JS: It's my third novel, quite a different book from my other works. I think that Lasisilmä ( The Glass Eye), for example, has only been translated into German. And then I have a couple of novels that have not been very widely translated.

But short story collections are very difficult to sell. We have a Finnish national prize for the best short story of the year, and I have won it seven times, so I presume that means people have good opinions of them! I do think many of them would be worth translating. Johanna Sinisalo (JS): Well, for one thing I have written quite a lot of short stories. Niall Harrison (NH): So I guess where I would like to start is to ask: do you feel that the three of your novels that have been translated into English- Not Before Sundown, Birdbrain, and The Blood of Angels-are a representative sampling of your career? What don't we in the Anglophone world know about your career? This interview was conducted in person at Archipelacon in June 2015. In June 2015, Sinisalo received a prestigious five-year grant from the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, and in August she was announced as one of the Guests of Honour at Worldcon 75, which will be the first Worldcon to be held in Finland. Forthcoming is alternate-present dystopia The Core of the Sun (2013/2016). Also translated into English are her novels Birdbrain (2008/2010) and The Blood of Angels (2011/2014) (reviewed here by Nina Allan), and a number of short stories, including Nebula nominee 'Baby Doll' (2002/2007).

Set in a world in which trolls are rare but real animals, rather than mythological creatures, the novel explores the gendered territoriality of human relationships it won the James Tiptree Jr. Her first novel, Not Before Sundown /Troll: A Love Story (2000, translated into English 2003) won Finland's highest literary award, the Finlandia Prize. Johanna Sinisalo is the author of six novels and numerous short stories. This interview is part of our 2015 fund drive bonus issue! Read more about Strange Horizons's funding model, or donate, here.

Johanna sinisalo troll