EN: Highlights from The Biblio/Poetry Therapy Conference in Jyväskylä

The 2nd European Biblio/Poetry Therapy Conference was held at the University of Jyväskylä on October 2–4, 2025. The event brought together participants from several countries, and the programme included presentations, workshops, and, of course, opportunities to connect with other professionals in the field.

Compiled by Kati Kuukkanen

The first day of the conference at Agora began with opening remarks from the conference chair Karoliina Maanmieli and Associate Professor Juhani Ihanus. On behalf of the University, Professor Sami Sjöberg from the Department of Music, Art and Culture at the University of Jyväskylä welcomed the participants.

The opening speeches were followed by a beautiful musical performance by Ruamjai Choir and the keynote speech by Dr. Päivi Kosonen, Senior Researcher (SELMA, University of Turku), titled “Narratives in Biblio/Poetry Therapy: Exploring the Self and the World in the Shelter of Stories.”

The Association of Biblio/Poetry Therapy was also involved in organizing the conference, and at its desk participants could learn about the association’s activities and purchase literature in the field as well as the association’s own Kirjallisuusterapia magazine. In the picture: chairs Jaana Huldén and Silja Mäki at the association’s stand.

After a series of inspiring workshops, the first day ended with a festive welcome reception.

The second day of the conference took place at the main building of Seminaarinmäki. The keynote speaker of the day was Dr. Judit Béres, Associate Professor and Chair of the Hungarian Bibliotherapy Association. Her presentation was titled “Smiling Apollo – Giving Voice and Inspiring Hope Through Biblio/Poetry Therapy.”

The pioneer of Biblio/poetry therapy, Juhani Ihanus, shared his impressions of the conference. According to Ihanus, the conference in Jyväskylä was a wonderful continuation of the conference in Hungary last year: “The University of Jyväskylä is an excellent venue and well-suited for events like this,” he said. Ihanus felt that the atmosphere of the conference was good and relaxed, yet highly professional. He was also happy to see even more participants from different countries attending the conference this year.

The second day of the conference culminated in a wonderful conference dinner at the Vesilinna restaurant in Harju.

The third day was lively, as the Seminarium building was filled with cheerful conference guests. The day began with various workshops, offering participants hands-on exploration of different themes.

During the conference, a variety of interesting speeches were heard, in which the speakers shared their research and new perspectives on biblio/poetry therapy.

The three-day conference was filled with interesting presentations and workshops, inspiring ideas, and warm encounters with colleagues and new acquaintances. The organizing committee warmly thanks all participants, presenters and workshop facilitators, as well as conference assistants and chairs of the sessions.

At the closing ceremony, a joyful announcement was made: The Third European Biblio/Poetry Therapy Conference will be held next year in Canterbury, United Kingdom!
You are warmly welcomed to join!

Kati Kuukkanen is a communications team intern at the Association of Biblio/Poetry Therapy and a Finnish language specialist student at the University of Jyväskylä.