935) is a Swedish-speaking Finnish writer. Biography Born in Helsinki, she has worked as a reporter for ''Hufvudstadsbladet'' from 1956 to 1961. She graduated from the University of Helsinki, Master of A ...

* 1980: ''Hiljainen kesä'' by Eeva Tikka * 1981: ''Viistotaival'' by Orvokki Autio * 1982: ''Suruvaippa'' by Saara Finni * 1983: ''Pohjanmaa'' by

Antti Tuuri Antti Elias Tuuri (born 1 October 1944, Kauhava, Southern Ostrobothnia) is a Finnish writer, known for his works dealing with Southern Ostrobothnia. The ''Äitini-suku''-series tells the stories of the Finns who emigrated to the United States. ...

* 1984: ''Vaiteliaat vuodet'' by Eila Kostamo * 1985: ''Häräntappoase'' by

Anna-Leena Härkönen Anna-Leena Härkönen (born 10 April 1965) is a Finnish writer and actress. She was born in Liminka and studied acting at the college of drama and the University of Tampere's program of drama studies, which she concluded in 1989. She won the J. ...

* 1986: ''

Tainaron Cape Matapan ( el, Κάβο Ματαπάς, Maniot dialect: Ματαπά), also named as Cape Tainaron or Taenarum ( el, Ακρωτήριον Ταίναρον), or Cape Tenaro, is situated at the end of the Mani Peninsula, Greece. Cape Matapan ...

'' by

Leena Krohn Leena Krohn (born February 28, 1947 in Helsinki) is a Finnish author. Her large and varied body of work includes novels, short stories, children's books, and essays. In her books she deals with topics that include man's relationship with himself a ...

* 1987: ''Kertomus'' by Antti Hyry * 1988: ''Axel'' by

Bo Carpelan Baron Bo Gustaf Bertelsson Carpelan (25 October 1926 – 11 February 2011) was a Finland-Swedish poet and author. He published his first book of poems in 1946, and received his PhD in 1960. Carpelan, who wrote in Swedish, composed numerous books ...

* 1989: ''Tatuoitu sydän'' by Timo Pusa * 1990: ''Leo'' by

Ulla-Lena Lundberg Ulla-Lena Lundberg (born 14 July 1947, Kökar, Åland) is a Finland-Swedish author living in Porvoo, Finland. Her Swedish-language books have been translated into several languages, including Finnish, Danish, German, Russian and Dutch. Biography ...

* 1991: ''Båten i vassen'' by

Benedict Zilliacus Emil Benedict Zilliacus (11 January 1921 – 28 January 2013) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish journalist, author, scriptwriter and translator. Zilliacus was born in Helsinki, Finland. He wrote screenplays for many movies, including '' Etulinja ...

* 1992: ''Tummien perhosten koti'' by

Leena Lander Leena Lander (born 25 October 1955, in Turku) is a Finnish author. She grew up in Turku, in a boys' home that her father ran. In 1992, she won the Thanks for the Book Award for ''Tummien perhosten koti'' (The Home of the Dark Butterflies), which ...

* 1993: ''Colorado Avenue'' by Lars Sund * 1994: ''Ihon aika'' by Anja Snellman (née Kauranen) * 1995: ''Underbara kvinnor vid vatten'' by Monika Fagerholm * 1996: ''Liian paksu perhoseksi'' by Sisko Istanmäki * 1997: ''Drakarna över Helsingfors'' by Kjell Westö * 1998: ''Klassikko'' by

Kari Hotakainen Kari Hotakainen (born 9 January 1957 in Pori, Finland) is a Finnish writer. Hotakainen started his writing career as a reporter in Pori. In 1986, he moved to Helsinki. He became a full-time writer in 1996. He has two children with his wife, soun ...

* 2001: ''Mansikoita marraskuussa'' by Pirjo Hassinen * 2002: ''Rajattomuuden aika'' by Eeva Kilpi * 2003: ''Auringon asema'' by Ranya Paasonen (née ElRamly) * 2004: ''Helene'' by Rakel Liehu * 2005: ''Vanikan palat '' by Hannu Väisänen * 2006: ''Sarasvatin hiekkaa'' by

Risto Isomäki Risto Isomäki (born 8 June 1961 in Turku) is a Finnish author of science fiction books. His 2005 novel ''The Sands of Sarasvati'' (''Sarasvatin hiekkaa'') was nominated for the Finlandia Prize The Finlandia Prize ( fi, Finlandia-palkinto; sv, ...

* 2007: ''Viikkoja, kuukausia'' by

Reko Reko is a village on the southwestern coast of Savo Island, Central Province, Solomon Islands. The '' Ocean Express'' stops off at Reko between Honiara and Tulagi Tulagi, less commonly known as Tulaghi, is a small island——in Solomon Islan ...

and Tina Lundán * 2008: ''Lakanasiivet'' by Sirpa Kähkönen * 2009: ''Marie'' by Arne Nevanlinna * 2010: ''Herra Darwinin puutarhuri'' by

Kristina Carlson Kristina Carlson (born 31 July 1949 in Helsinki), also known by her pen name Mari Lampinen, is a Finnish novelist, poet and writer. Her novels include ''Maan ääreen'', ''Herra Darwinin puutarhuri'' and ''William N. Päiväkirja''. She has also w ...

* 2011: ''Mielensäpahoittaja'' by Tuomas Kyrö * 2012: ''Kätilö'' (''The Midwife'') by

Katja Kettu Katja Maaria Kettu (born ''Heikkinen'', April 10, 1978) is a Finnish contemporary writer and film producer. She debuted in 2005 with the novel ''Surujenkerääjä''. The book was nominated for the Helsingin-Sanomat literature prize as best debut n ...

* 2013: ''Nälkävuosi'' (''White Hunger'') by

Aki Ollikainen Aki Ollikainen (born 1973) is a Finnish writer. A photographer and journalist by profession, Ollikainen received widespread acclaim for his debut novel ''Nälkävuosi'' (2012), an account of the Finnish famine of 1866–1868. The book won several ...

* 2014: ''Taivaslaulu'' by Pauliina Rauhala * 2015: ''Neljäntienristeys'' by Tommi Kinnunen * 2016: ''Paha kirja'' by Kaj Korkea-aho * 2017: ''Lempi'' by Minna Rytisalo * 2018: ''Sandra'' by

Heidi Köngäs ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...

* 2019: ''I will never go back, I think'' by Satu Vasantola * 2020: '' Feet in the Air'' by Antti Rönkä

References

* Finnish literary awards Fiction awards {{lit-award-stub