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The State Award for Public Information is Finland’s highest recognition for outstanding work in making knowledge accessible. Anyone can nominate a candidate. The Committee for Public Information reviews the nominations and proposes recipients to the Minister of Science and Culture.

This year amongst the awardees are architectural historian, assistant professor Panu Savolainen and photographer Aleks Talve. They are being awarded for popularising Finnish architectural history and promoting architectural literacy.

The award justifications state:

Arkkitehtuurimme vuosituhannet. Suomen arkkitehtuurin historia alusta loppuun (The Millennia of Our Architecture: The History of Finnish Architecture from Start to Finish) is a time machine crafted from printer’s ink, a planetary perspective and intellectual daring. It not only tells us what we have built but also reveals how building has shaped us as a culture and a species. The book achieves the nearly impossible: it popularises and illustrates 10,000 years of Finnish architectural heritage from prehistoric pit dwellings to the ice age of the future. It is critical, sharp and inspiring – deconstructing architectural myths as forcefully as excavators tear down modern buildings. The result is a vision in which even a concrete block of flats is a fossil relic, and a clay hut a model of sustainable living. The book’s merit lies not only in its wealth of information but also in the way it challenges readers to think differently. Rather than stating how things are, it compels us to ask why we do what we do.

Such books are rare. They not only inform; they shift the emphasis from knowledge to worldview. Popular science writing cannot have a more ambitious goal.

Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie presented the awards on 13 June in Helsinki. She highlighted how important public information is for building deep understanding, especially in uncertain times.

“Making information public strengthens our sense of community. It opens doors to worlds that we would not otherwise see or experience. Especially in today’s world, structured knowledge helps us understand different perspectives and experiences. It helps us find common words and themes, and it promotes a culture of constructive dialogue. Together, these make our society both more humane and stronger,” said Minister Talvitie.

State Awards for Public Information

Masters of Arts (Theatre and Drama) Katariina Havukainen, Inkeri Hyvönen and Ella Lahdenmäki for the play Jumppatytöt (The Gym Girls), a statement in defence of young people’s right to a peaceful space to grow

Docent Riie Heikkilä for the timely non-fiction book Miksi lakkasimme lukemasta? Sosiologinen tulkinta lukemisen muutoksesta (Why Did We Stop Reading? A Sociological Interpretation of the Changing Nature of Reading)

Journalist Anne Kantola, journalist Jecaterina Mantsinen and creative professional Omos ‘Opa’ Okoh for the non-fiction book Kuin veljet. Totuus Suomen katujengeistä (Like Brothers: The Truth About Street Gangs in Finland)

Journalist Jaakko Keso for journalism that crosses boundaries

Journalist Mikko ‘Peltsi’ Peltola, adventurer Osmo Peltola and director- cinematographer Juha Korhonen for Peltsi ja Osmo (Peltsi and Osmo), showcasing the richness of humanity and nature

Architectural historian Panu Savolainen and photographer Aleks Talve for popularising Finnish architectural history and promoting architectural literacy

Docent Hanna Ylöstalo and postdoctoral researchers Heini Kinnunen, Emma Lamberg and Inna Perheentupa for broadening economic discourse with the non-fiction book Feminismiä talouteen. Opas kriittiseen talouslukutaitoon (Bringing Feminism into Economics: A Guide to Critical Economic Literacy)

Operaatio Arktis (Operation Arctic) for research-based societal advocacy