Happy Land

Why is Finland consistently named 'the happiest country in the world'?

Drawing on his forty-year immersion in Finnish life, journalist Tim Bird reflects on this reputation and whether Finns, famed for their 'sisu' (quiet resilience), dark winters and passion for heavy metal, actually recognise it.

From its landscape, culture and chequered history to its language, literature and wholehearted commitment to the West, he provides an entertaining and affectionate portrait of his adopted home and how it has changed since the 1980s.

Challenging the stereotype of a cold and introverted country, Happy Land invites us to step inside Finland's true psyche, ponder its place in the world, and learn the secrets of its special brand of contentment.