A publishing company’s programme always mirrors the society around it. Otava’s 2025 non-fiction publishing programme included many biographies of notable Finnish figures and numerous books on local and military history. Fewer of these published books focused on the future. When browsing through their titles, you could conclude that Finland is currently searching for its identity and looking to the past.
Both the state of the country’s public finances and the unpredictable geopolitical situation are contributing to a scarcity of visions for the future. And public debate is, in many respects, also negative and sensationalist.
President Mauno Koivisto wrote several books. The Russian Idea, which was published in 2001, proved that the country itself had not changed even though its rhetoric may have shifted. Russia is constantly striving to consolidate its position as a superpower with the aid of political, economic and military power. The Russian-language edition of this book was launched at the Finnish Embassy in Moscow. A Russian radio reporter interviewed Koivisto, and ended with a surprising question: so what, then, is the Finnish Idea? Koivisto replied with a single word: vyžit – to survive.
This survival ethos is still alive and well in Finland. Reliable institutions and the rule of law have also acted as foundations of Finnish society.
The concept of “Finnishness” encompasses a unique culture, diligence, an appreciation of education, and reading. An independent country and Western society have been built upon these values. But are these still sufficient building blocks for the Finland of today, or does our country need something brand new?
In his book The Triangle of Power, which we published, President Alexander Stubb presents his views on the formation of a new, multipolar world order. In Stubb’s opinion, Finland’s path should be founded on value-based realism.
320.1
Otava’s net sales
The Otava Idea has remained unchanged ever since the company was established. For over a century, Otava has both emphasised and taken responsibility for Finland’s shared values. We promote culture, growth and learning through the content we publish, such as books, articles and learning materials.
In my opinion, we have succeeded in sticking to fact-based social debate in our magazines without descending into fake news territory. Our goal is for public debate in Finland to be less polarised and of a higher standard.
At Otava, we want to continue promoting culture, growth, language and learning, so that we can find a new Finnish Idea together.
Let’s continue to be led by courage and quality.
Henrik Ehrnrooth
Chairman of the Board of Directors
In recent years, our operating environment has had to deal with a pandemic, inflation and a recession. The war in Ukraine continues, and the global political situation remains unstable. Unpredictability has become the new normal. Finland’s public finances remain weak and unemployment has risen to more than 10 per cent – the highest in the EU. Consumers save money in uncertain times.
Otava’s financial position has remained stable, and our result for 2025 was good. This has required both hard work and quick responses to change, for which I would like to thank all our personnel.
Otava published its first primer in 1902. Since then, we have been involved in building the Finnish education system and promoting high-quality teaching – and ensuring its continuity.
A new milestone was reached at the end of 2025 with the publication of our latest primer, Tähtietsivät (Star Detectives). Tähtietsivät is Otava’s 20th primer. It gives every first grader strong basic reading and writing skills, while also inspiring children to spend time reading educational books.
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Otava’s operating result
For young people in particular, it also provides a counterbalance to a life full of screens. Reading printed books has become a trend. The popularity of English-language books in particular has grown, and this is also reflected in Suomalainen Kirjakauppa’s sales figures. Social media trends have a strong influence on young people’s reading habits. They want to read books in the same language and at the same time as social media influencers. Young people have good language skills, and English comes naturally to them when consuming media.
In a small language area such as ours, it is important for both Finnish literature and high-quality journalism to be available to everyone. Amidst the media deluge, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine what information can really be trusted. When you consume Finnish media, you support reliable journalism.
In a small language area such as ours, it is important for both Finnish literature and high-quality journalism to be available to everyone. Amidst the media deluge, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine what information can really be trusted.
When you consume Finnish media, you support reliable journalism.
Media consumption habits are in transition, so it’s vital that we find new ways to reach readers. Our magazines’ short video services and new types of digital services are one way to bring high-quality content to new readers. For example, Suomen Kuvalehti’s revamped website now provides subscribers with a daily selection of articles curated by the editorial team.
So let’s make sure that our work remains meaningful and productive.
Alexander Lindholm
CEO, Otava Ltd