Officially, this bit of news was first announced in Friday’s newsletter. Unofficially, I told my parents when I was seven: I’m going to be a writer.
Back then, I wrote and – using a unique mix of reusable stickers and color pencils – illustrated my debut book Dumbo Runs Away From the Circus. The plot went something like this: in an indignant rage after hearing the bigger elephants speaking ill of him behind his back, Dumbo decides to run away from the circus and begin a life on his own. After some wild adventures in the jungle, he runs into a circus monkey – also on the run – and the two decide to return to the circus together. Dumbo was homesick by then, and had forgotten about the mean words of the bigger elephants.
Twenty-five years later, my career plan is finally coming true. My first real book will be coming out in November 2015. It’s about beauty, as you might have guessed – the rest will be revealed later. I had the honor of working together with photographer Kaapo Kamu, one of Finland’s most respected photographers. Hearing about my book plans last fall, Kaapo got in contact with me and offered to help me illustrate the book. I can’t tell you how touched I am by his desire to co-create this book with me.
The team working on this project just feels right in my heart. Our publisher, Cozy Publishing, has shown complete trust and respect for mine and Kaapo’s vision. I am eternally grateful for this wonderful team – we’ve still got our work cut out for us, but it’s the process that matters.
Thank you for taking this journey with me.
Translation Katja Nikula
