Maija Kajanto

Maija Kajanto is a Helsinki-based writer, journalist, communications professional, and one of the brightest stars in Finnish feel-good literature. She debuted in 2019 with a women’s fiction trilogy and garnered critical acclaim for her realistic portrayal of working life.

Her breakthrough came in 2022 with the Birch Tree Café series that spans five titles and has sold more than 265,000 copies. Maija’s latest series, Laundrette on Park Street, currently has publishers in four territories, has sold more than 70,000 copies, and was nominated for the 2025 Tulenkantaja Literary Export Prize. Her feel-good titles have sold more than 360,000 copies to date and have won the Funlandia Prize for feel-good literature.

“The Birch Tree Café is a captivating five-part book series that takes readers to the small town of Pyhävirta in Central Finland. In this warm-hearted series, life’s joys and heartbreaks are shared over freshly baked cinnamon rolls and strong coffee. […]
The Laundrette on Park Street series begins with Laundry Day, a story about entrepreneurship, finding one’s place, and the scent of crisp, clean sheets.
The new release Winter City Lights turns the traditional idea of a perfect, blissful Christmas upside down. Happiness isn’t always found at a family gathering around the table—sometimes the most meaningful Christmas is experienced somewhere entirely different.” —Jury of the Funlandia Prize

Author portrait © Sabrina Bqain