Paavo Haavikko

[Eric]

Paavo Haavikko (born 1931, died 2008) is one of the most accomplished living poets writing in Finnish. They once published a Penguin volume of his poetry.

To save my writing and repeating, you can find articles of varying value about him at:

Paavo Haavikko (http://kirjasto.sci.fi/haavikko.htm)

Paavo Haavikko - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paavo_Haavikko)

Paavo Haavikko biography (http://www.essortment.com/all/paavohaavikkob_rzsy.htm)

But as regards the Nobel, I just read that he died yesterday...

[Stewart]

But as regards the Nobel, I just read that he died yesterday...
That's one way to remove yourself from the running. The only way, too.

Anyway, here's a short obituary (http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Paavo+Haavikko+2511931+-+6102008/1135240012225) from Helsingin Sanomat. I can't say I'd heard of him, although I've obviously passed over his name when looking at Neustadt winners in the past.

Part of me now is interested in trying to get poetry. If I have any luck with Adonis and Tomas Transtr?mer in the coming weeks, I may look into Haavikko next.

[Eric]

I first heard of him some 30 years ago, but even given the Penguin volume, I'd never really read much. I read a few today in parallel (the other language being Swedish, which I know well). I've still got to get into his style, despite my waxing enthusiastic yesterday. It's not the language, but the imagery. I do have enough of his poems to get a deeper impression, over time.

But the fact that a whole volume of his poems once appeared in Penguin makes me think: can't Penguin revive the series? With lots of current poetry classics.