Pentti Holappa

Finnish writer (1927-2017)

Pentti Vihtori Holappa (11 August 1927 – 10 October 2017) was a Finnish poet, writer and politician.[1] He was born in Ylikiiminki.

Pentti Holappa in the late 1950s

Holappa held many jobs before becoming a political journalist and eventually obtaining a government post.[2] He was self-educated, but produced around fifteen volumes of poetry, as well as several novels and essays. He also worked as a translator; among the poets and authors whose work he translated into Finnish are Charles Baudelaire, Pierre Reverdy, and J. M. G. Le Clézio. He received the Finlandia Prize in 1998 for his novel Ystävän muotokuva: Portrait of a Friend.

Between February and October 1972, Holappa was Minister of Culture and Education in Finland's Ministry of Education, representing the Social Democratic Party of Finland.[3]

Holappa died in Helsinki, Finland, on 10 October 2017 of breathing problems at the age of 90.

References

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  1. "Finlandia-palkittu kirjailija Pentti Holappa on kuollut". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 12 October 2017. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  2. Jyrki Kiiskinen (Feb 1992). "Gardens of Life and Death". Books from Finland. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  3. "Details of minister - Holappa, Pentti Vihtori". Finnish Government. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.