Loukko by 
Original title: Sitten purjehdimme pohjoiseen
Author: Sohvi Kangasluoma
Published: 2026
Publisher: Atena
Genre: Narrative Nonfiction
Pages: 350
Reading material:
English sample, Finnish edition, Author's vision, Un-edited English translation
An extraordinary sailing journey across seas that appear as nothing but ice on the map.
Sohvi and Juho live aboard their sailboat. The sea is their home, and it is also the heart of the entire planet.
This captivating work of narrative nonfiction portrays the couple’s unique way of life, sailing via Alaska to the Northwest Passage and wintering frozen into the ice in Greenland. Along the way, they encounter inhabitants of land and sea and witness firsthand the impacts of climate change in the North.
Grounded in personal experience and solid research, the story reveals how the environmental crisis affects life in the Arctic seas and challenges our understanding of the North. The adventure offers an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between humans and the sea, and on the nature of love amid the ice.
"A breathtaking travelogue that draws readers into the transformation of the Arctic. Several narratives unfold side by side: climate change and the development of the Arctic, explored through the perspective of an international politics researcher specialising in the region, alongside an adventure across the northern seas, where a couple spends the winter in the bitter cold. Everyday challenges and questions about the future of humanity converge aboard a single sailboat. The book sparks curiosity, introduces readers to the people of the Arctic, and takes them to places they might otherwise never have the chance to visit."
Finlandia Prize jury 2026
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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Atena (orig.)
GERMANY: Malik (Piper Verlag)
NETHERLANDS: Hollandia (HarperCollins Holland)
WORLD ENGLISH: Firefinch Publishing
WORLD SPANISH: Almayer
