Author of dystopian novel discusses real-life ramifications

The library’s research center was filled with wide-eyed and eager students during tutorial last Friday, as Emmi Itäranta, the writer of the hit book “Memory of Water,”  discussed its relevance to modern-day conditions.

The book club hosted the event.

Itäranta’s novel centers around a 17-year-old girl named Noria who attempts to protect a water spring in a world with major water shortages.

“I wanted to write the book in 2008 when no one was concerned with the effects of water shortage,” Itäranta said. “When I started writing it, I felt that no one was writing about climate change from the perspective of water shortages, which, in my opinion, is a really important topic.”

A native of Finland, Itaränta also spoke about how she wrote the novel in Finnish and English in parallel.

“I wanted to write it in both languages because I felt that it forced me to focus on the ideas behind the sentences, and I felt that it became more polished because of that,” Itaränta said.

Sophomore Kristine Chow, a fan of the book, enjoyed hearing Itäranta speak.

“I was very satisfied with the author visit and the fact that she answered many different questions from the audience,” Chow said.  

Chow said she enjoyed the book because of the issues it centers around that affect the world today.

“[‘Memory of Water’] centers around the issue of the lack of water and the world's problem of climate change, especially here in the Bay Area,” Chow said. “The futuristic view of the changed society due to lack of resources was really powerful, and it is definitely a book I would encourage others to read.”