Dear Reader,
on the International Women's Day I returned to a favourite of mine in the bookshelf and so I feel like musing on Eeva Kilpi, the renowned and beloved Finnish poet, writer, feminist icon and protector of nature. She just turned 98, February the 18th. Happy belated birthday Eeva!
She is passionate about defending nature from humans. And humans from humans. In her own heartfelt way she writes, most of all, about her relationship with nature. Throughout her life, she grew to perceive the profound essence and the depths of nature.
"Perhonen ylittää tien."
A butterfly crosses the road.
Perhonen ylittää tien contains six of Kilpi's poetry collections from 1972–2000. Eeva Kilpi's work is known for themes of nature, love, aging as well as everyday observations and deep humanity.
The line "a butterfly crosses the road" is a poetic observation that brings us to pause in the middle of the everyday life. Her expression has a gentle way of forcing the reader to pause, turn inside and reflect for a moment and reflect their way of life. Did I even notice the butterfly?
"Sinä pieni urhea nainen, minä luotan sinuun."
You brave little woman, I believe in you.
Eeva Kilpi's feminist writing is characterized not as theoretical, but as a "lived, empathetic, and practically oriented" exploration of the female condition.
My affection for this book is immense and I keep returning to it.
S.
A favourite from my Bookshelf to yours: Eeva Kilpi's Perhonen ylittää tien (Collected Poems 1972–2000) is available in the shop.
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About Eeva Kilpi
Eeva Kaarin Kilpi is one of Finland’s most famous and best-loved writers. Her poetry, characterized also as feminist humor, was discovered in the 1980s in Europe. She spent her childhood in Karelia, the part of Finland ceded to the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War. She studied English, Aesthetics, Modern Literature and Art History at Helsinki University (graduating in 1953), then taught English before becoming a full-time writer in 1959. Her literary output has included poems, novels and essays, and her work has been translated into many languages, including Hebrew, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Hungarian, Polish and Greek, and all the main languages of Scandinavia. She has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times.
PS.
For the Finnish speaking lover of Eeva Kilpi's work, I recommend the recording from Puistokatu 4's event I joined last year in Helsinki. It is a delightful discussion about the power and teachings received from Eeva Kilpi's poetry. The participants were asked for example how poetry and prose can promote nature conservation. You can view a recording here on YouTube.
The discussion was attended by WSOY's Director of Public Relations, poet Jenni Haukio, Anna-Riikka Carlson, author of a book about Eeva Kilpi, writer Saku Tuominen, and Ville Blåfield, Program Director of Helsinki Book Fair.
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Portrait of Eeva Kilpi © Veikko Somerpuro / WSOY