Jouko Antero Halmekoski (born 1937, in

Asikkala Asikkala () is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Vääksy, at the shores of the Lake Päijänne. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Päijänne Tavastia region. Asikkala's neighboring municipalities are H� ...

) is a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

writer who lives in Kalkkinen, a village near by

's municipality with his wife Leena Halmekoski. Jouko worked most of his life as a technical director in Asko furniture company. Halmekoski started his writing career rather late in life, at the age of 69. Jouko has also become known by a family chapel, "Temple of Peace", he built near his childhood birthplace.

Production

Jouko Halmekoski started by writing an autobiography which consists of small stories about his life. In the book he also talks about his father, Hemmi, who was killed in the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

. Hemmi's body has never been found. Jouko's first book ''Sotaorvon vala'' was published in 2006. Halmekoski's second books tells about his life and growing up as a war orphan. Book also examines how Finnish countryside and lifestyle has changed throughout the years. ''Kirkkonikkarin sydämellä'' was published in 2008. For his latest work, Jouko has interviewed and collected memories of 24 Finnish orphan children sold in an auction "huutolaislapsi". :fi:Huutolainen Huutolaislapsi (auction child) was a child (often orphans or a juveniles whose parents were not able to look after them) auctioned and sold as a slave in marketplaces all over Finland. This child practice started in 1840s ended around 1945. Jouko has collected auction children's stories in his book ''Orjamarkkinat – Huutolaislasten kohtaloita Suomessa' (Slave markets – auction children's destinies in Finland)'.

Publications

*''Sotaorvon vala'', autobiography, 2006 *''Kirkkonikkarin sydämellä'', novel, 2008 *''Orjamarkkinat – Huutolaislasten kohtaloita Suomessa'', novel, 2011

References

Other sources

Writer presentation of Gummerus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halmekoski, Jouko Finnish writers 1937 births Living people