Shadow Boxer

By Inga Magga

What happened to a talented young boxer who gave up her dream?

When Lola, a teacher at the Adult Education Center, sees her former coach’s daughter among the participants in her graphic design course, the past begins to unravel. Everything that Lola has tried to suppress for years comes back to haunt her. A dream of a boxing career – a future that was supposed to be hers but was handed to someone else. And at what cost?

A debut novel that reads like a thriller about a trust relationship as heavy as a chain and the abuse of power.
Shadow Boxer won Finland’s ‘Sports Book of the Year Award’  in 2020 and was also nominated for the Torch-Bearer Prize.

Publishing information

About the author

Inga Magga (b. 1983) is a Finnish writer with Sámi heritage, and a semi-professional Thai boxer. She holds a MA in Comparative Literature and debuted in 2020 with her novel Shadow Boxer (Like, 2020), about sexual abuse in the sporting world, which won Finland’s ‘Sports Book of the Year’ and received a nomination for the Torchbearer Prize. One Half was published in March 2024 to positive reviews.