Jaakko Syrjä

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(1926-03-07)7 March 1926
Pälkäne, Finland
Died22 May 2022(2022-05-22) (aged 96)
Ylöjärvi, Finland
OccupationWriter
SpouseKirsi Kunnas[1]
Children2[1]

Biography

Syrjä 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]

Syrjä (left) with his wife, Kirsi Kunnas and his two children

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
  1. "Author Jaakko Syrjä is dead". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  2. "Jaakko Syrjä" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Writers' Gallery (16 June 2004), "Tampere City Library", Pirkanmaan Aluetietokanta (in Finnish)
  6. "Syrjä, Jaakko". Book Ampoule (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  7. Ruissalo, Pekka (16 November 2016). "Jaakko Syrjä receives the Pirkanmaa Art Prize". Tamperelainen (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
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