Elina Hirvonen

Elina Hirvonen (1975) is a Finnish writer and filmmaker. She stood out with her 2005 debut novel Että hän muistaisi saman (When I Forgot), which contemplated family and childhood, as well as a world that experienced upheavals like the Vietnam War, the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York and the Iraq War. The novel was nominated for the most important literary award in Finland, the Finlandia Prize. In 2007, Hirvonen released her documentary film Paratiisi – kolme matkaa tässä maailmassa (Paradise: Three journeys in this world) about African migrants in Europe. This year, a third novel by Hirvonen will be published in Estonian – Kun aika loppuu (When Time Runs Out); it is also linked to Africa, because it was written in Zambia. It is a dystopia set in the near future, where climate change and the weakening of social ties have lead to violence both in Africa and Finland. Characteristically, Hirvonen combines a vivid and sparse language with emotional intensity and a tragic plot. Elina Hirvonen will talk to writer and cultural journalist Peeter Helme.