Anna-Leena Härkönen (born 10 April 1965) is a Finnish writer and actress. She was born in

Liminka Liminka () is a municipality in the Northern Ostrobothnia region in Finland. Liminka is located about south of Oulu. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The neighbour ...

and studied acting at the college of drama and the

University of Tampere The University of Tampere (UTA) (, ) was a public university in Tampere, Finland that was merged with Tampere University of Technology to create the new Tampere University on 1 January 2019. The university offered undergraduate, postgraduate an ...

's program of drama studies, which she concluded in 1989. She won the J. H. Erkko Award in 1984 for her

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

'' How to Kill a Bull'' (). A few dramatic productions, including one movie, have been adapted from Härkönen's works. ''Häräntappoase'' was made into a six-part television series and stage productions in

Turku Turku ( ; ; , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Aura River (Finland), River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately , while t ...

and

Kotka Kotka (; ) is a town in Finland, located on the southeastern coast of the country at the mouth of the Kymi River. The population of Kotka is approximately , while the Kotka-Hamina sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is th ...

and summer 2010 in Pyynikin kesäteatteri in

Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...

. Scriptwriter Tove Idström and director Claes Olsson made a full-length movie based on ''Akvaariorakkautta'' ("Aquarium Love") which was released internationally as an art-house movie.

Career

Writing

Härkönen gained significant publicity with her debut novel, ''Häräntappoase'' (''The Ox-Killer''), which was published in 1984 while she was in her second year at Kempele High School. The book was awarded the J. H. Erko Prize for best debut novel that same year. Härkönen graduated from high school in 1985. ''Häräntappoase'' has been adapted into two television series, one in

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

and another in

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, as well as a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

adaptation. Härkönen has long written columns for magazines such as ''

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...

'' and ''

Image An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be di ...

''. Her columns often explore the lives of young urbanites, their relationships, or the differences between men and women. She frequently depicts womanhood with self-irony and exaggeration, incorporating humorous everyday anecdotes. Härkönen has also authored autobiographical works. In 2001, she published '' Heikosti positiivinen'' (''Weakly Positive''), which focuses on motherhood, and in 2005, '' Loppuunkäsitelty'' (''Finalized''), which addresses her sister Killi’s

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. In 2014, Härkönen released ''Takana puhumisen taito'' (''The Art of Talking Behind Someone’s Back''), a campaign book published by the Finnish Booksellers Association. It was available only during the international

World Book and Copyright Day World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. ...

on 23 April 2014 and the two following days.

Acting

Härkönen studied acting at the

University of the Arts Helsinki The University of the Arts Helsinki (, ), also known as Uniarts Helsinki, is a Finnish arts university that was launched in the beginning of 2013. Apart from a few exceptions, it is the only university in Finland that provides education in the f ...

's Theatre Academy and the

's Department of Acting Studies. She graduated with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts in 1989.Anna-Leena Härkönen at Kirjasampo.fi
/ref> Härkönen gained public recognition as an actress through Mikko Niskanen's film '' Mona ja palavan rakkauden aika'' (1983), in which she played a young high school girl who discovers

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. In 1988, Härkönen starred in the title role of the television film based on

Minna Canth Minna Canth (; born Ulrika Wilhelmina Johnson; 19 March 1844 – 12 May 1897) was a Finnish writer and social activist. Canth began to write while managing her family draper's shop and living as a widow raising seven children. Her work address ...

's play '' Anna Liisa'', directed by Tuija-Maija Niskanen. Härkönen is also known for her role as Liisa Metsola in the television series '' Metsolat'' (1993–1995). In the 2000s, Härkönen appeared in supporting roles in films such as '' Kuutamolla'' (2002), '' Beauty and the Bastard'' (2005), and '' Shadows of Happiness'' (2005).

References

External links

Author bio at publisher's site
(in Finnish)
Anna-Leena Härkönen at Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harkonen, Anna-Leena 1965 births Living people People from Liminka Finnish actresses 20th-century Finnish novelists Finnish dramatists and playwrights Finnish screenwriters Finnish television writers Finnish women novelists Writers from Northern Ostrobothnia 20th-century Finnish women writers Finnish women dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Finnish novelists 21st-century Finnish women writers Women television writers Finnish women screenwriters Thanks for the Book Award winners