Jarl Robert Hemmer (18 September 1893 – 6 December 1944) was a
Swedish-speaking Finnish author. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in six consecutive years.
Biography
Hemmer was born into a wealthy family, from
Vaasa
Vaasa (; sv, Vasa, , Sweden ), in the years 1855–1917 as Nikolainkaupunki ( sv, Nikolajstad; literally meaning "city of Nicholas), , Finland. His first collection of poems was called ''Rösterna'' (The Voices) and it was published in 1914. He made his breakthrough in 1922 with another collection of epic poetry called ''Rågens rike'' (Realm of the Rye). He got
The Great Nordic Novel Prize
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
(Stora Nordiska Romanpriset) for ''En man och hans samvete'' (A Fool of Faith), a book about the
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War; . Other designations: Brethren War, Citizen War, Class War, Freedom War, Red Rebellion and Revolution, . According to 1,005 interviews done by the newspaper ''Aamulehti'', the most popular names were as follows: Civil W ...
, published in 1931. Hemmer was among the contributors of ''
Garm'' which was a Swedish language satirical and political magazine based in Helsinki.
Following the murder of
Kaj Munk
Kaj Harald Leininger Munk (commonly called Kaj Munk) (13 January 1898 – 4 January 1944) was a Danish playwright and Lutheranism, Lutheran pastor, known for his cultural engagement and his martyrdom during the Occupation of Denmark of World ...
on 4 January 1944 the Danish resistance newspaper ''
De frie Danske'' brought condemning reactions from influential Scandinavians, including Hemmer.
Inwardly troubled, he experienced several religious crises and alcoholism and finally committed suicide.
Works in English
* ''The Voices'' 1914.
* ''Realm of the Rye''. Helsinki:
Akademiska Bokhandeln, 1938.
* ''Fool of faith.'' New York:
Liveright Pub. Corp., 1935,
References
Further reading
*
1893 births
1944 suicides
People from Vaasa
People from Vaasa Province (Grand Duchy of Finland)
Finnish writers in Swedish
Finnish poets in Swedish
Writers from Ostrobothnia (region)
20th-century poets
Suicides in Finland
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