Literature Two nominees in Finland this year: Kristina Carlson and Kaj Korkea-aho compete for the Nordic Council Literature Prize

Nordic Fourteen nominees for this year’s Council Literature Prize have been announced, the Council’s press release said.

There are two novels about Finland: Kristina Carlson novel Eunuch (2020) and Kaj Korkea-ahon Rum rummet (Red room2021, suom. Laura Beck).

Chinese Carlson’s miniature novel about the life of an 11th-century hovieunuk is praised by the jury as a “lyrical, often aphoristic” description that examines “loneliness, humanity, and the relationship of the individual to society”.

HS assessment Eunukista you can read from here.

Kristina Carlson (b. 1949) has worked as a journalist and has also published youth books.

For his novel To the ground was awarded the Finlandia Prize in 1999, and Mr. Darwin the Gardener (2009) was also nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize.

Kaj Korkea-ahon Rum rummet refers to August Strindbergin to the work of the same name and bears little resemblance in describing the complex relationship between the two men, the artist and his landlord.

According to the Selection Board, it “aptly challenges many of our notions of power, superiority, desire, and succumbing to the power of emotions,” “it is open and sympathetic to the longing of its individuals and delicately examines the mysterious and contradictory manifestations of desire”.

You can read the HS review of the novel from here.

Korkea-aho (b. 1983) is a Finnish-Swedish writer, columnist and comedian whose fourth novel Red room is.

Åland also has a nominee for a literary prize, and this year it is Karin Erlandssonin Hem (2021).

Nordic the council’s literary prize will be awarded for the 60th time this year.

Recognition has been given since 1962 for a work of fiction written in one of the Nordic languages.

The prize-winning work can be a work of poetry, prose and a play.

The prize is DKK 300,000 (approximately EUR 40,000). Its recipient will be announced at the Council meeting in Helsinki on 1 November 2022.