Jaakko Syrjä Explained

Jaakko Syrjä
Birth Date:7 March 1926
Birth Place:Pälkäne, Finland
Death Place:Ylöjärvi, Finland
Occupation:Writer
Spouse:Kirsi Kunnas[1]
Children:2

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.

Biography

Syrjä was born in Pälkäne, the son of Martta née Niemiö and Juho Nestori Syrjä, who were both cattle traders and farmers. At the age of seven, he and his family moved from Hirsilä to Korkeakoski. Syrjä then moved to Tampere, 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.

He later worked as an editor for Gummerus and WSOY. Syrjä was a member of the Union of Finnish Writers from 1970 to 1975, and president from 1975 to 1980. He worked with novelist Kalle Päätalo adapting works for publication. Syrjä was a member of the Väinö Linna Society.

Syrjä won the City of Tampere Literature Prize three times from 1956 to 1988.[5] He also was a winner of the Thanks for the Book Award in 1966. Syrjä was nominated for the Finlandia Prize in 1988. He was a winner of the Väinö Linna Prize in 2005. In 2016, Syrjä was awarded the Pirkanmaa Art Prize by the Pirkanmaa Arts Council.[6]

Syrjä died of COVID-19 in May 2022, aged 96, at a care home in Ylöjärvi.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Author Jaakko Syrjä is dead. Helsingin Sanomat. 22 May 2022. 22 May 2022. Finnish.
  2. Web site: Jaakko Syrjä. 22 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20150530161153/http://www.juupajoki.fi/kotiseutu/jaakkosy.htm. 30 May 2015. live. Wayback Machine. Finnish.
  3. Web site: 90-year-old writer Jaakko Syrjä would have liked to have written more. Aamulehti. Marja. Aaltio. 22 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20160804073704/http://www.aamulehti.fi/ihmiset/90-vuotias-kirjailija-jaakko-syrja-olisi-halunnut-kirjoittaa-enemman/. 4 August 2016. Finnish. live.
  4. Web site: This man summed up the texts of Kalle Päätalo: during the barning phase, the author just tapped the end of the work. Helsingin Sanomat. Antti. Majander. 8 March 2016. 22 May 2022. Finnish.
  5. Web site: Syrjä, Jaakko. Book Ampoule. 22 May 2022. Finnish.
  6. Web site: Jaakko Syrjä receives the Pirkanmaa Art Prize. Tamperelainen. Pekka. Ruissalo. 16 November 2016. 22 May 2022. Finnish.