# List of Finnish women writers

This is a list of women writers who were born in Finland or whose writings are closely associated with the country.

## A

* Uma Aaltonen (1940–2009), author, journalist, politician
* Umayya Abu-Hanna (born 1961), Palestinian-born novelist, journalist
* Susanna Alakoski (born 1962), novelist, author of Svinalängorna, filmed as Beyond
* Outi Alanne (born 1967), novelist using the pen name NeitiNaru
* Marianne Alopaeus (1918–2014), novelist, published in Swedish
* Tuuve Aro (born 1973), novelist, short story writer, children's writer, several English translations
* Isa Asp (1853–1872), poet

## B

* Kersti Bergroth (1886–1975), novelist, poet, playwright, children's story writer, wrote in both Swedish and Finnish
* Christina Regina von Birchenbaum, Finland's earliest female poet writing her autobiographical Een Annor Ny wijsa in 1651
* Anni Blomqvist (1909–1990), Swedish-language novelist, several autobiographical works

## C

* Minna Canth (1844–1897), important figure in Finnish literature, playwright, novelist, short story writer, addressed women's rights
* Kristina Carlson (born 1949), novelist, poet, journalist
* Fredrika Wilhelmina Carstens (1808–1888), writer, the author of the first novel published in Finland
* Inga-Brita Castrén (1919–2003), theologian

## E

* Anna Edelheim (1845–1902), journalist
* Adelaïde Ehrnrooth (1826–1905), novelist, poet, short story writer, feminist
* Elsa Enäjärvi-Haavio (1901–1951), folklorist and educator

## F

* Tua Forsström (born 1947), Swedish-language poet, translated into English
* Maikki Friberg (1861–1927), educator, writer, journal editor, suffragist and peace activist

## G

* Kaarina Goldberg (born 1956), children's writer, also comic strips

## H

* Hilja Haapala, pen name of Hilja Dagmar Janhonen (1877–1958), novelist
* Lucina Hagman (1853–1946), feminist, biographer
* Helinä Häkkänen-Nyholm (born 1971), forensic psychologist
* Helvi Hämäläinen (1907–1998), prolific novelist, short story writer, poet
* Virpi Hämeen-Anttila (born 1958), best-selling novelist, translator, non-fiction writer, educator
* Anne Hänninen (born 1958), poet, essayist
* Anna-Leena Härkönen (born 1965), novelist, actress, works adapted for the theatre and television
* Saima Harmaja (1913–1937), poet, known for her tragic life and early death
* Satu Hassi (born 1951), politician, environmentalist, novelist, poet, essayist
* Pirjo Hassinen (born 1957), novelist, works translated into several languages
* Anna-Liisa Hirviluoto (1929–2000), archaeologist, non-fiction writer
* Laila Hirvisaari, also Laila Hietamies (1938–2021), best-selling novelist, short story writer, playwright
* Elina Hirvonen (born 1975), novelist, journalist, author of Että hän muistaisi saman, translated as When I Forgot
* Sofia Hjärne (1780–1860), early Swedish-language novelist, held literary salons
* Johanna Holmström (born 1981), short story writer, novelist, writes in Swedish

## I

* Lempi Ikävalko (1901–1994), poet, journalist, latterly in the United States

## J

* Tove Jansson (1914–2001), versatile Swedish-language novelist, comic strip writer, children's writer, painter
* Eeva Joenpelto (1921–2004), productive novelist, educator
* Maria Jotuni (1880–1943), novelist, playwright, short-story writer

## K

* Sirpa Kähkönen (born 1964), novelist, author of the Kuopio series of historical novels
* Elina Kahla (born 1960), philologist, essayist, non-fiction writer
* Hilda Käkikoski (1864–1912), politician, children's writer, historian
* Aino Kallas (1878–1956), novelist, short story writer, revered contributor to Finnish literature, some works translated into English
* Tuula Kallioniemi (born 1951), prolific writer of novels and short stories for children and young adults
* Irma Karvikko (1909–1994), journalist, politician
* Eeva Kilpi (born 1928), novelist, poet, known for feminist humour, poetry translated into English
* Ella Kivikoski (1901–1990), archaeologist, non-fiction writer
* Leena Krohn (born 1947), novelist, works translated into several languages including English
* Kirsi Kunnas (1924–2021), poet, children's writer, playwright, translator, some works translated into English

## L

* Sinikka Laine (born 1945), novelist, short story writer, writer of young adult fiction
* Leena Lander (born 1955), successful novelist, works translated into several languages including English
* Tuija Lehtinen (born 1954), journalist, novelist, works translated into several languages
* Leena Lehtolainen (born 1964), widely translated crime fiction writer
* Anne Leinonen (born 1973), novelist, science fiction and fantasy
* Rosa Liksom (born 1958), novelist, short story writer, children's writer, artist
* Irmelin Sandman Lilius (born 1936), writer of picture books and novels for children as well as books for adults and poetry
* Minna Lindgren (born 1963), journalist, since 2013 a successful crime-fiction novelist
* Marita Lindquist (1918–2016), children's writer, novelist, songwriter, poet
* Fredrika Lovisa Lindqvist (1786–1841), writer
* Katri Lipson (born 1965), novelist
* Kiba Lumberg (born 1956), novelist, screenwriter for television
* Ulla-Lena Lundberg (born 1947), Swedish-language writer, non-fiction, travel, often autobiographical novels

## M

* Eeva-Liisa Manner (1921–1995), modernist poet, playwright, translator, poems translated into English
* Marja-Leena Mikkola (born 1939), novelist, short story writer, poet, songwriter, satirist, translator
* Barbara Catharina Mjödh (1738–1776), poet
* Eva Moltesen (1871–1934), Finnish-Danish writer and peace activist
* Agatha Lovisa de la Myle (1724–1787), poet, wrote in German and Latvian

## N

* Mikaela Nyman (born 1966), novelist, poet, journalist and editor published in Swedish and English
* Carita Nyström (1940–2019), Swedish-speaking writer and feminist

## O

* Sofi Oksanen (born 1977), best-selling novelist, playwright, internationally recognized through her play Puhdistus, translated as Purge
* Hagar Olsson (1893–1978), expressionist novelist, playwright, critic, translator

## P

* Kirsti Paltto (born 1947), Sámi author, children's writer, poet, short story writer, playwright, works translated into several languages
* Eila Pennanen (1916–1994), novelist, critic, translator
* Kira Poutanen (born 1974), novelist, translator, actress
* Helvi Poutasuo (1943–2017), Finnish Sami teacher, translator and newspaper editor
* Riikka Pulkkinen (born 1980), widely translated, novelist, columnist

## R

* Elsa Rautee (1897–1987), poet, songwriter
* Mirkka Rekola (1931–2014), highly acclaimed poet, writer of aphorisms
* Susanne Ringell (born 1955), short story writer
* Hanna Rönnberg (1862–1946), painter and writer
* Fredrika Runeberg (1807–1879), novelist, pioneer of Finnish historical fiction, wife of national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
* Kaisu-Mirjami Rydberg (1905–1959), journalist, newspaper editor, poet, non-fiction writer, politician

## S

* Pirkko Saisio (born 1949), prolific versatile writer, playwright, novelist, screenwriter
* Sally Salminen (1906–1976), Swedish-language novelist, author of Katrina
* Solveig von Schoultz (1907–1996), Swedish-language poet, novelist, dramatist
* Raija Siekkinen (1953–2004), short story writer, novelist, children's writer
* Maria Simointytär, first Finnish-language poet, published Orpolapsen vaikerrus in 1683
* Salla Simukka (born 1981), successful young adults author, name a name with The Snow White Trilogy
* Helena Sinervo (born 1961), poet, poetry translator, novelist, songwriter
* Johanna Sinisalo (born 1958), science-fiction writer, author of Ennen päivänlaskua ei voi translated as Not Before Sundown
* Anja Snellman (born 1954), widely translated novelist, poet, journalist, her Pet Shop Girls appeared in English in 2013
* Edith Södergran (1892–1923), widely acclaimed Swedish-language modernist poet, translated into English
* Katariina Souri (born 1968), novelist
* Eira Stenberg (born 1943), poet, children's writer, novelist
* Anni Swan (1875–1958), children's writer for girls, journalist and translator
* Catharina Charlotta Swedenmarck (1744–1813), Swedish-language poet, playwright, remembered for her pioneering play Dianas fest

## T

* Maila Talvio (1871–1951), playwright, short story writer, novelist
* Eeva Tikka (born 1939), novelist
* Märta Tikkanen (born 1935), Swedish-language novelist, journalist, author of Manrape
* Aale Tynni (1913–1997), poet, translator, editor

## U

* Kaari Utrio (born 1942), historical novelist, historian
* Arja Uusitalo (born 1951), poet, journalist

## V

* Katri Vala (1901–1944), poet, critic, attacked war and Fascism
* Anja Vammelvuo (1921–1988), poet and writer
* Marja-Liisa Vartio (1924–1966), poet and prose writer
* Monica Vikström-Jokela (born 1960), children's writer, television script writer
* Kerttu Vuolab (born 1951), Sami-language novelist, songwriter, translator

## W

* Sara Wacklin (1790–1846), Swedish-language writer, author of the successful novel Hundrade minnen från Österbotten (A Hundred Memories of Ostrobothnia)
* Helena Westermarck (1857–1938), artist, Swedish-language women's historian, biographer, novelist
* Sara Wesslin (born 1991), Finnish Sami journalist, supporter of the Skolt Sami language
* Hella Wuolijoki (1886–1954), Estonian-born Finnish-language novelist, politician, used the pen name Juhani Tervapää