Tim Bird arrived in Finland by accident in the early Eighties. More than forty years on, he is still there. He has watched the transformation of his adopted homeland from semi-detached member of the Soviet bloc to modern European nation that tops the rankings, year after year, as 'the happiest country in the world'.
Does it deserve that status? Do the Finns, known for their hard drinking, their sisu (grit) and their passion for heavy metal, recognize that description of themselves? Telling the story of his own path to Finnish citizenship while also delving into the writings of a 19th-century British traveler, Bird interrogates the claim made on Finland's behalf.
In this clear-sighted - but never cynical - sideways look at the land of the sauna, the Northern Lights and the Moomins, Bird spotlights the Nordic nation's distinctive culture, landscape and language. As he helps us understand the Finnish notion of contentment, are there life-lessons for the rest of us?
| ISBN: | 9781785634376 |
| Publication date: | 8th January 2026 |
| Author: | Tim Bird |
| Publisher: | Lettuce Publishing an imprint of Eye Books |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 256 pages |
| Genres: |
Memoirs Geography Travel writing |
Tim Bird arrived in Finland by accident in the early Eighties. More than forty years on, he is still there. He has watched the transformation of his adopted homeland from semi-detached member of the Soviet bloc to modern European nation that tops the rankings, year after year, as 'the happiest country in the world'.
Does it deserve that status? Do the Finns, known for their hard drinking, their sisu (grit) and their passion for heavy metal, recognize that description of themselves? Telling the story of his own path to Finnish citizenship while also delving into the writings of a 19th-century British traveler, Bird interrogates the claim made on Finland's behalf.
In this clear-sighted - but never cynical - sideways look at the land of the sauna, the Northern Lights and the Moomins, Bird spotlights the Nordic nation's distinctive culture, landscape and language. As he helps us understand the Finnish notion of contentment, are there life-lessons for the rest of us?
Happy Land features in the following genres: Memoirs, Geography, Travel writing
Happy Land is available in Hardback
Happy Land was written by Tim Bird and published by Lettuce Publishing an imprint of Eye Books
Happy Land has 256 pages
£13.49