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Kaarina Helakisa (1946-1998) | |
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Prolific Finnish writer, best known for her children's books. With her poetic approach to the world of childhood, and use of legends and religious subjects, Helakisa brought in the 1960s a new voice in children's literature, which refreshed the more or less tradition-bound genre. In her work, feminist themes become prominent especially in the 1980s. In a dialogue between a mother and child about the winged horse Pegasus, the child concludes that poets ride on a mare. "Äiti: Yhtä asiaa en tiedä enkä muista. En silloin tullut ajatelleeksi, oliko Pegasos tamma vaiko orhi. Kaarina Helakisa was born in Helsinki. Her father was a bank manager and mother was a dentist. She studied at the University of Helsinki and at the University of Rostoc, receiving her B.A. from Helsinki in 1969. Helakisa published her first collection of fairy tales, KAARINA HELAKISAN SATUKIRJA (1964), at the age of 18. Its colorful narrative and connections to present-day problems attracted critics. The collection was partly based on William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. The first two books Helakisa illustrated herself. In 1968 Helakisa published TAIKAPUU, and a play, SCHIIVOAVAT SERAFIT, which depicted the conflict between over-zealous seraphs and a little girl. Before her next fairy play, TEEMU JA SAAPASJALKAHEVONEN (1970), Helakisa made a radio play, which focused on a misfit girl suffering from hard conditions at home. In 1969 Helakisa worked for a short period at the library of the Finnish Literature Society. Before becoming a full-time writer and translator, she was from 1969 to 1972 a journalist at the magazine Apu. In the 1970s Helakisa wrote television plays, radio dramas, several of them adaptations from her own stories. For the theatre group Penniteatteri she wrote HASSU SIRKUS (1973), in which she enlarged her literary ground into musicals. OLENA AND VASSUKKA (1979) pondered feminist themes and other modern issues. The story was set in the fairy tale world and illustrated by Alpo Jaakola' s drawings and colorful, surrealistic paintings. In ANNAN SEITSEMÄN ELÄMÄÄ (1987) Helakisa broke again the border between adult and children's fiction. With its allusions to folk tales, from The Thousand and One Night to Brothers Grimm, and views about the life of modern-day women, the book was read by children and adults as well. The tales are told by Anna, Sheheradzade's Nordic sister, who sends his final note to the king: "You will never know, how I live, but you are right: I'll live my life happily till the end." Helakisa's LASILINNA (1986), a collection of stories, depicted the joys and sorrows of artist and writers. The title story 'Lasilinna' (castle of glass) a young girl, Marian, decides to become a fairy. On a paper she draws a winged horse and a young man. Years later she builds herself a castle of glass, but feels there lonely. One winter night the young man comes riding on the winged horse and break the castle. He takes Marian with him and together they build a small, warm cottage. For the very young Helakisa wrote INTO, PARRAKAS VAUVA (1985, illustrated by Pekka Vuori), in which a baby, who has a beard, throws his dummy away and starts his journey to examine the wonders of the world. MEIDÄN KUOPUS (1985) was a collection of verse for young children. The book was illustrated by the artist and writer Maikki Harjanne. Two James Bondén books from the 1990s were for young boys. In addition to her own books Helakisa translated into Finnish such writers as Astrid Lindgren, Richard Scarry, Tove Jansson, and C.S. Lewis. Helakisa wrote also for adults. Her biography of the poet Saima Harmaja (1913-1937) appeared in 1977. Helakisa had read her poems in her youth at home, where her mother had a copy of Harmaja's collected poems - she had also written her own comments on its marginals. With her husband Reijo Käkelä Helakisa wrote the cookery book KOSKA VASTA SYÖDÄÄN (1990), and edited with the popular writer Kaari Utrio LAPS' SUOMEN (1987), an illustrated history of the Finnish Children. Helakisa's last major work was the anthology SUOMEN LASTEN RUNOTAR (1994), which presented Finnish poems for children. NAISEN PAIKKA (1993) was her fist collection of short stories, written for adult readers. In it Helakisa portrayed women of different ages, all trying to find their place in the world. "Huntu, tyttö ajattelee ja ajaa pois kärpäsen selästään. Minulla huntu kuin musliminaisilla. Joka aamu ennen kuin astun ulos asunnosta, minä verhoan itseni huntuun ettei kukaan näe minua oikeasti, sillä minä pelkään nähdyksi tulemista. Minut on opetettu sellaiseen." (from 'Bloody Mary' in Naisen paikka) Helakisa received several awards for her books, among them The State Literary Award, which she had two tiles, Topelius Award, Anni Swan Medal, Arvid Lydecken Award, Tirlittan Award, and Nordic Children's Literature Award. From 1980 to 1985 and again in 1998 she was a member of the National Council for Literature. Helakisa died on April 21, 1998. For firther reading: Suomalaisia lasten- ja nuortenkirjailijoita II, ed. by Vuokko Blinnikka, Kaija Salonen, Kari Vaijärvi (1975); Sain roolin, johon en mahdu, ed. by Maria-Liisa Nevala (1989); Suomalaisen naiskirjallisuuden linjoja, ed. by Maria-Liisa Nevala (1989); Kotimaisia lasten- ja nuortenkirjailijoita, toim. Ismo Loivamaa (1996) Selected works:
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