Helvi Hämäläinen (16 June 1907 – 17 January 1998) was a Finnish writer who published dozens of books of prose and poetry during her six decade writing career.

Biography

Helvi Heleena Hämäläinen was born in

Hamina Hamina (; sv, Fredrikshamn, , Sweden ) is a List of cities in Finland, town and a Municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is located approximately east of the country's capital Helsinki, in the Kymenlaakso Regions of Finland, reg ...

, 16 June 1907. She moved to Helsinki with her parents Aaro and Iida Hämäläinen while still a pre-schooler. Hämäläinen's first published novel, ''Hyväntekijä'' (The Benefactor) appeared in 1930, but her breakthrough came five years later with her feminist depiction of the working-class, ''Katuojan vettä'' (Water in a Gutter). Hämäläinen's best-known book, ''Säädyllinen murhenäytelmä'' (A Decent Tragedy), appeared in 1941. A roman à clef, it caused a great sensation: readers were able to identify several notable cultural personalities of the day, Hämäläinen's former lover

Olavi Paavolainen Olavi Paavolainen (17 September 1903 – 19 July 1964) was a Finnish writer, essayist and poet. He was one of the prominent figures of the literary group Tulenkantajat (″The Flame Bearers″), and one of the most influential Finnish writers of ...

among them. Hämäläinen's first novel, a modernist first-person text ''Kaunis sielu'' (The Beautiful Soul) was written already in the winter of 1927–28, but it wasn't published until 2001, assumedly because of its portrayal of same-sex desire. In 1987, after two decades out of the spotlight, Hämäläinen returned to the public eye when her book of poems, ''Sukupolveni unta'' (Dreams of My Generation), won the

Finlandia Prize The Finlandia Prize ( fi, Finlandia-palkinto; sv, Finlandiaprisen) is a set of Finnish literary prizes awarded by the Finnish Book Foundation to "celebrate reading and highlight new Finnish first-rate literature." Considered the most prestigious ...

. Hämäläinen died at the age of 90 on 17 January 1998. She is buried in the Orthodox cemetery of Helsinki.

Awards

She was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal in 1959.Pro Finlandia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamalainen, Helvi 1907 births 1998 deaths People from Hamina People from Viipuri Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Writers from Kymenlaakso Finnish women novelists 20th-century Finnish poets Recipients of the Eino Leino Prize Finlandia Prize winners Finnish women poets 20th-century Finnish women writers 20th-century Finnish novelists