Nyyssölä’s book launches at Oulu Comics Fest

‘Learn Finnish without Studying’, a comic book authored by graphics designer Sami Nyyssölä will be launched on the first day of upcoming Oulu Comics Festival scheduled for 23-25 November.

“If you want to learn Finnish without studying, this book is literally made for you. Get to know the Finns and their language – speak without talking and find the wild side of patience,” reads the info on the book’s back-cover.

Speaking about the context of developing the book, Nyyssölä said, “I have met many people who want to learn Finnish, and I keep hearing the same complaints: Finnish is different than any other language; the conjugation is too confusing and Finns are too hard to meet and talk to, unless you are drinking together.”

He said, “I wanted to build an easy bridge to Finnish language and the Finnish people for anyone with even a little interest. Not everyone has the time or the will to start new studies. Studying is quite intimidating after all, and it is hard to learn if you are stressed about it. I used my own experiences in learning foreign languages to try and find a smooth path to understanding one another. All you really want is to understand and be understood.”

According to him, formal education has its shortcomings – it is formal and educational, but learning can happen anywhere. “I have made some bold statements about Finland in the book, and I am a bit nervous that I might get some negative comments. But so far people who have read the material have liked it. Complaints are discussion, too, and I am always happy when people talk about my language.”

The artist community Pokuto (Pohjoinen Kustannustoiminta) has published the book, which, the author said, “has worked great for me. It helped me bounce ideas and get feedback from colleagues, which is all too rare in making comic publications like this. We have other books coming out also, so I really hope this upcoming festival goes well.”

To buy the book from online shop Click Here