Zeno

By Dess Terentyeva

2024 PRISMA LITERATURE PRIZE – NORDIC WORK OF THE YEAR

The third verse novel ponders whether it is necessary to be a minority rights activist if you belong to a minority?

Nella, a high school student, lives in the small Finnish town of Joutseno where the easiest thing to do is to blend in. She loves nature and Joutseno has everything she desires. But when her boyfriend blurts at school that she’s bisexual, it seems to be too much for others. Nella just wants to be herself and live a normal life, not fight for minorities. But is that possible?

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About the author

Dess Terentyeva (b. 1992) is an author of Russian origin who lives in the vibrant city of Tampere in Finland. As a migrant author, both Russian and Finnish cultural aspects are reflected in her works. Her writing also carries strong LGBTQ themes. Terentyeva has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Jyväskylä. Lovely (Ihana) is Terentyeva’s first YA novel and a winner of the prestigious publisher WSOY’s YA writing competition in 2021. She is also the co-author of the urban fantasy book series Neon City (Neonkaupunki), which she has written together with author Susanna Hynynen.She also hosts her own YouTube channel Rainbow Books. In her own insightful channel, Terentyeva presents and discusses literature, dedicating her videos particularly to LGBTQ books and, therefore, enhancing the theme’s visibility in Finnish literary culture. “Young people are smart, thoughtful and sometimes more successful in listening to silenced voices than grown-ups. It is the compassion that young people have for others living on the margins that has inspired my book.”– Dess Terentyeva