Book Interview: Snakes and Butterflies

This was meant to be a biography of an award-winning musician - Jesse Markin's story from Liberia through Viljakkala to becoming a national favorite. Then came a nightmarish turn: Markin's child fell seriously ill, doctors suspected abuse, and child protective services urgently placed the infant. What followed was a battle for innocence and the child's return home against the Finnish justice system.

The work weaves together Markin's diary entries, voices of loved ones and colleagues, and medical evidence. Who gets heard? How do you hold onto hope when everything has been taken away?

Jesse Markin and Elina Westinen come to Oodi to be interviewed about their work "Snakes and Butterflies" (2026). The interviewer is librarian Heini Strand. The event is open to everyone.