Otava

Otava Publishing Company Ltd (Finnish: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, Swedish: Förlagsaktiebolaget Otava) is a major Finnish publisher of books. It was founded in 1890 and is now the second largest publisher in Finland. It publishes fiction, non-fiction, books for teenagers and children, multimedia and teaching materials. The number of new titles exceeds 400 a year. Otava has also been at the forefront of encyclopedia publishing in Finland with many well-known series, such as the Otavan Suuri Ensyklopedia (The Great Otava Encyclopedia). Writers whose work Otava has published over the years include Frans Emil Sillanpää, Eino Leino, Paavo Haavikko, Pentti Saarikoski and Laila Hirvisaari. The parent company Otava Group also owns the major bookstore chain, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa.

The name "Otava" refers to the Big Dipper.