In this episode, together with his agent Leenastiina Kakko celebrated Finnish author Olli Jalonen talks about his novels The Celestial Sphere (in Finnish ‘Taivaanpallo’) and The Art of Living Underwater (in Finnish ‘Merenpeitto’) that form the fascinating story of the young apprentice Angus.

Set in the 1680s, The Celestial Sphere tells about rays of the Enlightenment when science collided with religion and beliefs. It follows the fate of a young boy Angus who leaves behind his humble origins at the faraway island of Saint Helena, to travel the seas to the great unknown towards an adventurous life-changing journey. He ends up as an apprentice for the famous astronomer and scientist Edmond Halley and plays a role in the history of science. This world-class literature transports a reader to another world and it’s no surprise that the first part, The Celestial Sphere was showered with awards, including the much appreciated Finlandia Prize in 2018. The story of the trusted apprentice continues in the sequel The Art of Living Underwater.

Olli Jalonen sheds light on the background of the storyline and how he came upon it during his voyage to the island of Saint Helena back in 1989. He also reveals why it took him almost three decades to complete the books, how he crafted the story and its characters, and delicately intertwined fact and fiction. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.