List of Finnish women writers

This is a list of women writers who were born in Finland or whose writings are closely associated with the country.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A

• Uma Aaltonen (1940–2009), author, journalist, politician
• Umayya Abu-Hanna (born 1961), Palestinian-born novelist, journalist
• Susanna Alakoski (born 1962), novelist, author of Svinalängorna , filmed as Beyond
• Outi Alanne (born 1967), novelist using the pen name NeitiNaru
• Marianne Alopaeus (1918–2014), novelist, published in Swedish
• Tuuve Aro (born 1973), novelist, short story writer, children's writer, several English translations
• Isa Asp (1853–1872), poet

B

• Kersti Bergroth (1886–1975), novelist, poet, playwright, children's story writer, wrote in both Swedish and Finnish
• Christina Regina von Birchenbaum, Finland's earliest female poet writing her autobiographical Een Annor Ny wijsa in 1651 ^[1]
• Anni Blomqvist (1909–1990), Swedish-language novelist, several autobiographical works

C

• Minna Canth (1844–1897), important figure in Finnish literature, playwright, novelist, short story writer, addressed women's rights
• Kristina Carlson (born 1949), novelist, poet, journalist
• Fredrika Wilhelmina Carstens (1808–1888), writer, the author of the first novel published in Finland
• Inga-Brita Castrén (1919–2003), theologian

E

• Anna Edelheim (1845–1902), journalist
• Adelaïde Ehrnrooth (1826–1905), novelist, poet, short story writer, feminist
• Elsa Enäjärvi-Haavio (1901–1951), folklorist and educator

F

• Tua Forsström (born 1947), Swedish-language poet, translated into English
• Maikki Friberg (1861–1927), educator, writer, journal editor, suffragist and peace activist

G

• Kaarina Goldberg (born 1956), children's writer, also comic strips

H

• Hilja Haapala, pen name of Hilja Dagmar Janhonen (1877–1958), novelist
• Lucina Hagman (1853–1946), feminist, biographer
• Helinä Häkkänen-Nyholm (born 1971), forensic psychologist
• Helvi Hämäläinen (1907–1998), prolific novelist, short story writer, poet
• Virpi Hämeen-Anttila (born 1958), best-selling novelist, translator, non-fiction writer, educator ^[2]
• Anne Hänninen (born 1958), poet, essayist
• Anna-Leena Härkönen (born 1965), novelist, actress, works adapted for the theatre and television
• Saima Harmaja (1913–1937), poet, known for her tragic life and early death
• Satu Hassi (born 1951), politician, environmentalist, novelist, poet, essayist
• Pirjo Hassinen (born 1957), novelist, works translated into several languages
• Anna-Liisa Hirviluoto (1929–2000), archaeologist, non-fiction writer
• Laila Hirvisaari, also Laila Hietamies (1938–2021), best-selling novelist, short story writer, playwright
• Elina Hirvonen (born 1975), novelist, journalist, author of Että hän muistaisi saman, translated as When I Forgot
• Sofia Hjärne (1780–1860), early Swedish-language novelist, held literary salons
• Johanna Holmström (born 1981), short story writer, novelist, writes in Swedish

I

• Lempi Ikävalko (1901–1994), poet, journalist, latterly in the United States

J

• Tove Jansson (1914–2001), versatile Swedish-language novelist, comic strip writer, children's writer, painter
• Eeva Joenpelto (1921–2004), productive novelist, educator
• Maria Jotuni (1880–1943), novelist, playwright, short-story writer

K

• Sirpa Kähkönen (born 1964), novelist, author of the Kuopio series of historical novels
• Elina Kahla (born 1960), philologist, essayist, non-fiction writer
• Hilda Käkikoski (1864–1912), politician, children's writer, historian
• Aino Kallas (1878–1956), novelist, short story writer, revered contributor to Finnish literature, some works translated into English
• Tuula Kallioniemi (born 1951), prolific writer of novels and short stories for children and young adults
• Irma Karvikko (1909–1994), journalist, politician
• Eeva Kilpi (born 1928), novelist, poet, known for feminist humour, poetry translated into English
• Ella Kivikoski (1901–1990), archaeologist, non-fiction writer
• Leena Krohn (born 1947), novelist, works translated into several languages including English
• Kirsi Kunnas (1924–2021), poet, children's writer, playwright, translator, some works translated into English

L

• Sinikka Laine (born 1945), novelist, short story writer, writer of young adult fiction
• Leena Lander (born 1955), successful novelist, works translated into several languages including English
• Tuija Lehtinen (born 1954), journalist, novelist, works translated into several languages
• Leena Lehtolainen (born 1964), widely translated crime fiction writer
• Anne Leinonen (born 1973), novelist, science fiction and fantasy
• Rosa Liksom (born 1958), novelist, short story writer, children's writer, artist
• Irmelin Sandman Lilius (born 1936), writer of picture books and novels for children as well as books for adults and poetry
• Minna Lindgren (born 1963), journalist, since 2013 a successful crime-fiction novelist
• Marita Lindquist (1918–2016), children's writer, novelist, songwriter, poet
• Fredrika Lovisa Lindqvist (1786–1841), writer
• Katri Lipson (born 1965), novelist
• Kiba Lumberg (born 1956), novelist, screenwriter for television
• Ulla-Lena Lundberg (born 1947), Swedish-language writer, non-fiction, travel, often autobiographical novels

M

• Eeva-Liisa Manner (1921–1995), modernist poet, playwright, translator, poems translated into English
• Marja-Leena Mikkola (born 1939), novelist, short story writer, poet, songwriter, satirist, translator ^[3]
• Barbara Catharina Mjödh (1738–1776), poet
• Eva Moltesen (1871–1934), Finnish-Danish writer and peace activist
• Agatha Lovisa de la Myle (1724–1787), poet, wrote in German and Latvian

N

• Mikaela Nyman (born 1966), novelist, poet, journalist and editor published in Swedish and English
• Carita Nyström (1940–2019), Swedish-speaking writer and feminist

O

• Sofi Oksanen (born 1977), best-selling novelist, playwright, internationally recognized through her play Puhdistus, translated as Purge
• Hagar Olsson (1893–1978), expressionist novelist, playwright, critic, translator

P

• Kirsti Paltto (born 1947), Sámi author, children's writer, poet, short story writer, playwright, works translated into several languages
• Eila Pennanen (1916–1994), novelist, critic, translator
• Kira Poutanen (born 1974), novelist, translator, actress
• Helvi Poutasuo (1943–2017), Finnish Sami teacher, translator and newspaper editor
• Riikka Pulkkinen (born 1980), widely translated, novelist, columnist

R

• Elsa Rautee (1897–1987), poet, songwriter
• Mirkka Rekola (1931–2014), highly acclaimed poet, writer of aphorisms
• Susanne Ringell (born 1955), short story writer
• Hanna Rönnberg (1862–1946), painter and writer
• Fredrika Runeberg (1807–1879), novelist, pioneer of Finnish historical fiction, wife of national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
• Kaisu-Mirjami Rydberg (1905–1959), journalist, newspaper editor, poet, non-fiction writer, politician

S

• Pirkko Saisio (born 1949), prolific versatile writer, playwright, novelist, screenwriter
• Sally Salminen (1906–1976), Swedish-language novelist, author of Katrina
• Solveig von Schoultz (1907–1996), Swedish-language poet, novelist, dramatist
• Raija Siekkinen (1953–2004), short story writer, novelist, children's writer ^[4]
• Maria Simointytär, first Finnish-language poet, published Orpolapsen vaikerrus in 1683
• Salla Simukka (born 1981), successful young adults author, name a name with The Snow White Trilogy
• Helena Sinervo (born 1961), poet, poetry translator, novelist, songwriter
• Johanna Sinisalo (born 1958), science-fiction writer, author of Ennen päivänlaskua ei voi translated as Not Before Sundown
• Anja Snellman (born 1954), widely translated novelist, poet, journalist, her Pet Shop Girls appeared in English in 2013
• Edith Södergran (1892–1923), widely acclaimed Swedish-language modernist poet, translated into English
• Katariina Souri (born 1968), novelist
• Eira Stenberg (born 1943), poet, children's writer, novelist ^[5]
• Anni Swan (1875–1958), children's writer for girls, journalist and translator
• Catharina Charlotta Swedenmarck (1744–1813), Swedish-language poet, playwright, remembered for her pioneering play Dianas fest

T

• Maila Talvio (1871–1951), playwright, short story writer, novelist
• Eeva Tikka (born 1939), novelist
• Märta Tikkanen (born 1935), Swedish-language novelist, journalist, author of Manrape
• Aale Tynni (1913–1997), poet, translator, editor

U

• Kaari Utrio (born 1942), historical novelist, historian
• Arja Uusitalo (born 1951), poet, journalist

V

• Katri Vala (1901–1944), poet, critic, attacked war and Fascism
• Anja Vammelvuo (1921–1988), poet and writer
• Marja-Liisa Vartio (1924–1966), poet and prose writer ^[6]
• Monica Vikström-Jokela (born 1960), children's writer, television script writer
• Kerttu Vuolab (born 1951), Sami-language novelist, songwriter, translator

W

• Sara Wacklin (1790–1846), Swedish-language writer, author of the successful novel Hundrade minnen från Österbotten (A Hundred Memories of Ostrobothnia)
• Helena Westermarck (1857–1938), artist, Swedish-language women's historian, biographer, novelist
• Sara Wesslin (born 1991), Finnish Sami journalist, supporter of the Skolt Sami language
• Hella Wuolijoki (1886–1954), Estonian-born Finnish-language novelist, politician, used the pen name Juhani Tervapää

See also

• List of Finnish authors
• List of women writers

References

1. Valborg Lindgärde. "Now the Lord Shall Take Me Too". The History of Nordic Women's Literature. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
2. "Virpi Hämeen-Anttila". OGA. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
3. "Mikkola,Marja-Leena". The History of Nordic Women's Literature. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
4. "Siekkinen, Raija". The History o Nordic Women's Literature. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
5. "Stenberg, Eira". The History of Nordic Women's Literature. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
6. Finnish Short Stories. Translated by Väänänen-Jensen, Inkeri; Vähämäki, K. Börje. Iowa City: Penfield Press. 2000. p. 175.