2022 Niukun Lehti (Markus Bäckman)

Leaf by Niggle

Release Date: 2022.07.01
Reader: Markus Bäckman
Language: Finnish
Translator: Kersti Juva
Organisation: WSOY
ISBN: 9789510478622
Duration: 50 minutes
Unabridged: Yes
Country: Finland
Licenced: Yes
Formats: Digital

Markus Bäckman is a well-known Finnish musician and voice artist, often recognized as the “voice of Disney” in Finland for his extensive work in dubbing. He has a deep, resonant bass-baritone voice and uses his utilizes his background in musical theatre to convey the “everyman” anxiety of Niukku (Niggle) without over-dramatizing.

The audiobook uses the translation by Kersti Juva, the translator of The Lord of the Rings into Finnish. Juva’s translation was originally published in the 2002 collection Puu ja lehti (Tree and Leaf). The name “Niukku” (from the word niukka, meaning scarce or meagre) is Juva’s clever localized equivalent of “Niggle.” Her prose is celebrated for its rhythmic beauty, which Bäckman’s reading highlights effectively.

The digital cover for this release features the classic illustration by Pauline Baynes, the artist personally chosen by Tolkien for many of his shorter works.