In a conversation organized by the Embassy of Chile in Finland, the writer María José Ferrada presented the book in Northern Sami language; along with the first book of children's poems by Gabriela Mistral translated into Finnish by the translator Emmi Ketonen, "Poems for Childhood".
OCTOBER 2025.- As part of the celebration marking 80 years since Gabriela Mistral’s Nobel Prize in Literature, the event titled "Poetry from the South of the World: Gabriela Mistral 80 Years After the Nobel Prize. A Conversation with the Writer María José Ferrada" took place in Helsinki, featuring the presentation of two books: "Poems for Childhood," translated into Finnish by Emmi Ketonen, and "Gabriela Mistral’s Words to the Sami People," by Chilean writer María José Ferrada, nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2026.
"For me, it is a true honor to take part in this celebration of the 80th anniversary of Gabriela Mistral’s Nobel Prize because it’s a chance to share her timeless and inspiring ideas with others," said María José Ferrada in conversation with Entreprenerd.
The event, held at Rosebud Sivullinen Bookstore in Helsinki, was organized by the Embassy of Chile in Finland and led by Ambassador Belén Sapag and Consul Catalina Calderón. It gathered Chileans living in Finland, as well as Latin American and Finnish admirers of Gabriela Mistral’s work.
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"Both books — ‘Poems for Childhood’ and ‘Gabriela Mistral’s Words to the Sami People’ — feature illustrations made by children, which is also a beautiful connection between the two," said Ambassador Belén Sapag.
She added: "In the book translated into Finnish, which we supported and was translated by Emmi, the drawings were made by children from the European School of Helsinki. In contrast, the Sami-language edition — a project supported by the Embassy of Chile in Sweden — features artwork by younger children."
Ferrada explained how her participation came about. The project, initiated by the Consulate of Chile in Gothenburg, included the translation into Northern Sami and collaboration with a Sami school in Kiruna and another in Gothenburg, where students created the book’s illustrations. The cover features children from both the Sami and Mapuche communities.
"I joined the project with joy, because the topic of languages — especially minority languages — deeply interests me. I am from Wallmapu and live in Villarrica, so it’s something I strongly support. It was very moving to see how these struggles are connected — the preservation of language — because for a child, language is their intangible homeland. Both the Sami and the Mapuche children where I live are fighting to revitalize their languages, because that is the territory they inhabit, something they have a right to," Ferrada explained during her talk.
GABRIELA MISTRAL: AN INTENSE INTELLECTUAL
During the conversation, Ferrada also reflected on Gabriela Mistral’s legacy — not only in poetry but also in her social and political influence.
"Gabriela Mistral, as the intellectual she was, is a complex figure who can be approached from many angles. She was an intense journalist, writing up to six articles a month for newspapers in Spain, Mexico, and across Latin America. She had a close connection with her time and was never neutral — she was political, a strong advocate for land reform in Chile, a woman who pushed for change and refused to settle. She wanted more for others, and that’s truly inspiring," said Ferrada.
"Today, there are many books about Gabriela Mistral in Chile where we can access her thoughts on nature, women, and education — all well-organized and beautifully introduced," added the Chilean writer.
"NIÑOS": A TRIBUTE TO MEMORY
Ferrada also spoke about one of her most powerful works, "Niños" (Children), dedicated to 34 children under the age of 14 who were executed during the Chilean military dictatorship, and one child who remains missing to this day.
"I wrote ‘Niños’ because there is no memorial for those children. If I did something else, maybe I would have built something else, but I make books — so this is the humble memorial I can offer. I find it unacceptable that a memorial doesn’t exist," she said.
She added: "The first reason is to preserve the memory of those children — they must not be forgotten. And it’s also important to tell that story to today’s children, because childhood is when we build our sense of justice. It’s a time of deep searching, even if language is still limited — and that search often fades into memory."
Ferrada and the Chilean Embassy also donated copies of both books to Oodi Library and the Nordic Culture Point. They also visited "Mi Casita," the only preschool in Finland with a Spanish-language curriculum.
The conversation was moderated by Eeva Sippola, Professor of Ibero-American Languages and Cultures at the University of Helsinki.
MORE ACTIVITIES IN HELSINKI - OCTOBER 23 AND 24
Continuing the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Gabriela Mistral's Nobel Prize, the Gabriela Mistral Music Conversation will take place on the 23rd of October from 6pm to 8:30pm at Oulunkylän Seurahuone (Larin Kyöstin tie 7, Helsinki). This event will feature the participation of "Friends of Music", a string quintet performing arrangements of traditional Latin American themes.
In addition, unpublished slides and videos about the life and work of Gabriela Mistral will be displayed. The informal conversation will be led by Diego Del Pozo, cultural attaché of the Chilean Embassy in France and representative to UNESCO, an expert on Gabriela Mistral.
The access is completely free and is carried out by the Finland-Chile Solidarity Association (ASOFICH).
Meanwhile, the following day, on October 24th, there will be a keynote lecture and discussion at the University of Helsinki (Fabianinkatu 33 - Room F3003) from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. This will feature the main participation of the writer and cultural manager Diego Del Pozo, current cultural attaché at the Chilean Embassy in France. Afterwards, there will be a panel dedicated to the life, work, and international legacy of Gabriela Mistral, with the participation of Auli Leskinen, Maritza Núñez, José Luis Rico, and Eeva Sippola, and it will be moderated by Florencia Quesada.
This event is supported by the Embassy of Chile in Finland, the University of Helsinki, the Finland-Chile Solidarity Association (ASOFICH) and the Ibero-American Institute of Finland.