Finnish-Icelandic author Satu Rämö tours libraries in Finland to discuss upcoming Hildur crime series installment
Finnish-Icelandic author Satu Rämö, known for her record-breaking readership, has been touring libraries in her native Finland this autumn to discuss her work and the upcoming fourth installment of her Hildur crime series, set to be released in November. During her talks, Rämö has shared intriguing details about her writing process, including the inspiration behind the character of Jakob, a police trainee who works alongside Hildur. She notes that Jakob is modeled after a police officer from her home region in Finland, not as a direct representation, but as a way to incorporate a Finnish presence into her stories set in Iceland’s Westfjords.
Rämö’s interest in the stories of Finnish police officers working in Iceland began after a conversation with a Finnish couple about their foster child who had briefly served as a policeman in Iceland. This led her to explore existing exchange programs for police officers across the Nordic countries, eventually integrating this real-life experience into her fictional narrative.
A remarkable coincidence occurred in spring 2023 when Rämö was a guest on the Finnish talk show “Huomenta Suomi.” While waiting to go on air, she met Sami Isoniemi, a police officer who had worked in the same station where her characters operate. Isoniemi, who is currently a crime inspector in Helsinki, was surprised by their connection, emphasizing how small Iceland is and how surprising encounters can happen.
Rämö’s upcoming book, “Rakel,” will be released in November, and her characters will gain further visibility with a stage adaptation premiering at the Turku City Theatre, along with a planned six-part television series co-produced by Icelandic and Finnish partners. Her works, now translated into 17 languages, received a warm welcome in Iceland, where her book topped the sales charts this past August and September, bringing her joy as her family was able to read it in their native language.