Prestigious award to anthology on the history of forced migrants

The Nordic History Book Award was presented at the 31st Congress of Nordic Historians in Reykjavík to the anthology Forced Migrants in Nordic Histories, published in this year by Helsinki University Press.
The award was announced to the editors by Guðmundur Hálfdánarson, chair of the award committee, in the Congress of Nordic Historians. From left Seija Jalagin, Malin Thor Tureby, Hans Otto Frøland, and Miika Tervonen. Photo: Victoria Martínez.

Edited by Johanna Leinonen, Miika Tervonen, Hans Otto Frøland, Christhard Hoffmann, Seija Jalagin, Heidi Vad Jønsson, and Malin Thor Tureby, the book brings together 14 articles by 23 researchers. It explores the long and complex history of forced migration in the Nordic countries, focusing on the 20th and 21st centuries. Of the editors, Seija Jalagin works as a Senior lecturer at the University of Oulu, and Johanna Leinonen acted as an Academy Research Fellow and PI of several research projects until 2023.

The award committee praised the book for its genuinely Nordic scope, scholarly excellence, and timely relevance. It offers the first comparative overview of how forced migrants — refugees, deportees, evacuees, and others — have been regulated, remembered, and represented across the region. The book also highlights the importance of transnational perspectives and Nordic regional research collaboration.

Last updated: 28.8.2025