The Translation Database maintained by FILI contains information on translations of Finnish literature published since 1839. Use the database to search for translations by author, language or year of publication.
The database is updated regularly, but it does have some gaps. We are always happy to receive details of translations that are missing from the database.
Last updated: 08/2021. Source: FILI
What are the top languages for translations of Finnish literature?
Last updated: 06/2021. Source: FILI Translation Database.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||
| German | 109 | English | 36 | English | 30 | Estonian | 46 | Estonian | 35 | Russian | 34 | Estonian | 35 | Estonian | 24 |
| Estonian | 27 | Estonian | 28 | Estonian | 29 | German | 41 | German | 31 | German | 29 | German | 22 | French | 13 |
| English | 24 | French | 27 | Danish | 28 | Russian | 28 | Russian | 26 | Estonian | 25 | Czech | 21 | German | 12 |
| Chinese | 20 | German | 26 | French | 28 | English | 27 | French | 23 | English | 23 | Swedish | 19 | Polish | 11 |
| Danish | 20 | Danish | 25 | German | 26 | French | 22 | Czech | 20 | French | 23 | Polish | 18 | Swedish | 6 |
| Hungarian | 18 | Russian | 18 | Czech | 18 | Hungarian | 20 | English | 18 | Czech | 19 | Russian | 17 | Danish | 6 |
| Russian | 18 | Swedish | 18 | Chinese | 17 | Chinese | 18 | Italian | 15 | Spanish | 17 | Spanish | 15 | Russian | 6 |
| French | 17 | Spanish | 16 | Hungarian | 17 | Danish | 18 | Swedish | 15 | Latvian | 14 | Englanti | 12 | Italian | 5 |
| Spanish | 17 | Czech | 16 | Bulgarian | 13 | Swedish | 17 | Danish | 15 | Hungarian | 12 | Ranska, Italian, Norwegian, Danish | 11 | English, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Hungarian | 3 |
| Italian, Czech | 15 | Hungarian | 15 | Russian | 13 | Latvian | 16 | Polish | 13 | Danish | 12 |
View this information as a map illustration created by Koponen+Hildén.
Most widely translated works
These refer to translations that have been published abroad, not to rights sold.
Last updated: 06/2021. Source: FILI
Fiction / adults
| Author | Title | Languages (Total number of languages into which each author’s all works have been translated) |
| 1. Lönnrot, Elias | Kalevala | 56 |
| 2. Waltari, Mika | Sinuhe egyptiläinen | 40 (42) |
| 3. Oksanen, Sofi | Puhdistus | 39 (40) |
| 4. Kivi, Aleksis | Seitsemän veljestä | 35 (36) |
| 5. Jansson, Tove | Sommarboken | 30 (48) |
| 6. Paasilinna, Arto | Jäniksen vuosi | 30 (35) |
| 7. Paasilinna, Arto | Ulvova mylläri | 26 (35) |
| 8. Sillanpää, Frans Emil | Nuorena nukkunut | 25 (35) |
| 9. Waltari, Mika | Valtakunnan salaisuus | 24 (42) |
| 10. Linna, Väinö | Tuntematon sotilas | 24 (29) |
Non-fiction / adults
| Author | Title | Languages (Total number of languages into which each author’s all works have been translated) |
| 1. Taipale, Ilkka (ed.) | 100 sosiaalista innovaatiota Suomesta | 331 |
| 2. Pantzar, Katja | Finding Sisu | 15 (15) |
| 3. Martela, Frank | A Wonderful Life | 14 (14) |
| 4. Meinander, Henrik | Finlands historia | 12 (12) |
| 5. Hotakainen, Kari | Tuntematon Kimi Räikkönen | 11 (27) |
| 6. Rantanen, Miska | Kalsarikänni | 11 (11) |
| 7. Kankimäki, Mia | Naiset joita ajattelen öisin | 10 (13) |
| 8. Mills, Molla | Virkkuri | 10 (10) |
| 8. Karjalainen, Tuula | Tove Jansson: tee työtä ja rakasta | 10 (10) |
| 10. Turunen, Ari | Ettekö te tiedä, kuka minä olen? | 9 (9) |
1 43 languages altogether, 10 translation have been published in Finland.
Books for children and young readers
| Author | Title | Languages (Total number of languages into which each author’s all works have been translated) |
| 1. Simukka, Salla | Punainen kuin veri | 37 (48) |
| 2. Jansson, Tove | Trollkarlens hatt | 37 (37) |
| 3. Jansson, Tove | Kometen kommer | 34 (48) |
| 4. Simukka, Salla | Valkea kuin lumi | 33 (37) |
| 5. Jansson, Tove | Farlig midsommar | 32 (48) |
| 6. Jansson, Tove | Trollvinter | 32 (48) |
| 7. Simukka, Salla | Musta kuin eebenpuu | 30 (37) |
| 8. Jansson, Tove | Pappan och havet | 29 (48) |
| 9. Jansson, Tove | Muminpappans memoarer | 27 (48) |
| 10. Kunnas, Mauri | Joulupukki | 25 (32) |
For more information on translations that have been published, as well as their languages, translators and publishers, visit the Translation Database.
