Editing a Book: Experiences and Surprises

Last autumn, a non-fiction book about Gaius Julius Caesar was published, which I edited together with Maria Jokela. This was my first experience with editing a non-fiction book – in fact, with any kind of editorial work. I had some idea about the role of an editor, but I learned a lot during the project, and there were many surprises along the way. For example, I never could have imagined that I would later be receiving an award for this book.

Kirjan julkaisua juhlittiin moneen otteeseen viime syksynä

The idea for the book originated within the Department of Classics at the University of Turku, when in the spring 2023 we were planning a seminar about Caesar titled Julius noster for the following autumn. The topics of the seminar presentations seemed suitable as chapters in a non-fiction book. Maria and I seized the idea and started outlining the book. During the summer, we invited additional writers, and by late summer, we approached the academic publisher Gaudeamus, who immediately took interest in our book proposal. After that, the project moved forward at a good pace, and the book was published two years later, just in time for the 2025 autumn book fairs.

My presentation at the Julius noster seminar in September 2023

I knew that the editor’s job involves keeping the project on track and acting as a point of contact between both the publisher and the writers. The editor is mainly responsible for ensuring that the book turns out as intended in terms of the text, structure, and layout. Especially for a non-fiction book aimed at a broad audience, it is important to have a smooth and coherent overall narrative, with a writing style that fits the target audience. This requires the editor to read and comment on the chapters written by others during the project's various phases. I was lucky to share this editing task with my colleague Maria. Our collaboration worked seamlessly from the start.

Maria and I often sat in the department's coffee room or
meeting spaces working on the book. Here we were drafting
the book proposal for the publisher in August 2023.

One clear challenge was the large group of writers. There were 16 of us in total, and we had to coordinate the content of the chapters, work phases, and deadlines with everyone, as well as develop each chapter. Maria and I read and commented on the chapters several times at different stages of the project. We also gathered with the writers at the University of Turku in September 2024 to discuss the book and its chapters. For some chapters, the structure and content came together easily, while others required more work. There was also the task of cutting out redundancies and repetitions from the chapters. Even though we had to occasionally remind everyone about deadlines, the work progressed well on schedule. The manuscript was sent to the publisher for peer review just before Christmas 2024.

The writers at the University of Turku in September 2024.
Some of the writers participated remotely. Photo: Jaana Vaahtera

It was no surprise that the book’s overall structure changed quite a bit during the project. Initially, we had planned to organize the chapters into four thematic sections. However, one of the peer reviewers suggested changes which resulted in the rearrangement of several chapters and the division of the book into three themes: Caesar’s life, writings, and legacy. The structure became much more coherent and functional as a result of these changes. Based on the feedback from the peer reviewers, we also rewrote the introduction almost entirely and added an epilogue to the book.

What I learned the most about was the later stages of the project, specifically the peer review process and working on the manuscript with the copy editor to finalize it for publication. I knew roughly what peer review meant, but this was the first time I saw how it is actually carried out and how it affected the text and structure of the book. As editors, our job was to convey the feedback to the authors and later to compile a summary of the changes for the publisher.

Many cups of tea were consumed while working on the book,
usually from this mug decorated with Shakespearean insults

It was only after the peer review in spring 2025 that we were assigned a copy editor. Until then, all communication had been with the publishing director, Leena Kaakinen. Before this project, I had imagined that the copy editor would be part of the process much earlier. However, in hindsight, it is understandable that the authors are responsible for the manuscript until the book has passed the review process and is approved for publication. The final publishing contract was also signed after the peer review in March 2025. 

A toast to the publishing contract on March 14th, on the eve of the Ides of March!

In late spring, we began refining the manuscript for publication with our copy editor, Olga Poropudas. She did thorough work on the text and also handled the layout for both the print and digital editions of the book. We worked on the book cover, illustrations, and maps together with Elina Blomqvist and Teemu Ojanne. The publisher's graphic designers took care of the final visuals of the cover and the maps. Later on, we also worked with the audiobook narrator, Markus Bäckman, for example, to ensure the correct pronunciation of Latin quotes. It was a diverse group of people at the publisher who worked on the book, and I am extremely pleased with the outcome, both for the printed book and the audiobook. 

Illustrations were a key part of the book, as we wanted to visually illustrate the book’s themes and also to highlight material sources that survive from antiquity such as buildings, sculptures, coins, and inscriptions. Maria and I gathered images from our own archives, the archives of our writers, and from online resources. One unexpected task related to the illustrations was writing so-called "alt-texts" (alternative texts). These are necessary for screen reader programs which read the book aloud and describe the content of the images to readers with visual impairments. Another challenge involved the Asterix comics, as using images from them required obtaining permissions and licenses from the rights holders in France. Fortunately, the publisher deemed this effort and cost worthwhile, and we were able to include a couple of excerpts from the Asterix comics in the book.

All the Caesar-related illustrations we gathered
(like this one and the ones below) ultimately did not make it into the book

During the summer of 2025, we continued working hard on the finalizing the book. We compiled various supplementary materials, such as a list of sources and abbreviations. We had two student assistants, Taika Sillanpää and Niko Tiainen, who helped with this. Maria and I also wrote a short glossary and introductions to the key figures in the book. At the same time, the copy editor worked on the text with us and the authors. In early August, we received a draft layout of the book to review, which still required quite a bit of tweaking. Once the text and layout were finalized, the final task was to compile the index. 

We were relieved when the book finally went to print at the beginning of September. Of course, the editor’s job didn’t end there; we still had various tasks related to the book’s marketing. However, for most of September, we were just anxiously waiting to see if the book would be ready in time for the book fairs. On October 1st, we received word that the book had come from the press, just in time for the Turku Book Fair, which took place on 3–5 October. At the fair, we finally got to hold the book in our hands. We were also interviewed by the reporter Juha Roiha on Saturday afternoon, when the fair was already quite crowded, and we had a good number of listeners.

The editors being interviewed at the Turku Book Fair

Signing copies of the new book at the Turku Book Fair

After the fair, the book was featured in an event organized by Paideia, The Classical Association of Turku, which attracted nearly 70 listeners to the Turku City Library. The following week, we celebrated the book’s release at the University of Turku. At the end of October, we represented the book at the Helsinki Book Fair. At the start of the book project, we had discussed with the publisher that the book would be a part of the fairs, but I didn't imagine that I would be representing the book as a speaker. The biggest surprise, however, was still to come.

Interview together with Jaakkojuhani Peltonen at the Helsinki Book Fair

Just before the Helsinki Book Fair, we learned that the our book had been chosen as one of the five nominees for the Kanava Prize for the best Finnish biographical book of the year. The nominees were announced at the Helsinki Book Fair on October 23rd. We were extremely honored that our book had been nominated alongside many much more famous authors. However, the real bombshell came in November when Suvi-Anne Siimes, who was appointed to choose the winner, decided to award the Kanava Prize to our book. This kind of recognition was something I never would have expected! The award was a clear acknowledgment that the diligent work we put into the book paid off and that the results were visible to the readers as well.

Kanava Prize nominees at the Helsinki Book Fair.

The Kanava Prize was awarded on November 18th in Helsinki

In addition to the book fairs and the Kanava Prize, the book has also received attention in various media. Maria was interviewed in the radio by reporter Kalle Haatanen and later also appeared on the Parlatorio podcast produced by the Finnish Institute in Rome. A few newspaper and blog articles about the book have also been published. See the links below.

Making the book was an exciting challenge that taught me a lot. At the same time, it was at times arduous and time-consuming. After all, we editors and writers all worked on this book alongside our main jobs. This is typical in academia and especially when it comes to popularizing science. Nevertheless, I consider the time spent on making the book a good investment, as the final result is great and brings visibility both to the book’s authors and to the research on antiquity more broadly. I am, however, relieved that this book project is over and that I can fully focus on writing my PhD dissertation. This book still requires a lot of work! 

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The book can be bought at most Finnish book shops and agencies. An e-book and an audiobook is available at the publisher's webshop. The audiobook is also available in most audiobook services.

About the book:

Sanahirviö: Asterix-luvun kirjoittamisesta Gaius Julius Caesar ‑tietokirjaan (9.10.2025)

Gaudeamus: Kanava-palkinto Gaius Julius Caesar -teokselle (18.11.2025)

Suomen Kuvalehti: SK:n journalistipalkinto Petri Kejoselle – SK palkitsi pitkän linjan radiojournalistin. Kanava-palkinto myönnettiin Julius Caesar -tietokirjalle (18.11.2025)

Kalle Haatanen: Gaius Julius Caesar (26.11.2025)

Uusi suomi, Puheenvuoro-blogi: Nerokas valtiomies ja kalju avionrikkoja (26.11.2025)

Kulttuuritoimitus: Sotapäällikkö, latinisti ja naistennaurattaja – arviossa Gaius Julius Caesar: Rooman diktaattorin monet kasvot (10.12.2025)

Verkkouutiset: Gaius Julius Caesaria jäljittelivät monet – Suomalaistutkijoiden Caesar-analyysi on vertaansa vailla (25.1.2026)

Parlatorio-podcast: Gaius Julius Caesar (29.1.2026)

Tainan ja Tommin aarrearkku -blogi: Kaikkien aikojen Caesar (25.2.2026)

Maaseudun tulevaisuus: Julius Caesaria herjattiin homosuhteesta, kaljuudesta ja ihokarvojen nyppimisestä (28.2.2026)

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Spring 2020 in Rome during the covid-19 pandemic

Around this time in May 2020, I was returning from Rome to Finland after a very unusual spring during which the covid-19 pandemic threw the world into chaos. I was then working on a research project as part of a team at the Finnish Institute in Rome. When the pandemic began, our team decided to stay in Rome rather than interrupt our work and fly back to Finland. Memories of that extraordinary spring came vividly back to me when I was once again at the Institute in February, reading the diary entries our group had made in the institute’s guestbook (photos of the guestbook entries at the end of the article). I’d like to share some of my experiences from the spring five years ago.

Our research team (photo: Mikko Itälahti)

In addition to myself, the team led by the institute’s director, Arja Karivieri, included Ville Kukkonen, Taneli Puputti, Maria Solin, Riikka Vuoksenmaa, and Anna Vuolanto. We arrived at Villa Lante, where the institute is situated, at the end of January with the intention of spending the entire spring in Rome working on a research project about the late antique and early medieval Ostia. Work began as planned, and we each started drafting our articles on Ostia.

We managed to visit Ostia once before the pandemic began

Enjoying a picnic at Villa Doria Pamphilj park

In February, life at the Institute went on as usual. We worked on our research and enjoyed our time in sunny Rome. At the end of February, our team traveled to a tourism fair in Florence to promote the Ostia exhibition that was open at the Vapriikki Museum in Tampere. We had already heard news of a new virus that had been detected in Europe. During the fair weekend, we started receiving reports of cases in Northern Italy. Despite this, we spent a pleasant weekend in Florence, visiting local sights alongside the fair.

Queuing to enter the Palazzo Pitti in Florence

It soon became clear that the new virus was developing into a full-blown epidemic. In early March, public events began to be canceled in Rome, and other precautionary measures were taken. We weren’t yet too worried and continued working at the institute, spending time in the city and eating out as usual. However, some residents at the institute decided to end their stay and return home at this point.

Our disappointment at hearing that Filippo Coarelli’s lecture was canceled
(photo: Taneli Puputti)

By the second week of March, it was evident that the pandemic was serious. In Northern Italy, the virus had spread widely, and movement restrictions were imposed in those regions. More and more airlines began canceling flights to and from Italy. My boyfriend still dared to fly to Rome for a visit on Monday, March 9, but on the same day we learned that his return flight with Finnair had been canceled. Luckily, he managed to book another return flight with a different airline later that week. We were able to explore Rome together for a couple of days before places—even churches—began closing their doors due to the pandemic.

On Tuesday, March 10, bars were still open in Rome

Our team was urged to return to Finland, but after careful consideration, we decided to stay in Rome. Anna’s husband Mikko and their son Vilho also stayed with us at Villa Lante, as their family had planned to live in Rome from March to May. The institute’s director Arja and the caretaker Giovanni along with their spouses also lived at Villa Lante. Intern Magda Hukari remained at the institute’s dormitory on Via Falda and visited Villa Lante from time to time.

We often cooked meals together

Looking back, staying in Rome might have been a reckless choice since we didn’t know how bad the situation could get. However, many of us had sublet our apartments in Finland for the spring, and returning to Finland wasn’t too appealing. We had prepared to spend the whole spring in Rome, and there was still meaningful work to do with our research at the institute. We also felt it was better to stay together at Villa Lante during the lockdown than being isolated alone in Finland.

The team hard at work

Italy imposed numerous restrictions to contain the pandemic, which affected everyday life. One could only leave home for valid reasons—like going to the store, doctor, or pharmacy—and had to carry a paper form with personal information and the reason for going out. Early in the pandemic, three of our team went shopping together to buy groceries for the whole group, but police stopped them at Piazza Garibaldi and informed them that only one person at a time could go to the grocery store. Since we were so many at Villa Lante, it was impossible for one person to carry all the groceries, so we took turns and staggered our shopping trips.

People queued outside the store with safe distances
and only a few were let in at a time

At the time, the virus’s transmission methods weren’t fully understood, and there was little testing. We didn’t have a clear idea of what to do if someone showed symptoms. In mid-March, I started feeling unwell. We decided I should isolate from the others for a while. I moved temporarily to a research fellow’s room with a private bathroom and a kitchenette (the fellow had returned to Finland). Food was delivered to my door in plastic bags, and the others chatted with me from a safe distance. One seminar was even held with the others on the terrace below my window while I commented from behind the window. About a week later, we concluded that it was a false alarm, and I was able to rejoin the group.

I took part in a terrace seminar from the window of my room

Most of our days were spent in ordinary routines. We did as much research as possible with the available materials, cooked together, celebrated birthdays, sat in the sun on the terrace, and watched movies and TV shows in the library. We ordered so much pizza that one delivery guy became a familiar face, greeting us cheerfully at the gate with pizza boxes in his arms. We were sad to tell him in May that we were flying home and would no longer order pizza from him.

We made tiramisu for Riikka’s birthday

Regular walks were banned, but walking a dog or jogging near your home was allowed. Once, while out running, the police stopped me outside Villa Lante, surprised that I was jogging there on Gianicolo Hill. It took some time to convince them I actually lived in Villa Lante, a Renaissance villa. Later, I dared to run all the way down to the Tiber River. One day, I encountered a police patrol around a river bend and quickly turned back, sprinting through Trastevere’s alleys to get back to the institute.

Running along the deserted riverbanks

To ease our homesickness and to get a break from Italian food, we ordered treats from Fazer, a Finnish food company. It took several weeks for the shipment to arrive, but eventually two large boxes full of chocolate, candy, licorice, cookies, muesli, and crispbread were delivered to the institute's gate. It was one of the highlights of the spring!

Treats from Fazer

Even in the middle of a pandemic, we celebrated Easter and May Day. On Easter, we cooked and ate together on the director’s terrace. The institute treated us to traditional colomba cakes. We also hunted for chocolate eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny in the library.

Easter meal (photo: Arja Karivieri)

We prepared for May Day by making Finnish sima (mead) and limoncello. At our celebration, we “capped” a statue of Amos Anderson on the Villa Lante loggia instead of the traditional Herman Liikanen statue, since we couldn’t leave the premises due to restrictions. Rumor has it some residents still snuck out towards the Acqua Paola fountain in the dead of night.

Ville placing a student cap on Amos

May Day treats made together

In May, restrictions in Italy eased somewhat. I could now legally run all the way to the Colosseum and witness the empty streets of central Rome. Restaurants, bars, and cafes were allowed to serve takeout. We picked up pizzas from Trastevere’s Ai Marmi and enjoyed drinks outside the San Calisto bar.

In Piazza San Calisto

The pandemic disrupted our research, but we reviewed our article drafts in the final seminar in the second week of May. With the seminar the team’s stay at the institute was coming to an end. Return flights from Rome to Finland were scarce, and our first (and second?) bookings were quickly canceled. Eventually, we found Lufthansa flights to Frankfurt—where we would have to spend the night—and from there to Helsinki the next day. The return trip became a whole adventure in itself.

Final seminar approaching...

Farewell dinner on the director’s terrace

On Friday, May 15, we celebrated the end of our work period with a shared meal on the director’s terrace and said our goodbyes to the institute. On Saturday afternoon, we left Villa Lante for Fiumicino Airport. The airport was quiet, and we got through security smoothly. At the gate, passengers were screened with a thermometer, and unexpectedly, Anna was found to have a fever. The rest of us had already boarded the plane when we were informed she couldn’t fly. Anna had to return to the institute and she flew to Finland about a week later. Her husband Mikko and son Vilho traveled with the rest of the group to Frankfurt and from there to Helsinki.

Our hopeful team at Fiumicino Airport

We had booked rooms at an airport hotel in Frankfurt for our overnight layover. But upon arrival, we were told we couldn’t leave the international terminal area. So we had to sleep on the terminal benches with only the belongings we had in our carry-ons. Thankfully, we found food and drinks at one kiosk that was open.

Spending the night at Frankfurt Airport was
(hopefully) a once-in-a-lifetime experience

After a poor night’s sleep, we continued our journey to Helsinki on Sunday afternoon. The entire trip from Rome had been full of uncertainty—would the flights be canceled at the last minute, would we be stopped somewhere, or would something else unexpected happen? With all the different restrictions in place in Italy and Germany, it was hard to keep track. It wasn’t until the Helsinki-bound plane took off that we could finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing we were heading home.

Happily back in Helsinki!

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Guestbook entries from the research group (click images to enlarge):

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Finnish Conference on Classical Studies 2025

The Finnish Conference on Classical Studies was held at the University of Turku on January 23–24. The program included presentations, posters, and discussions on current topics. The program can be found on the conference website (only in Finnish). Over 70 researchers from all over Finland participated, and one of the highlights of the conference was meeting both old acquaintances and new people. In addition to the official program, we were treated to an excellent conference dinner, and we gathered at the bar Proffan kellari multiple times to catch up with each other.

Finnish Conference on Classical Studies

The conference was organized by the Department of Classics at the University of Turku. I was also involved in planning and organizing the conference. It was an interesting and educational experience to see how such an event is organized, from brainstorming ideas to handling the practical tasks during the conference days. Planning for the conference started over a year ago. Along the way, we had to consider various tasks such as communications, conference invitations, speaker selections, the program, coffee breaks, the dinner menu, conference materials, and many other small details.

A large group of students from our department also assisted with compiling conference materials, registering participants, and performing various tasks during the panel sessions. Their contribution was crucial to the success of the conference. A special mention to Anna-Elina, who delighted us with beautiful music during the conference dinner.

Conference dinner

In addition to the organizational tasks, I also gave a presentation at the conference titled “Phallic Drawings on the Walls of Pompeii.” I will write a separate blog post later about the content of my presentation.

My presentation on phallic drawings

The conference proceeded mostly according to plan, and apart from some minor technical challenges, there were no significant mishaps. Based on the feedback I heard, participants were satisfied with both the content and the organization of the conference. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed all the encounters and the interesting presentations throughout the event. Conferences are among the most enjoyable parts of a researcher’s job.

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Guest Lectures and Webinars

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being a researcher is getting to share your research topic with interested listeners. Besides an academic audience, many others are also keen to hear about ancient history and past cultures, and researchers are often invited as guest speakers to various events. Over the past winter and spring, I have received unusually many invitations to give guest lectures and speak in webinars.

This past week, I visited Turun klassillinen lukio (upper secondary school) and their ancient history course to talk about Pompeian graffiti. Reija, whose Latin courses I attended during my own high school years, has invited me many times to lecture for her students. I spoke with them about what graffiti are, how and where they were made in antiquity, who made them, and the types of subjects written on walls as graffiti. The students asked smart questions, and we had a great discussion about ancient graffiti. I always enjoy such visits as this.

Lecturing at Turun klassillinen lukio
(photo: Reija Pentti-Tuomisto)

Earlier in the spring, on the eve of May Day, I had the opportunity to lecture at a meeting of the history club at Auralan kansalaisopisto (Aurala Adult Education Centre) in Turku. The topic of the lecture were the many forms of insults in ancient Rome. I talked about the rhetorical theories on invective and the various sources in which insults can be found, such as Roman comedy, political speeches, satirical poetry, and graffiti. The audience was very knowledgeable and asked some difficult questions. The discussion continued for a long time after the lecture over coffee. It was a pleasant way to begin May Day celebrations.

Lecturing at Aurala kansalaisopisto

In January this year, I participated in a webinar hosted by Villa Lanten Ystävät (Friends of Villa Lante association), which also focused on Pompeian graffiti. This was a refreshingly different event because it was conducted as an interview. We discussed the topic together with researcher Elina Pyy, whom I met a few years ago at the Finnish Institute in Rome, i.e. at Villa Lante. We had prepared some questions in advance, but during the webinar, the conversation flowed smoothly from one topic to another. Elina is an excellent interviewer, and it was nice to be a guest at a familiar association's webinar.

Webinar hosted by Villa Lanten Ystävät
(photo: Laura Nissin)

In March, I received an invitation to participate in another webinar. This webinar series is titled Kieli on avain (Language is the Key) and it's produced by the School of Languages and Translation Studies at the University of Turku. It features interviews with the department's researchers, students, and alumni. I was interviewed together with another PhD researcher from our department, Maria Jokela. The theme of the webinar, stereotypes, is common to both of our research topics. We talked about what stereotypes are, how various stereotypes are visible in historical sources, and what role stereotypes play in people's thinking. This was an exciting experience, especially since the webinar was filmed in the university's studio and broadcast live on the university's YouTube channel. The recording of the webinar can be viewed at this link (in Finnish).

"Kieli on avain" webinar
(screenshot from the university's YouTube channel)

It is nice to see that such a broad audience is interested in my research. Such experiences are very encouraging and motivate me to keep working on my research.

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