Helvi Hämäläinen

Helvi Hämäläinen (16 June 1907 – 17 January 1998) was a Finnish author who published dozens of books of prose and poetry during her six decade writing career.^[1]

Helvi Heleena Hämäläinen was born in Hamina, but moved to Helsinki with her parents Aaro and Iida Hämäläinen while still a pre-schooler. Hämäläinen's first novel, Hyväntekijä (Finnish: The Benefactor) appeared in 1930, but her breakthrough came five years later with her portrait of the working-class Katuojan vettä (Finnish: Water in a Gutter). Hämäläinen's best-known book, Säädyllinen murhenäytelmä (Finnish: Respectable 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 among them. She was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal in 1959 .

In 1987, after two decades out of the spotlight, Hämäläinen returned to the public eye when her book of poems, Sukupolveni unta (Finnish: Dreams of My Generation), won the Finlandia Prize.

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

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