BookBlast Translation Book Club: The Winter Warriors

On 10 November 2025, the BookBlast Translation Book Club will focus on The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek, translated by Nick Caistor (Orenda Books, 2025).

Norek revives the frozen silence of the Finnish forests during the Winter War of 1939—a forgotten front where rifles froze but the nation’s will did not. Against all odds, Finland resisted the Soviet onslaught with skis, cunning, and courage. At the heart of this stark narrative stands Simo Häyhä, the legendary sniper known as the White Death, a haunting reminder of how one man can alter history.

Replay Olivier Norek’s dialogue with Andrey Kurkov

Curated and moderated by Georgia de Chamberet, the BookBlast Translation Book Club is a monthly gathering which brings together readers, translators and professionals from the publishing industry to engage with world literature in translation and reflect on its cultural resonance.