Rakel Liehu
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Rakel Liehu | |
|---|---|
 Liehu in 2010 | |
| Born | September 3, 1939 Nivala, Finland |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | Finnish |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
| Years active | 1974 — present |
| Notable works | Helene (2003) |
| Notable awards |
|
Rakel Liehu (born 3 September 1939) is a Finnish poet, dramatist and novelist.[1][2]
Liehu began writing poetry at the age of 11, inspired by the works of women poets such as Aila Meriluoto, and has since gone on to publish 13 poetry collections.[3][4][2]
She has also authored three novels, as well as two plays and various scripts.[4][2]
Her debut poetry collection, Ihmisen murhe on yhteinen (lit. 'The Grief of a Person is Shared'), came out in 1974, and her first novel, Seth Mattsonin tarina ('The Story of Seth Mattson'), in 1976.[2]
Her perhaps best-known work is Helene (2003), a novel about the life of the Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck, which won the 2004 Runeberg Prize.[1][3] It formed the basis of the 2020 film by the same name, directed by Antti Jokinen and starring Laura Birn as Schjerfbeck,[4][5] which was nominated for an award in the feature-length category at the Shanghai International Film Festival.[6]
Her latest novel, Valaanluiset koskettimet (2020) ('Whale Bone Keys') is strongly autobiographical.[3]
Her other notable works include the novel Punainen ruukku ('Red Pot') (1980), and the essay collection Sininen kala ('Blue Fish') (1999).[1]
