I am a poet, scriptwriter, director, translator. I was born as a farmer’s son in Ähtäri, central part of Finland. I studied journalism, creative writing and scriptwriting in Helsinki, and spent a number of years as a reporter, producer and director working for the Finnish television.

I’ve written hundreds of song lyrics, many radio plays, librettos and lots of scripts, but never thought of writing or publishing poetry as such. Then I walked the Santiago trail in northern Spain, and something just clicked - thus my first poetry collection “Santiago” (Ntamo publishing house, 2013). My second poetry collection “Merileijonien eteen” (“Facing the Sea Lions”, Ntamo 2016) takes place partly underwater and mostly in Latin America. The chapter “names” are translations of real Santería prayers, and the Santería gods play their part also inside the poems.

As a translator I now translate a play by Bertolt Brecht and an anthology of poems by the great American poet Robert Lowell.

I live in Helsinki, train, teach, write, hope, wish, write, read, travel, enjoy and write. Mostly.

I hope you enjoy as well what you find on these pages.

Yours,

Kimmo