In English

Literature association Nuoren Voiman Liitto (NVL) was founded in 1921. Literary and cultural magazine Nuori Voima has been published since 1908, and is one of the oldest cultural magazines in Finland.

Our objective is to produce high quality events and platforms for writers, support amateur writers to become professionals, to form literary networks, offer meeting spaces for writers and readers alike as well as generally to promote the teaching of literature, creative writing and literary art in Finland.

Residence Villa Sarkia

Villa Sarkia is a residency in Sysmä for writers, translators, and work groups. Sysmä is located in Päijät-Häme, beautiful area of lakes and forests. Nuoren Voiman Liitto is in charge of the residency application process whereas the municipality of Sysmä looks over the maintenance of Villa Sarkia. Arts Promotion Centre Finland supports Villa Sarkia.

The residency is primarily intended for under 40 year olds. You can apply for the Villa Sarkia residency place for 1-2 months at a time. Approved residents are charged 100€ deposit per reservation in year 2024. No residency fee is charged for staying at Villa Sarkia.

Villa Sarkia is a wooden villa from the turn of the century and is located in a peaceful setting in the centre of Sysmä. The residence house has three rooms: two single rooms and one double. Communal area consists of living room, sauna, and a large garden. Villa Sarkia residency can accomodate up to 3-4 writers or translators at a time and it doesn’t hold any permanent staff.

The address of Villa Sarkia is Myllymäentie 1, 19700 Sysmä, Finland. There is about half a kilometre distance to the nearest coach stop and local grocery store and the library is walking distance.

Please note! Public transportation to Sysmä does not run daily. For more information about coach services to Sysmä please, visit Matkahuolto .


Open call for Villa Sarkia residency 2024

Villa Sarkia is a residency for writers and translators regardless to nationality, language or genre, located in the centre of Sysmä, Finland. The residency is primarily intended for writers born in 1984 or after. Previous published works are not required, but well-prepared working plans are held in value in selections.

The spring term residencies take place between 1st February 2024 and 28th June 2024, autumn term residencies between 1st August and 31th December 2024. Working periods for 1-2 months are available for solo appliers, working groups can apply for shorter terms in June. January is reserved for NVL partners. Nuoren Voiman Liitto will collect a registration fee from the 2024 selected residency visitors. The fee is €100.

Villa Sarkia, named after poet Kaarlo Sarkia, is a wooden villa from the turn of the twentieth century. The house has three separate rooms for residents. Common spaces consist of kitchen, library and dining room, living room, sauna, bathroom and a large garden. The location and nature surrounding Villa Sarkia will guarantee a peaceful setting to work in.

The address of Villa Sarkia is Myllymäentie 1, 19700 Sysmä, Finland. There is about half a kilometre distance to the nearest coach stop and local grocery store and the library are within a walking distance. For more information about coach services to Sysmä, please visit  Matkahuolto .

No residency fee is charged for staying at Villa Sarkia. Selected writers will be provided with linen, towels and cleaning service on behalf of the house. Residents will participate in one optional community service during their residency, which may be a performance, workshop, school visit or other suitable activity in Sysmä. At the end of the visit, the guest will produce a short coverage regarding the stay in residency. This text can be used in Villa Sarkia communications. The residents’ personal expenses, such as travel costs, are not covered.

The application deadline for year 2024 is 30/11/2024 at 23.59. In order to apply you need to fill in the application form, which you can find here. Add the following attachments in your applications. The attachments must be delivered in pdf format.

  • work plan
  • text sample in Finnish or English
  • CV
  • possible recommendations

The application form must be filled in half an hour. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the needed sections before filling in the application. Please prepare your attachments. The application can be modified or supplemented within the application period.

Results will be announced personally for the selected by 13rd December 2023. Unfortunately, the selections cannot be commented. Possible cancelled residency periods can be reapplied for later; these will be announced at the NVL website and in our newsletters. More information on the residency from Deputy Executive Director Saara Tamminen: villasarkia@nvl.fi.

Did you get selected? You will receive an e-mail with more detailed information on e.g. payment & key handover process and paperwork. Please, confirm your place to the executive director of Nuoren Voiman Liitto within two weeks after receiving the offer letter. You will receive full information package from how to arrive to Sysmä to the details of your residency period soon after.

The location and nature surrounding Villa Sarkia will guarantee a peaceful setting to work in. The guests may, depending on the time and their interests,  get to know the local medieval cemetary, taste home-brew beer called sahti, or discover the hiking routes of Ohrasaari. The greetings left in the guest book paint a varied picture of experiences where merging into silence and nature is one of them.

You may hear about the news of Villa Sarkia by following its blog: https://villasarkia.wordpress.com/

Welcome to Villa Sarkia!

Get involved with the activities on NVL!

Nuoren Voiman Liitto is a vivid association, focusing on literature and textual art. We organise literature events such as Runokuu (Poetry Moon), one of the largest poetry festivals in the Nordic countries, seminars, creative writing courses and publish Nuori Voima -magazine. Writing groups of different types gather in our premises, we maintain Villa Sarkia residence in Sysmä and organise a popular review service on literary texts.

NVL is also part of House of Text (Tekstin talo – Textens hus) in Helsinki, Finland!

We are always open for co-operation both with writers as well with other consortiums, and interested in creating new forms and formats of promoting literature. Please find our contact details here.

Become a member

Become a member of NVL! As a member you will receive discount on our courses, review service and Nuori Voima -magazine subscription. In addition you will benefit from varied members benefits e.g. in many book stores. You will also receive our monthly newsletter, where you learn about our upcoming events, courses and news first. Membership fee for 2024 is 25 eur. Order Nuori Voima -magazine for members fee (25 eur) at the same time. You can apply for membership here.

We take good care of your personal details and we don´t pass them on. Read more about our data protection practises here [in Finnish]. In case you´re already member or magazine subscriber you can update your contact details by sending e-mail to the address: toimisto@nvl.fi

Members´ benefits

Café Veranda, Finlandia-house
Coffee/tea and bun/small bread 5€ or glass of sparkling wine 5 €. Showing your membership card of Nuoren Voiman Liitto you will receive benefits on your puchases at the café. With one membershipcard you can redeem membership offers for two.

Finnish National Theatre
Tickets at student prices, about 17-25 €
National Theatre has about fifteen premiers and holds about 30 different productions in its programme yearly. NVL members will receive student discount when showing their membership card.

KOM-theatre
Benefit: Tickets at student prices, about 15€ 
KOM-theatre  is professional theatre based in Helsinki. It´s located on Kapteeninkatu in Ullanlinna. You can redeem your membership benefit only at KOM ticketing office (Kapteeninkatu 26), tel. 09 6841 841. When picking up your ticket you need to present your NVL membership card. 

Moving in November
To be determined later
Moving in November modern dance festival is organized in November in Helsinki. Please, find more details at the festival website: www.movinginnovember.fi 

Ryhmäteatteri
Tickets at industry prices, about 16€ 
Helsinki based Ryhmäteatteri is Finland´s oldest so called free theatre group. Members of NVL will receive two industry priced tickets when showing their membership card at the time of purchase. Industry prices at the moment are 12 eur for shows at Helsinginkatu stage and 14 eur for Suomenlinna Summer Theatre stage. Industry tickets can only be reserved at theatre´s own ticketing office on Helsinginkatu 25, tel. (09) 718 622. You need to prove your membership when redeeming your tickets.

SVYL book store
-10% dicount on all items
Established in 1991 Finnish Estonian Associations´ Union is a national non-governmental organization that wants to deepen the relationship between Finland and Estonia. From SVYL website you can find Estonian themed Estonian literature translated into Finnish as well as Estonian music. Members of Nuoren Voiman Liitto will receive -10 % discount on all web store items.

Vastapaino
-15% discount on books
Vastapaino  publishes literature on social sciences and humanities to satisfy academia´s as well as larger audiences´ societal conversation needs alike. Vastapaino offers 15% discount on all book on their web store and sales events to all members of Nuoren Voiman Liitto. You can redeem your discount in the web store by using the discount code NVL when checking out.

Werner & Jarl book store
-20 % discount
The Werner & Jarl book store is located on Lönnrotinkatu 21. Their selection includes the new releases of WSOY, Tammi and Johnny Kniga publishing houses. The discount is available both at the physical store as well as on the web store with the code WJ25.

Zodiak
With the NVL membership card all tickets 15 € + delivery
Zodiak – Centre for New Dance is the national and international event venue as well as Helsinki´s regional centre for the production and performance of modern dance. Zodiak operates as the gathering action community and production organization for modern dance professionals. Zodiak offers their tickets for 15 eur for all NVL members.