Jaakko Syrjä (7 March 1926[2] – 22 May 2022) was a Finnish writer.[3] He served as the president of the Union of Finnish Writers from 1975 to 1980.[1]
Jaakko Syrjä | |
|---|---|
 Syrjä (center in the back) with Harri Kaasalainen and Veikko Pihlajamaki, Soile Kaukovalta and Ilpo Kaukovalta in 1958 | |
| Born | 7 March 1926 Pälkäne, Finland |
| Died | 22 May 2022 (aged 96) Ylöjärvi, Finland |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse | Kirsi Kunnas[1] |
| Children | 2[1] |
Biography
editSyrjä was born in Pälkäne, the son of Martta née Niemiö and Juho Nestori Syrjä, who were both cattle traders and farmers.[2] At the age of seven, he and his family moved from Hirsilä to Korkeakoski.[2] Syrjä then moved to Tampere,[2] where he worked for the railroad equipment and steam locomotive manufacturing company Lokomo.[4] In 1953 his story "There came the Bear" win Best Short Story in the Pirkanmaa Writing Competition.[2]
He later worked as an editor for Gummerus and WSOY.[5] Syrjä was a member of the Union of Finnish Writers from 1970 to 1975,[2] and president from 1975 to 1980.[1] He worked with novelist Kalle Päätalo adapting works for publication.[4] Syrjä was a member of the Väinö Linna Society.[2]
Syrjä won the City of Tampere Literature Prize three times from 1956 to 1988.[6] He also was a winner of the Thanks for the Book Award in 1966.[6] Syrjä was nominated for the Finlandia Prize in 1988.[1] He was a winner of the Väinö Linna Prize in 2005.[6] In 2016, Syrjä was awarded the Pirkanmaa Art Prize by the Pirkanmaa Arts Council.[7]
Syrjä died of COVID-19 in May 2022, aged 96, at a care home in Ylöjärvi.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Author Jaakko Syrjä is dead". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Jaakko Syrjä" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Aaltio, Marja. "90-year-old writer Jaakko Syrjä would have liked to have written more". Aamulehti (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b Majander, Antti (8 March 2016). "This man summed up the texts of Kalle Päätalo: during the barning phase, the author just tapped the end of the work". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Writers' Gallery (16 June 2004), "Tampere City Library", Pirkanmaan Aluetietokanta (in Finnish)
- ^ a b c "Syrjä, Jaakko". Book Ampoule (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Ruissalo, Pekka (16 November 2016). "Jaakko Syrjä receives the Pirkanmaa Art Prize". Tamperelainen (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 May 2022.