Anne Leinonen

Anne Leinonen (b.1973) is a multiple-award winning, key author, tutor and editor of Finnish science fiction and fantasy. Her novels have been published in magazines and anthologies and they have won several Atorox awards (voted by the fandom). She has received good reviews for her science fiction novels, such as ‘Viivamaalari’ and ‘Ilottomien ihmisten kylä,’ and especially for the trilogy she wrote in collaboration with Eija Lappalainen, ‘Routasisarukset.’ In addition to writing YA and adult fiction, she has now started to work on audio and television drama.

Anne Leinonen moves fluently between science fiction and fantasy. Her texts deal with the themes of otherness and unfamiliarity, as well as the problems between a community and the individual. Nature plays an important part in her work, as a vehicle for the story, the stage of action and on a symbolic level. Leinonen writes tight prose, with no superficial descriptions. Instead, she takes her readers right in the middle of the events and the lives of her characters. Her way of using language shows talent and uniqueness. Anne Leinonen likes to experiement with different styles and often works on several pieces at the same time. She is especially well-know for her skills of collaborating with other writers.

In addition to her literary parlors and writers’ camps, Anne Leinonen has already trained a couple of generations of new writers by acting as the president of the Finnish Science Fiction Writers and editing writers’ manuals. The work of Anne Leinonen has had a great impact in the Finnish science fiction and fantasy writing scene becoming more international and having more street credibility as literature.

Read more from Usvazine International 2015 website and from Toimittajan spekulatiivinen lokikirja (in Finnish).

Program items for the weekend:

Friday
16.00 On Writing

Saturday
10.00 Opening Ceremonies
11.00 Suomalainen Mytologia (in Finnish)
14.00 Kansanperinteestä utopioihin – myytit ja kansanperinne mielikuvituksen polttoaineena (in Finnish)
16.00 Sex, drugs and Puss ‘n Boots

Sunday
12.00 Signeeraus
13.00 Nanosiblings – Kirjasta transmediaksi (in Finnish)
14.00 Guest of Honor speech
16.00 Kaffeeklatch
17.00 Ending Ceremonies