Jaakko Syrjä
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] |
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]
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] in which he worked for the manufacturer of railroad equipment and steam locomotives company Lokomo.[4] He participated at the Pirkanmaa Writing Competition in 1953, with his story called "There came the Bear", in which his story won in the category Best Short Story.[2]
With his win, Syrjä became a member of Mikko Mäkelä's literary district, in which as a member he was a friend of author Väinö Linna.[5] He wrote a novel which was based on influences for which Syrjä also used one of Alex Matson's books that helped with his design of the structure.[2] He had served as an editor for Gummerus and WSOY.[5] Syrjä also served as a member of the Union of Finnish Writers from 1970 to 1975,[2] then later served as president from 1975 to 1980.[1] He worked with novelist, Kalle Päätalo where they both adapted works into 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 honored with the Pirkanmaa Art Prize by the Pirkanmaa Arts Council for his significant particular work.[7]
Syrjä died in May 2022, aged 96, of COVID-19 at a care home in Ylöjärvi.[1]
References
- ^ 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 h "Jaakko Syrjä" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. 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 22 May 2022. 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- CS1 Finnish-language sources (fi)
- Articles with short description
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Articles without Wikidata item
- Articles with hCards
- AC with 0 elements
- 1926 births
- 2022 deaths
- People from Pälkäne
- Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
- 20th-century Finnish male writers
- Thanks for the Book Award winners