I am a poet and a former literary critic from Finland, born in 1977. I have taught creative writing and literary theory on a university and college level since 2001. While a doctoral student, I worked as a junior research fellow at Tampere University and the Finnish Graduate School for Literary Studies from 2007 to 2010 specializing in the material culture of early modern English poetry. I have published five collections of poetry (Turistina täällä, 2004; Lohikäärmeen poika, 2007; Futurama, 2010; Säkeitä, 2010; Paha äiti, 2012) and a chapbook (Hautausmaa, 2015) along with numerous articles, essays and reviews in Finnish literary magazines. In 2005-2007 I edited the premier Finnish poetry magazine Tuli&Savu, and 2009-2010 I was its web editor. I was among the founders of the communal poetry publisher Osuuskunta Poesia and have reviewed poetry and fiction for the major Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. I have also performed and produced installations and artwork with the sound art collective Linnunlaulupuu. In 2016 I heeded Petrarch’s advice and withdrew into contemplation to serve a lyric calling. Fruits thereof may appear; non est in manibus meis.

Nationality

Finnish citizen

Languages

Finnish (Native)
English (Excellent)
Swedish (Moderate)
French (Basic)
Latin (Beginner)

Education

Tampere University

Master of Arts in Comparative Literature, Tampere University (2005).
Thesis (2003): “My mind to me a kingdom is.” Imagination as a Technique of the Self in Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene.

Awards

2013 Katri Vala poetry prize for Paha äiti.
2012 Nuori Voima criticism prize.
2010 Tiiliskivi literary prize for Futurama.
2004 Tampere city creative writing prize for Turistina täällä.

Career

Positions of merit

2011-2013 Boardmember, Helsinki Writer’s Society.
2011 Boardmember, A.E. Jännes creative writing competition.
2009 Boardmember, J.H.Erkko creative writing competition.
2009-2010: Chairman, Poetry and communal responsibility: a think tank on poetics and politics for contemporary Finnish poets. Nihil Interit poetry organization.
2004-2007; 2009-2011 Boardmember, Nihil Interit poetry society.

Previous positions

2014: Lecturer in creative writing, Kriittinen korkeakoulu (Critical Academy, Helsinki).
2012-2014: Literary critic, Helsingin Sanomat.
2012: Lecturer, creative writing. Työväen Akatemia (Worker’s Academy, Vantaa).
2011-2015: Editor, poetry publishing house Poesia.
2011: Lecturer in argumentation and rhetoric, Kaustinen Musical High School, Nuori Voima Union argumentation and rhetorical education project.
2011: Lecturer, creative writing. Työväen Akatemia (Worker’s Academy, Vantaa).
2009-2012: Producer, Helsinki Poetics Conference.
2009-2010: Web editor, Tuli&Savu poetry magazine.
2007-2010: Junior Researcher, Finnish Graduate School of Literary Studies.
2006-2007: Editor in chief, Tuli&Savu poetry magazine.
2006-2007: Member of organizing committee, Helsinki Poetics Conference.
2006-2007: Member of organizing committee, Kuopio Seminar on Sound Poetry.
2005-2007: Lecturer in comparative literary studies, Tampere Open University.
2005-2006: Editor, Tuli&Savu poetry magazine.
2005-2006: Coordinator, ”The Poets Speak”, a studia generalia lecture series, Tampere University.
2005-2006: Member of organizing committee, Kuopio Seminar on Sound Poetry.
2003-2005: Lecturer in creative writing and literary studies, Orivesi College.
2002-2003: Lecturer in comparative literary studies, Tampere Open University.
2001: Teaching assistant in comparative literary studies, Tampere University.

Publications

Literary

2015

Hautausmaa (Osuuskunta Poesia); poetry chapbook.

2014

Anton Kannemeyer: Pappa Afrikassa (Huuda Huuda); graphic novel (as translator).

2012

Paha äiti (Osuuskunta Poesia); poetry collection.

Edward Gorey: Sekopäiset serkukset ja muita tarinoita (Huuda Huuda); graphic novel (as translator).

2010

Säkeitä (ntamo); poetry collection.

Futurama (poEsia); poetry collection.

Gary Panter: Jimbon Jumalainen Näytelmä (Huuda Huuda); graphic novel (as translator).

Bendik Kaltenborn: Ei muistikuvaa (Huuda Huuda); graphic novella (as translator).

2007

Lohikäärmeen poika (Tammi); poetry collection.

2006

Charles Bernstein: Runouden puolustus (poEsia 2006); poetry translations (as contributing translator).

2004

Turistina täällä (Tammi); poetry collection.

Anthologies, journals, web publications (selections)

2014

Poems in German in the bilingual anthology VERSschmuggel. Berlin and Helsinki: Litteraturwerkstatt Berlin and Osuuskunta Poesia.

Three poems in English in German web anthology Hilda Magazine (hildamagazine.net).

2013

Sound poetry composition with sound art collective Linnunlaulupuu in the Austrian web journal Huellkurven (huellkurven.net).

”Abstractions or Constructions? The Materiality of the Literary Work in Textual Criticism”. Essay in the web journal Dusie #14 (www.dusie.org)

2012

Essay in Eskelinen, Markku and Lindstedt, Laura (editors): Mahdollisen kirjallisuuden seuran vuosikirja 2012 (Yearbook of the Society for Possible Literature). The Society of Possible Literature.

2011

Poems and a preface in Joensuu, Juri and Salmenniemi, Harry (editors): Vastakaanon. Suomalainen kokeellinen runous 2000-2010 (Countercanon. Finnish experimental poetry 2000-2010). Helsinki: Osuuskunta Poesia.

Poems in RunoSuomi 2011 (PoetryFinland 2011). Turku: Southwest Finland Arts Council.

Poems in Italian in Parente, Antonio (transl.): Il Limite Della Neve. La Nuova Poesia Finlandese. Mimesis Edizioni.

2006

Poems in Inye Berega 4. Helsinki: Society for Russian-speaking writers of Finland.

Poems in Lundberg, Anders, Magnusson, Jonas and Olsson, Jesper (editors): suOmEI. OEI 27/2006, Stockholm, Sweden.

2005

Poems in Santanen, Eino and Susiluoto, Saila: Uusi ääni (New voices). Helsinki: Otava.

Scholarly

2010

“The Genesis of a Work of Art Is Not a Function of Its Text. The Study of Authorship in Textual Scholarship.” (translated title) Avain – The Finnish Review of Literary Studies 3/10.

Other

2013

Six Finnish Poets. An anthology of contemporary Finnish poetry. Editor. Todmorden, UK: Arc Publications.

2011

Suomalaisia nykyrunoilijoita 2. An encyclopedia of contemporary Finnish poets. With Maaria Pääjärvi. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Avain.

2004—

Essays, articles, translations, artwork and criticism in the magazines Nuori Voima, Parnasso, Tuli&Savu, and the internet anthologies Ubuweb and Nokturno.

Residencies and appearances (selections)

2016

Guest writer, Soul International Writer’s Festival, 27.9.-1.10., Soul, South Korea.

Guest writer. CROWD Omnibus Reading Tour, 9.5.-13.5., Tromsö, Trondheim, Lillehammer, Oslo, Norway.

2015

Guest speaker, International Forum on Commemorating Chinese Avantgarde Literature,
27.-28.11., Beijing, China.

2014

Writer-in-residence, Associação Prado artist’s collective, 12.3.-28.4., Lisbon, Portugal.

2013

Writer-in-residence, Iowa Writer’s Workshop International Writing Program Fall Residency, 24.8.-12.10., University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.

Guest writer, 14. Poesiefestival Berlin, VERSschmuggel translation workshop, 7.-15.6., Berlin, Germany.

2012

Guest writer, Poetry Moon literary festival, 23.8., Helsinki.

2011

Guest writer, Poet of the day, Varsinais-Suomi Poetry Week. 10.11. Main library, Turku.

Guest writer, regional poet for Uusimaa art council in regional arts councils’ RunoSuomi-event, 1.10 Turku Book Fair, Turku.

Guest writer, Annikki poetry festival, 11.6. Tampere.

2010

“Hand-Printed: On Recent Developments in the Study of Early Modern Manuscript Culture.” (translated title) Prostheses of Language -Fall Seminar. 5.11., University of Tampere Department of the Arts, Tampere, Finland.

Guest writer, The International Nýhil Poetry Festival. 22-24.10., Reykjavik, Iceland.

Guest writer, international interdisciplinary LAL LAL LAL art festival, 18.-19.9. Helsinki.

“Sir Philip Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella as Occasional Verse: the Autobiographical Problem of Sidney Criticism from the Point of View of Manuscript Culture. New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies. 12.3., New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, USA.

2009

“The Post-Fordist Future of the Avantgarde; Thoughts on the Material and Cognitive Conditions of a Paradigmatic Change in the Literary Arts.” (translated title) Jyväskylä University, studia generalia lecture. 20.11., Jyväskylä, Finland.

“How to Read Difficult Poems.” (translated title) Arvo vai arvoitus? Poetry Criticism Seminar and Workshop. Poetry organisation Nihil Interit and the Finnish Critics’ Association. 1.10.-2.10., Turku, Finland.

“Editing Genre. Interpretation and the Problem of Autobiography in Sir Philip Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella”. Genre and Interpretation -conference. Finnish Literature Research Society and The Finnish Graduate School for Literary Studies.11.6., Helsinki, Finland.

“Sidney’s Zodiack of Wit: Fantastic Enargia as Creative Imagination.” 44th International Congress on Medieval Studies. 7.-10.5., The Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI, USA.

2008

”’This Idle Work of Mine’. Sir Philip Sidney’s Arcadia and the History of Authorship.” The Author: Who or What Is Writing Literature? 6th International Comparative Literature Colloquium. 23rd Vilenica International Literary Festival. 4.-5.9., Lipica, Slovenia.

“Poetry as a Form of Life. Art and Nature in the Poetic Thought of Early Modern English Humanists.” European Summer School for Cultural Studies, 28.7.-3.8., Amsterdam.

“Letters of Mr. Alexander Pope, and Several of His Friends (1737): Publicity, Authorship, and Editing in Eighteenth-Century England.” VARIANTTI-colloquium 2008: Kirjeistä editioksi, 2.6., The Finnish Literature Association, Helsinki.

2006

“The Institutions of Contemporary Poetry.” Helsinki Poetics Conference, 22.8., Helsinki.

“What is Sound Poetry.” Plenary talk, Seminar on Sound Poetry, 2.9., KirjaKantti literary festival, Kuopio.

2005

“The Poetics of the Everyday.” “The Poets Speak” -studia generalia lecture series, 4.11., Tampere University, Finland.

2002

“The Skill and Science of writing. Classical Rhetoric and Creative Writing.” A lecture course, Tampere University.

“Creative Literary Studies: Crossing Scientific and Pedagogical Practices.” Conference on methods and methodologies in cultural studies. 19.- 20. 4., University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland.

2001

“A Short Introduction to Composition Studies.” Paper delivered in a conference on literary studies and creative writing. 4.5., Tampere University, Finland.