It gives a literary critic great pleasure to discover a new star. And so it does: the critic gets a book from the publisher, a file attachment or a photocopy of an unpublished manuscript, by an unknown writer.

– The publisher always praises their own stable of writers, naturally, so the puff is just that, a puff, says Antti Majander.

He begins reading without any expectations. He get an idea that the text works, that the writer has an idea of what he or she is doing and is up to the task. The critic has made a discovery.

– Then you get to be first to yell out, ‘Hey I loved this, go and read it for yourself, and you will too!’ Even if it is a personal preference, I do have a newspaper of record behind me. Now and then it sets off a wave of interest.

– This is what made me start reading books in the first place and why I enjoy them. The fact that you get new experiences and insights, and these can help you cope with the miserable stuff too. It’s a genuine pleasure and at the core of what I do. If you haven’t had a reading experience like this for a few years, you just might like to take a look in the mirror.