The Nordic Reader

The Nordic Reader
  • 5.0 (5)
  • BOOKS

Welcome to The Nordic Reader! We’re a podcast about books in translation. We chat with publishers, bookstores, authors, libraries, and literary agents - anyone and everyone involved in creating and sharing books! Our lens is Nordic and our first season’s special focus is on Finland 🇫🇮 We hope you join us and enjoy listening!

Episodes

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli

    In today’s episode of The Nordic Reader we are joined by Daniel Seton to discuss Giuliano da Empoli’s novel, The Wizard of the Kremlin. The Editorial Director at Pushkin Press, Daniel acquired and published the English translation in the UK. Originally published in French, The Wizard of the Kremlin is translated by Willard Wood.  The Wizard of the Kremlin is a fictionalised account inspired by a real person, one of Vladimir Putin’s most important advisors who is thought to be responsible for much of the strategy behind Putin’s rise to power in Russia.  In da Empoli’s novel, the unnamed narrator - a student doing some research on Yevgeny Zamyatin - is travelling in Moscow when he is invited to meet the enigmatic Vadim Baranov. Putin’s right hand man and head of propaganda, Baranov is a master of theatre and performance. He knows exactly how to spin a story, how to control the narrative, and how to build an empire. He has recently retired and retreated from the public eye. And while he scoffs at the idea of writing his memoirs, Baranov shares his story with the narrator. Starting in Soviet era Russia, Baranov draws back the curtain on the truth of power and democracy, the role of technology and propaganda in Vladimir Putin’s rise to power, and the events and decisions that established Russian politics as we know them today. Giuliano da Empoli is an Italian-Swiss political scientist, who was once a senior advisor to the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and is now a professor at Sciences Po in Paris. The book has been translated into 36 languages, and has a been made into a film which premiered at the 2025 Venice film festival.  Books Mentioned:  The Wizard of the Kremlin - Giuliano da Empoli The Hour of the Predator - Giuliano da Empoli At Night All Blood is Black - David Diop Strange Houses - Uketsu Our Wild Garden - Daniel Seton, illustrated by Pieter Fannes Wilding - Isabella Tree The Wasp Factory - Ian Banks  The Mask of Dimitrios - Eric Ambler Sovietistan - Erika Fatland  Nothing to See Here - Kevin Wilson Now Is Not the Time to Panic - Kevin Wilson Guest: Daniel Seton Producer and Host: Mia Todd Co-host: Francis Neale  Editing and Marketing: Hanna Todd

    49 min

  2. 3 APR

    Summer Fishing in Lapland by Juhani Karila

    In this first episode of The Nordic Reader, we are joined by author Juhani Karila to discuss his novel Summer Fishing in Lapland (is more dangerous than you think). The book is translated into English by Lola Rogers.  Originally published in Finnish in 2019, the novel has now been translated into more than 20 languages. It is published by Pushkin Press in the UK and by Restless Books in the US, where it appears under the title Fishing for the Little Pike (is more dangerous than you think).  In the novel we follow Elina, a young Finnish woman who is cursed. Every summer she returns to her childhood home in Lapland, where she must catch the pike that lives in a nearby pond – or she will die! But this year Elina’s attempt doesn’t quite go to plan. She must race against the clock to defeat the curse, while being followed by a host of strange mythical creatures, and a homicide detective who suspects her of murder.  Join us as we talk about the quirky, magical world of Juhani’s novel, humour and heartbreak in Lapland, and Juhani’s experience with translation.  Books Mentioned:  Summer Fishing in Lapland (is more dangerous than you think)/Fishing for the Little Pike (is more dangerous than you think) by Juhani Karila The Shining by Stephen King  Piranesi by Susanna Clarke  The End of Drum Time by Hanna Pylväinen The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway  Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen Guest: Juhani Karila Producer and Host: Mia Todd  Co-host: Francis Neale Editing and Marketing: Hanna Todd

    1hr 1min
  • 2 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Nordic Reader! We’re a podcast about books in translation. We chat with publishers, bookstores, authors, libraries, and literary agents - anyone and everyone involved in creating and sharing books! Our lens is Nordic and our first season’s special focus is on Finland 🇫🇮 We hope you join us and enjoy listening!

Information

  • Creator
    The Nordic Reader
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Nordic Reader
  • Show Website
    The Nordic Reader

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