Mirja Hovila first came to Riga from Finland in 1990, and it more or less changed her life. Since then she has studied Baltic philology, has become an authorized translator from Latvian into Finnish, and has visited Latvia more than a hundred times.
Mirja has translated books and documents from Swedish, Norwegian, English, and Italian into Finnish as well, and interprets to and from Italian and Latvian. She is the co-author of the first textbook of Latvian for Finns and a Latvian–Finnish phrasebook.
As Finnish publishers are often reluctant to publish Latvian literature, in 2016 Mirja started a tiny publishing house of her own, PAPERIPORO, which has so far published in Finland two children’s books of the beloved writer Juris Zvirgzdiņš, The First Christmas Tree and The Roar of Lion. She has also translated a selection of poems by Kārlis Vērdiņš and Rainis, as well as Rainis’s letters to Aspazija and some Latvian songs.
Ensimmäinen joulukuusi
Ensimmäinen joulukuusi (Pirmā Ziemassvētku eglīte)
Title
: Ensimmäinen joulukuusiTitle*
: Pirmā Ziemassvētku eglīteAuthors
:Genre
:Children`s Book
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo, Finland
Pages
:48
Year
:2016
Copyrights
:Juris Zvirgzdiņš, the publisher
Synopsis
:This is a story about the beginning of a tradition to decorate a christmas tree in Riga in a year 1510.
Leijonan ärji
Leijonan ärji (Lauvas rūciens)
Title
: Leijonan ärjiTitle*
: Lauvas rūciensAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Children`s Book
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo, Finland
Pages
:54
Year
:2017
Copyrights
:The author, the illustrator;
Synopsis
:This book is a children’s story about animals, flowers and toys, speaking about serious matters like compassion, putting oneself into someone else’s shoes, solidarity and working together towards solving problems in an easy and lighthearted manner.
Ulsiks, Neuvosto-Latvian lapsi
Ulsiks, Neuvosto-Latvian lapsi (Ulsiks)
Title
: Ulsiks, Neuvosto-Latvian lapsiTitle*
: UlsiksAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:PaperiPoro, Finland
Pages
:254
Year
:2018
Copyrights
:The author, the translator, the publisher
Synopsis
:This apparently simple yet subtly painful tale of childhood memories shows life in Soviet-occupied Latvia during the 1960s and 1970s. At times the bitter secrets of the Soviet dictatorship invade the childhood of this small, inquisitive, mischievous girl.
Bille
Bille (Bille)
Title
: BilleTitle*
: BilleAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo, Finland
Pages
:346
Year
:2019
Synopsis
:An extraordinary and creative little girl attempts to comprehend the confusing adult world and to prove her own value despite her mother's lack of appreciation and love in late 1930s Latvia.
Rasan kesä
Rasan kesä (Rasas vasara)
Title
: Rasan kesäTitle*
: Rasas vasaraAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Children`s Book
Language
:Finnish
Pages
:56
Year
:2020
Synopsis
:In the autumn, Rasa will go to school. Her dog Zorro has grown up too, and her teddy bear Tobias claims to have reached a respectable age for teddy bears. Tobias announces that it’s time to continue the story of their summer adventures.
Bille ja sota
Bille ja sota (Bille un karš)
Title
: Bille ja sotaTitle*
: Bille un karšAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo, Finland
Pages
:348
Year
:2020
Synopsis
:The time is the Second World War, and in the light of the Russian and later German occupation of Latvia, the author gives a breathtakingly captivating account of a child's lucid reaction to the madness of war and the red and brown occupants.
Sydän jalkakäytävällä
Sydän jalkakäytävällä (Sirds uz trotuāra)
Title
: Sydän jalkakäytävälläTitle*
: Sirds uz trotuāraAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Poetry
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo
Pages
:128
Year
:2021
Copyrights
:Akka/Laa: info@akka-laa.lv
Synopsis
:Poetry collection
Bille ja nuoruus
Bille ja nuoruus (Billes skaistā jaunība)
Title
: Bille ja nuoruusTitle*
: Billes skaistā jaunībaAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo
Pages
:314
Year
:2021
Copyrights
:Akka/Laa, info@akka-laa.lv
Synopsis
:The third book in trillogy. The Books follow a girl, nicknamed Bille, who observes an era filled with tragic events, and much of which was hard to understand, even for adults.
Käyrä kurkku Elmeri
Käyrä kurkku Elmeri (Gurķis Elmārs, kas dikti kreņķējās)
Title
: Käyrä kurkku ElmeriTitle*
: Gurķis Elmārs, kas dikti kreņķējāsAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Children`s Book
Language
:Finnish
Pages
:32
Year
:2022
Copyrights
:the author, the illustrator
Synopsis
:Elmar the Cucumber looks different from other cucumbers in his plot — he’s small and crooked, and can’t stop obsessing about his looks.
Karhujen tasavalta
Karhujen tasavalta (Lāču republika)
Title
: Karhujen tasavaltaTitle*
: Lāču republikaAuthors
: ,Translated by
:Genre
:Children`s Book
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo
Pages
:71
Year
:2022
Copyrights
:the author, the illustrator
Synopsis
:Minister of Strategic Planning gets up on the wrong side of the bed and is late for the Cabinet Ministers’ meeting. He blames it on a little bear cub, causing him to miss his ride.
Sillallla ja parvekkeella
Sillallla ja parvekkeella (dzejas izlase)
Title
: Sillallla ja parvekkeellaTitle*
: dzejas izlaseAuthors
:Genre
:Poetry
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Paperiporo
Pages
:186
Year
:2022
Copyrights
:the author
Synopsis
:A selection of poetry by Juris Kronbergs
