Association of Finnish Non-Fiction Writers

The Association of Finnish Non-Fiction Writers (Finnish: Suomen tietokirjailijat ry) is Finland's largest writers' organisation, a nationwide registered association founded in 1983 through the merger of Tietokirjailijain Liitto and Oppikirjantekijät ry. It promotes Finnish non-fiction literature and safeguards the copyright and economic interests of writers of non-fiction and textbooks. Its members include authors of general non-fiction books, textbooks and research articles, representing experts across many different fields. In 2026 the association had more than 3,300 members. The association is a nationwide body with activity throughout Finland, organised through 13 regional committees that handle regional operations such as member events. Its activities are led by a ten-member board whose members are elected for three-year terms at the autumn meeting. The chair is the mathematician Timo Tossavainen, elected to a second three-year term in 2023, and the executive director is Sanna Haanpää. Day-to-day operations are handled by a seven-person office comprising the executive director, a lawyer, an association secretary, a member coordinator, an event producer, a communications officer and a communications manager. The executive director also serves as treasurer, supported by a finance committee. The spring meeting is held before the end of May and the autumn meeting before the end of November. The association issues statements, particularly to the Ministry of Education and Culture, on questions important to non-fiction and textbook writers. It follows international copyright debate and participates in international cooperation. It awards grants to non-fiction writers and organises training and non-fiction events. Grants and awards are financed by copyright remuneration collected by Kopiosto. The association distributes more than two million euros in grants annually; spring grants are open for application in March and autumn grants in September, intended for non-fiction writing work or the writing of non-fiction criticism. It also awards targeted grants for equipment purchases, travel and accommodation related to book projects, and writing training. Applications are processed three times a year, with the grants committee preparing decisions and the board deciding on grants. All grants must be reported using a reporting form. The association is a member organisation of Kopiosto and Sanasto. Membership criteria are defined in the association's rules: one or more non-fiction books, textbooks or otherwise published non-fiction works corresponding in scope to about 200 printed pages, which may be published alone or jointly, but the page count must be the applicant's own production. Members of a working group for a non-fiction or textbook or a non-fiction or textbook series may be accepted. Writing magazine articles, editing books and photography alone do not fulfil the membership criteria. The board decides on admission, and applications are processed at all board meetings except the last meeting of the year in December. The association publishes studies, commentaries, guides and general non-fiction books about non-fiction writers and the book industry. All publications are freely available online and also in print as long as copies last. It publishes, among other things, the Tietokirjoja kouluun! reading-recommendation catalogues, which gather current and interesting non-fiction books for different age groups. Its website hosts a register of more than 600 experts through which one can search for, for example, a speaker, lecturer or writer. The association awards several prizes annually; the largest is the Warelius Prize, awarded to a non-fiction writer with a broad and high-quality non-fiction output or a significant impact on Finnish non-fiction literature. This most significant prize of the association is named after Antero Warelius (1821–1904), regarded as the first true Finnish-language non-fiction writer.

The Association of Finnish Non-Fiction Writers (Suomen tietokirjailijat ry) was founded in 1983, when Tietokirjailijain Liitto and Oppikirjantekijät ry merged into a single organisation. It is Finland's largest writers' organisation and a nationwide association with activity throughout the country, organised through 13 regional committees responsible for regional operations such as member events. The association promotes Finnish non-fiction literature, safeguards the copyright and economic interests of non-fiction writers, supports writers of non-fiction works and promotes the professional skills and ethics of its members. Its members include authors of general non-fiction books, textbooks and research articles, representing experts across many different fields. In 2026 the association had more than 3,300 members. Its activities are led by a ten-member board whose members are elected for three-year terms at the autumn meeting. The chair is the mathematician Timo Tossavainen, elected to a second three-year term in 2023, and the executive director is Sanna Haanpää. Day-to-day operations are handled by a seven-person office: the executive director, a lawyer, an association secretary, a member coordinator, an event producer, a communications officer and a communications manager. The executive director serves as treasurer, supported by a finance committee. The spring meeting is held before the end of May and the autumn meeting before the end of November. The association issues statements, particularly to the Ministry of Education and Culture, on questions important to non-fiction and textbook writers. It follows international copyright debate and participates in international cooperation. It awards grants to non-fiction writers and organises training and non-fiction events. Grants and awards are financed by copyright remuneration collected by Kopiosto. The association distributes more than two million euros in grants annually; spring grants are open for application in March and autumn grants in September, intended for non-fiction writing work or the writing of non-fiction criticism. It also awards targeted grants for equipment purchases, travel and accommodation related to book projects, and writing training. Applications are processed three times a year, with the grants committee preparing decisions and the board deciding on grants. All grants must be reported using a reporting form. The association is a member organisation of Kopiosto and Sanasto. Membership criteria are defined in the association's rules: one or more non-fiction books, textbooks or otherwise published non-fiction works corresponding in scope to about 200 printed pages, which may be published alone or jointly, but the page count must be the applicant's own production. Members of a working group for a non-fiction or textbook or a non-fiction or textbook series may be accepted. Writing magazine articles, editing books and photography alone do not fulfil the membership criteria. The board decides on admission, and applications are processed at all board meetings except the last meeting of the year in December. The association publishes studies, commentaries, guides and general non-fiction books about non-fiction writers and the book industry. All publications are freely available online and also in print as long as copies last. It publishes, among other things, the Tietokirjoja kouluun! reading-recommendation catalogues, which gather current and interesting non-fiction books for different age groups. Its website hosts a register of more than 600 experts through which one can search for, for example, a speaker, lecturer or writer. The association awards several prizes annually. The largest is the Warelius Prize, awarded to a non-fiction writer with a broad and high-quality non-fiction output or a significant impact on Finnish non-fiction literature. This most significant prize of the association is named after Antero Warelius (1821–1904), regarded as the first true Finnish-language non-fiction writer. The other prizes awarded by the association are the Tietopöllö Prize, the Non-Fiction Writer Prize, the Textbook Writer Prize and the Non-Fiction Literature Promotion Prize. In addition, the association funds the Non-Fiction Finlandia Prize and the J. A. Hollo Prize. The prize committee decides the recipients of the association's Warelius and Tietopöllö prizes; the board decides the recipients of the other prizes.

• 2026

  Association had more than 3,300 members.

• 2023

  Timo Tossavainen elected to a second three-year term as chair.

• 1983

  Founded through the merger of Tietokirjailijain Liitto and Oppikirjantekijät ry.

Finland's largest writers' organisation, a professional and cultural association defending the copyright and economic interests of non-fiction and textbook authors.

• Tietokirjoja kouluun! reading-recommendation catalogues

  Catalogues gathering current and interesting non-fiction books for different age groups.

• Expert register

  A register of more than 600 experts on the association's website for finding speakers, lecturers or writers.

• Publications

  Studies, commentaries, guides and general non-fiction books about non-fiction writers and the book industry, freely available online and in print.

1. 1Etusivu - Suomen tietokirjailijat rysuomentietokirjailijat.fi
2. 2Association of Finnish Non-Fiction Writers - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Suomen tietokirjailijat - Wikipedia (Finnish)fi.wikipedia.org