HANCOCK – Over a four-day span beginning December 8, Finlandia University’s North Wind Books will host four local author book signings, including one by an author who will also be in the area for the premiere of a documentary film.

Steve Lehto, author of “Death’s Door” about the Italian Hall tragedy, will be at the university’s Finnish American Heritage Center from 3-4 p.m. on Sunday, December 8 to sign copies of his second edition of that book; his signing comes immediately after a screening of the film “Red Metal: The Copper Country Strike of 1913” that will take place at the Finnish American Heritage Center at 2 that afternoon.

Lehto, along with several area residents who appear in the film, will be at the Heritage Center for the screening to answer questions. The film screening is open to the public on a donation basis, with all proceeds benefiting the Finnish American Heritage Center and Historical Archive.

“This is one of many ways we cooperate with the Heritage Center to create community events,” said store manager Alana Nolan. “When people come for the movie, we hope they’ll stick around and get a signed copy of the book. It doesn’t get much easier than that!”

Lehto’s book signing is the first of four Nolan has scheduled for that week in December. On Monday December 9, Finlandia University professor Lauri Anderson will be at North Wind Books from 4-6 p.m. autographing copies of his memoir “From Moosehead to Misery Bay.” Along with that work, Nolan said, copies of Anderson’s other books will also be available for purchase. The next day, from 4-6 p.m., William Sproule of Houghton will be signing copies of his “Copper Country Streetcars”; then, on December 11 from 4-6 p.m., Lesley DuTemple will be autographing her newest children’s book “One Starry Night.”

“Since Christmas is just around the corner, we know people are looking for gift ideas,” Nolan said. “If you have some readers on your list and most people do why not give them a personally autographed copy of a book they’re sure to enjoy?”

Along with these and many other locally-connected books, North Wind Books carries a wide variety of products, including Finlandia University apparel, books from Finland, gift items and much more.

“Our university has many connections to Finland, and the Copper Country is known for being strongly Finnish, so we try to have as many Finnish or Finnish-themed items available as possible,” Nolan said. “We have many items in the store that are direct from Finland.”

North Wind Books is also a retail outlet for The Finnish American Reporter, a monthly newspaper that is produced next door at the Finnish American Heritage Center – yet another example of the cooperation between these two Finlandia University departments.

“There have been times when the editors at the Reporter hear about a book and let me know so I can get it in the store,” Nolan said. “And when I hear about something Finnish, I make sure they know about it too.”

To see for yourself all that North Wind Books has to offer, stop by Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (906) 487-7217 or visit the store’s Web site at bookstore.finlandia.edu.