Rapina Creative Writing Evenings (Autumn 2026)

You do not need to register in advance or attend every session. The evenings have changing themes and facilitators:

19 August: The Antihero’s Story — online, led by Pauliina Puhakka
16 September: The Art of Being Wrong — Jyväskylä Main Library, led by Lily Laine
21 October: A Glimpse into Yöttömyys — Jyväskylä Main Library, led by N. O. Laveajoki
18 November: Pieces of Me — Jyväskylä Main Library, led by Anne Martin
16 December: A Call from Lost Literary Genres — online, led by Joanna Heinonen

The evenings introduce creative writing through easy, accessible exercises that require no previous experience of creative writing. Please bring your own writing materials: pen and paper, or a device such as a computer. The evenings are primarily intended for adults, but younger participants are welcome too. They are free to attend and take place either online or in person.

In-person sessions are held at Jyväskylä City Library in central Jyväskylä (Vapaudenlatu 39–41). The room is a meeting room on the second floor, next to the children’s section. Please note that the August and December sessions are online. A link to each online session will be posted on Rapina’s website alongside the session details.

More detailed descriptions of the autumn 2026 creative writing evenings:

Wed 19 August, 6–7:30 pm — The Antihero’s Story (online)

This creative writing evening dives into the world of antiheroes: What kinds of stories emerge from characters who are not unambiguously good or bad? And why are flawed, conflicted characters who make mistakes often the ones we remember most vividly? During the evening, participants will do creative writing exercises from the perspective of antiheroes and consider why imperfect characters often seem the most human. The session is led by Rapina creative writing facilitator Pauliina Puhakka.

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Wed 16 September, 6–7:30 pm — The Art of Being Wrong (Jyväskylä Main Library, second-floor meeting room)

A creative writing workshop where the bar for getting started has been lowered all the way into a ditch! Come and write bad openings, ramble through tedious descriptions and use clichéd figures of speech. Today, being wrong is fashionable, and you can succeed by failing. All you need is a playful attitude and an open mind.

P.S. If you’ve forgotten your writing materials too, that’s not a failure either. Still, bring a pen and paper or an electronic note-taking device if you can remember and be bothered.

The session is led by Rapina creative writing facilitator Lily Laine.

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Wed 21 October, 6–7:30 pm — A Glimpse into Yöttömyys (Jyväskylä Main Library, second-floor meeting room)

Do you enjoy playing with words? Come write poems in which everyday words take on entirely new meanings! The evening introduces techniques that Rapina creative writing facilitator N. O. Laveajoki used in the new book Yöttömyys (2026). This session, led by Laveajoki, is open to everyone interested in writing poetry.

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Wed 18 November, 6–7:30 pm — Pieces of Me (Jyväskylä Main Library, second-floor meeting room)

In November’s creative writing workshop, participants will do short autobiographical exercises using creative writing. The exercises explore personal feelings and experiences in a safe, relaxed way, playing with different styles and genres. They are based on the session facilitator Anne Martin’s nonfiction book about narrative identity work, due to be published in 2027.

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Wed 16 December, 6–7:30 pm — A Call from Lost Literary Genres (online)

What on earth is a lapidary? And what might a book curse offer writers today? In December’s online session, participants will take inspiration from lost literary genres and explore how they might use them in their own writing. The evening is inspired by Sari Kivistö, Katariina Kärkelä, Erika Pihl and Isa Välimäki’s book Kadonneet kirjallisuuden lajit: nokturno, gaseeli ja muita unohdettuja aarteita (S&S, 2026). The session is led by author, creative writing facilitator and doctoral researcher Joanna Heinonen.