Merja Virolainen 
Author

Pesmi

Original

Übersetzung

[Hellyyttäsi taitat gardenian] finščina

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[Nahkatakissa sydäntä vasten] finščina

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[Haikarankaulaa liukuvat sormet, soutaja] finščina

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[Mummi, nostit silkkipaperiset kasvosi] finščina

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[Kameliat syleilevät minua] finščina

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[Puusepän höylässä kihartuvat lastut] finščina

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Merja Virolainen 
Author

Foto © gezett.de
* 07.05.1962, Lapua, Finska
živi v: Helsinki, Finska

Merja Virolainen was born in Lapua, located in the region called Ostrobothnia in the western part of Finland, in 1962. She has spent most of her life in the Helsinki region, though. She graduated as costume designer in 1986. After that she worked as visual designer e.g. in circus and puppet theatre, until she started to study philosophy and literature in the University of Helsinki in 1988. She did her M.A. degree in 1998, majoring in philosophy. The subject of her thesis was the notion of inspiration in literature and fine arts.

 Foto © gezett.de
Virolainen has published five collections of poems, Hellyyttäsi taitat gardenian (Because of Your Tenderness You Break a Gardenia, 1990), Tervapeili (Tar Mirror, 1995), Pilvet peittävät sisäänsä pilvet (Clouds Encompass Clouds, 2000), Olen tyttö, ihanaa! (I’m a Girl, Wonderful!, 2003) and Valloittaja (Conqueror, 2012). Her prose work Kontaktia halutaan (WLTM) appeared in 2007. She has also written a book about shamanism and witchcraft and a play called Täyttymyskomedia (Fulfilment Comedy) which had its premiere in 1993.

Virolainen is one of the most important poets of her generation in Finland, and her writing has influenced the younger generations remarkably. She has toured, reading her poems in 15 countries.

Some of her poems have been translated into 12 languages. She has worked a lot as translator of poetry herself, translating from English, German and Swedish. She has also worked as editor, journalist, essayist and critic as well as teacher of creative writing. She is the headmaster and teacher in the Critical Academy writing school in Helsinki.