Selja Ahava

Selja Ahava graduated with a degree in scriptwriting from the Theatre Academy of Helsinki in 2001. She has written film scripts, a TV series and a radio play. She has also written works that combine text, space and performance. Selja received a grant from the Laila Hirvisaari Foundation for her debut novel, The Day the Whale Swam Through London (orig. Eksyneen muistikirja). The purpose of this annual award is to support accomplished Finnish authors who are still at the start of their careers to write high quality, poignant books. Her second novel Things That Fall from the Sky (original title: Taivaalta tippuvat asiat) received the European Union Prize for Literature and was nominated for the prestigious Finlandia literary prize.