In Finnish folklore, Otavatar (Lady of the Big Dipper) is the goddess of the firmament, lighting the way home.

About the company

I founded Otavatar in the autumn of 2025. Prior to that, I spent close to twenty years working in the creative industries, most of them as an expert in systems and processes.

These industries tend to use extremely specialised software for extremely specialised needs. Ironically enough, however, companies and organisations in the industry tend to have fewer resources (meaning: money) to invest in tech projects and digital tools. Additionally, the creatives in these industries tend to find it difficult to communicate their needs to coders – and the coders involved feel the same pain. This tends to cause unfortunate (meaning: expensive) delays in development projects.

As a salaried employee, I built a career as a sort of “interpreter” between coders, creatives and corporate leadership. This particular ecological niche could use more of us. That’s why I founded Otavatar. As a consultant, I can help small businesses and non-profit organisations in particular, the kind that often can’t employ an expert like me on a full-time basis.

Alongside traditional office jobs, I’ve always done wilder, more creative projects. Translations, writing, adventures in the music industry, honest physical labour. I’ve loved being able to do more of that now that I have my own company. You can find further details about my employment history below – both under the Otavatar flag and in the years before. Maybe I can help you as well.

Sincerely,

-Salla

Projects

Technology

Book site for Let the Sea Connect Us

Otavatar designed and built a website for Emil Hallama’s raw memoir Let the Sea Connect Us. You can read the story in its entirety on the site. Strictly 18+.

Read the book (18+)
Website overhaul for the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters​

Otavatar guided the Association through a major web overhaul. I also helped develop a few of the Association’s various digital tools. The swish new website was published in April 2026. 

Explore the site
Liljevikin Farm website

Otavatar designed and built a website for Liljevik Farm in Orivesi, Finland. The farm’s services include peaceful holiday villas and horseback riding. 

Explore the site

Books

You can find samples of my translations on my Kääntöpiiri profile >
Let the Sea Connect Us (orig. Ehkä meri yhdistää meidät)

Emil Hallama’s unvarnished memoir about Hollywood, drugs and faltering mental health. Published in October 2026.

  • Author: Emil Hallama
  • Editor & translator: Salla Harjula (Otavatar)
  • Publisher: self-published
Read the book (18+)
Swallow the Sun (orig. Swallow the Sun)

Matti Riekki’s heart-breaking band biography about death and pussy doom. Published in English in June 2026.

  • Author: Matti Riekki
  • Translator: Salla Harjula (Otavatar)
  • Publisher: Rocket 88 Books
Buy the book from the publisher
Children of Bodom (orig. Children of Bodom)

Timo Isoaho’s wild band biography follows the adventures of these Finnish metal legends on and off the road. Published in English in 2025.

  • Author: Timo Isoaho
  • Translator: Salla Harjula
  • Publisher: Rocket 88 Books
Publisher’s introduction to the sold-out book
North from Here – The Sentenced Story (orig. Täältä pohjoiseen: Sentencedin tarina)

Matti Riekki’s tragicomic band biography about the most Finnish band in the world. Published in English in 2021.

  • Author: Matti Riekki
  • Translator: Salla Harjula
  • Publisher: Svart Publishing
Introduction to the sold-out book

Employment history

You can also explore my LinkedIn profile if you wish >

As a systems expert in the publishing industry​

I’ve worked for companies within the Bonnier media group in Finland, Sweden and the UK. My greatest challenge in the industry came during my time at the famous non-fiction publisher DK, where I worked as their Digital Operations Manager as the company went through an enormous merger of commercial operations, systems and processes with Penguin Random House. I even worked for the Australian audio publisher Bolinda for a hot minute. This was during an adventure year Down Under (a 30th birthday present to myself).

Over the years, I’ve gotten intimately familiar with concepts such as ONIX, Thema, ISBN, metadata and all sorts of custom-made systems and supply chains in various countries. During my time in the UK, I was a member of several steering committees for the industry’s digital standards. I’ve also worked with equivalent processes in the music industry.

As a freelancer

For music magazines

I wrote for these magazines over the years 2015–2021:

At events

I’ve helped out at these delightful events: 

All over the place, really

In my twenties, I worked for years at the legendary Epe’s Music Shop (now sadly gone). Later I freelanced as a guide in various lovely museums dotted around Tampere (Vapriikki, Amuri Museum of Workers’ Housing, Emil Aaltonen Museum). During the Covid era, I took a breather from the corporate grind, bought a houseboat to renovate and worked for 18 months as a marine electrician’s assistant in the London area. As a young adventurer, I financed my travelling e.g. as a removal lady (still one of my favourite jobs). 

In hindsight, it’s probably always been obvious I’d end up an entrepreneur one fine day.

Anything I do, I do it well and I do it with integrity. Also for you.

Get in touch