David J Cord
David J. Cord spent fifteen years in the investment industry, as salesman, administrator and hedge fund manager. He has been a contributor to the Helsinki Times newspaper since its foundation, reporting on business and authoring its most popular column, which includes an eclectic mix of investment tips, angry policy recommendations and laconic observations about the economy. He has also written for publishers as diverse as European CEO and the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
His first book, Mohamed 2.0: Disruption Manifesto, was published in 2012. Called ‘simply brilliant’ by Kauppalehti, it tells the story of Mohamed El-Fatatry and the rise and fall of the online social network Muxlim.
Dead Romans is his second book and first novel, which was published in America in 2013. It follows a shepherd slave boy, the emperor’s mistress and an aspiring writer at the height of the Roman Empire.
An American by birth, David married a Finn and moved to Finland in 2005. He lives in Helsinki with his beautiful wife Niina and his globe-trotting dog Orion.
Why do you write?
Writing is an act of creation. It is the distillation of ideas and emotions into something that has meaning. It is good to be entertaining, but it is better to mean something worthwhile.
Why is litterature important?
Literature is one of the last forms of art that encourages long-term introspection. It isn’t like a painting which you can’t take with you, or a movie which lasts a couple of hours and is filled with corporate product placements. Literature remains uniquely at the core of our culture and civilization.
How do you choose your subjects?
With non-fiction, I work with Schildts & Söderström’s literary director to find topics and themes we think are interesting and stories that need to be told.
Translations
Mohamed 2.0: Häiriötekijä, translated by Jussi Korhonen
Mohamed 2.0: Orosmanifestet, translated by Stefan Backholm
Read the NY Times interview with David on “The Decline and Fall of Nokia.”
