Frans Emil Sillanpää
| Frans Eemil Sillanpää | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
16 September 1888 Hämeenkyrö, Finland |
| Died | 3 June 1964 (aged 75) Helsinki, Finland |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Notable awards | Nobel Prize |
Frans Eemil Sillanpää (
pronunciation ) (16 September 1888 – 3 June 1964) was one of the most famous Finnish writers and in 1939 became the first Finnish writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.
Frans Eemil Sillanpää was born into a peasant farming family in Hämeenkyrö. Although his parents were poor, they managed to send him to school in Tampere. In 1908 he moved to Helsinki to study medicine. Here his acquaintances included the painters Eero Järnefelt and Pekka Halonen, composer Jean Sibelius and author Juhani Aho.
Five years later, in 1913 Sillanpää moved from Helsinki to his old home village, married, and devoted himself to writing.
In his work he portrayed rural people living united with the land.
He won international fame for his novel Nuorena nukkunut (English translation published with the name The Maid Silja) in 1931.
In 1939, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his deep understanding of his country's peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature."
In 1941 Sillanpää divorced his wife. His alcoholism and other ailments needed hospital treatment. In 1943 he returned to public life as a bearded old 'Grandpa Sillanpää'. His radio appearances, especially tradition of talking on Christmas-Eve from 1945 to 1963 became very popular.
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