Mariia Niskavaara is a writer. She first studied film directing, then comparative literature and art history. Her debut novel «Ester, teurastaja» (2025; tr. Esther, The Butcher) won the Helsingin Sanomat Debut Prize and has been sold to 30 countries. Her background in film shapes her visual writing; her laconic style evokes Daniil Kharms and Franz Kafka, combined with a Finnish Kaurismäki-esque deadpan. At its center is a grotesque female coming-of-age story. She is currently completing a PhD on the aesthetics of meat, the body, and decay. Mariia Niskavaara lives in Finland.
Last update: 2026