Finlandia Literature Prize to Helena Sinervo for her first novel

print this

Poet Helena Sinervo, 43, has won the 2004 Finlandia Prize for Literature, together with the award of EUR 26,000, for her first novel Runoilijan talossa ("In the House of the Poet", Tammi, 2004).
      Sinervo's book is a biographical novel about the exceptional life of female poet Eeva-Liisa Manner (1921-1995), who was the doyenne of Finnish post-war poetry.
     
The winner was chosen  by Professor Jukka Sarjala, from a short-list of six works. He said that the subject of the prize-winning novel was a courageous choice and that the language was precise and economical, with a rough beauty.
      Helena Sinervo is one of the foremost Finnish contemporary poets, but she has also worked as a literary critic and as a translator.
      Her fifth collection of poetry will be published soon.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finlandia Prize for Literature goes to Pirkko Saisio (5.12.2003)

Helsingin Sanomat