Sirpa Kähkönen

Author

Sirpa Kähkönen is an author and columnist who focuses on historical and societal themes. In Kähkönen's works, central themes include the fate of civilians during times of crisis, the history of children and women, and the impact of grand ideologies and utopias on individuals' lives. She has published over ten novels, three of which have been nominated for the Finlandia Prize, three non-fiction works, one of which was a Tieto-Finlandia nominee, and three plays.

Sirpa Kähkönen is the current chairperson of the Finnish Writers' Union (2018–), having previously served as the chairperson of the writers' freedom of speech organization PEN from 2011 to 2018.

Photo: Jonne Räsänen/ Otava 2019