Frans Eemil Sillanpää

Frans Eemil Sillanpää (pronounced [frɑns ˈeːmil

ˈsilːɑmˌpæː] ; 16 September 1888 – 3 June 1964) was a Frans Eemil Sillanpää
Finnish writer. In 1939, he became the first Finnish
writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for 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".[1]

Early life
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.
At school Sillanpää was a good student and with aid
from his benefactor Henrik Liljeroos he entered the
University of Helsinki in 1908 to study medicine.[2][3] Born 16 September 1888
His acquaintances at university included the painters Hämeenkyrö, Finland
Eero Järnefelt and Pekka Halonen, composer Jean
Died 3 June 1964 (aged 75)
Sibelius and author Juhani Aho.[2] Helsinki, Finland
Occupation Writer
Notable works The Maid Silja
Career
Notable 1939 Nobel Prize in
awards Literature
In 1913 Sillanpää moved from Helsinki to his old
home village and devoted himself to writing.[4] In
1914 Sillanpää wrote articles for the newspaper Uusi Suometar.[2] In 1916 Sillanpää married Sigrid
Maria Salomäki, whom he had met in 1914.[2]

By principle, Sillanpää was against all forms of violence and believed in scientific optimism.[5] In his
work he portrayed rural people as living united with the land.[2]

The novel Hurskas kurjuus (Meek Heritage) (1919) depicted the reasons for Finnish Civil War and was
controversial at the time due to its objective approach.[6]

Sillanpää won international fame for his novel Nuorena nukkunut (translated to English as The Maid
Silja) in 1931.

In 1939, Sillanpää 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."[7] A few days after he received the prize, talks between Finland and Soviet Union broke down
and the Winter War began.[3][8] Sillanpää traveled to Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize[3] and donated
the golden medal to be melted for funds to aid the war effort.[8]

Before the Winter War, Sillanpää wrote the lyrics for Sillanpään marssilaulu to lift his spirits when his
eldest son Esko was partaking in military practices at Karelian Isthmus.[9]

In 1939, Sillanpää's wife Sigrid died of pneumonia leaving him with eight children.[3] Some time after,
Sillanpää married his secretary Anna von Hertzen (1900–1983).[3]

In 1941 Sillanpää divorced his wife Anna. 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
his tradition of speaking on Christmas Eve from 1945 to 1963 attracted listeners.[10]

The asteroid 1446 Sillanpää, discovered on January 26, 1938, by Finnish astronomer and physicist Yrjö
Väisälä, was named after him.

Death
Sillanpää died on 3 June 1964 in Helsinki aged 75.

Works
Elämä ja aurinko (1916)
Ihmislapsia elämän saatossa (1917)
Hurskas kurjuus (translated as Meek Heritage) (1919)
Rakas isänmaani (1919)
Hiltu ja Ragnar (1923)
Enkelten suojatit (1923)
Omistani ja omilleni (1924)
Maan tasalta (1924)
Töllinmäki (1925)
Rippi (1928)
Kiitos hetkistä, Herra... (1930)
Nuorena nukkunut (translated as The Maid Silja) (1931)
Miehen tie (1932)
Virranpohjalta (1933)
Ihmiset suviyössä (translated as People in the Summer
Night) (1934)
Viidestoista (1936) Sillanpää sitting for the sculptor
Elokuu (1941) Mauno Oittinen in 1931.

Ihmiselon ihanuus ja kurjuus (1945)

Films
Numerous of his works have been made into films:
 Nuorena nukkunut, Teuvo Tulio. 1937
One Man's Faith, Nyrki Tapiovaara and Hugo Hytönen.
1940
Ihmiset suviyössä, Valentin Vaala. 1948
Poika eli kesäänsä, Roland af Hällström. 1955 (based on
novel Elämä ja aurinko)
The Harvest Month, Matti Kassila. 1956
Silja – nuorena nukkunut, Jack Witikka. 1956
The Glory and Misery of Human Life, Matti Kassila. 1988 Poststamp released in 1980 in
honour of Sillanpää.
See also
Juhani Aho

References
1. "The Nobel Prize in Literature 1939" (http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laure
ates/1939/). Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 16 Jun 2017.
2. Liukkonen, Petri (2008). "Frans Emil Sillanpää (1888-1964)" (http://authorscalendar.info/fesil
lan.htm). Authors Calendar. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
3. "Sillanpää, Frans Emil (1888–1964)" (https://kansallisbiografia.fi/kansallisbiografia/henkilo/7
00). Biografiakeskus. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
4. Frans Eemil Sillanpää (http://global.britannica.com/biography/Frans-Eemil-Sillanpaa)
Encyclopædia Britannica
5. Rajala, Panu. "Frans Emil Sillanpään sotavuodet" (http://www.saunalahti.fi/panu/kirj1.htm).
Retrieved 2017-11-11.
6. "Frans Emil Sillanpää: Hurskas kurjuus – Miksi päädyimme sisällissotaan?" (https://yle.fi/aih
e/artikkeli/2017/01/03/frans-emil-sillanpaa-hurskas-kurjuus-miksi-paadyimme-sisallissotaa
n). Yle. 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
7. "Frans Eemil Sillanpää – Biographical" (https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/la
ureates/1939/sillanpaa-bio.html). Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB. 2014. Retrieved
2016-04-29.
8. "Nobel palkinto" (https://web.archive.org/web/20171111152151/http://www.fesillanpaanseur
a.org/nobel-palkinto). fesillanpaanseura.org. Archived from the original (http://www.fesillanpa
anseura.org/nobel-palkinto) on 2017-11-11. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
9. "Sota-ajan musiikkia – Maailman Matista Sillanpään Marssilauluun" (http://www.tunturisusi.c
om/sotilasmarssit/sillanpaanmarssilaulu.htm). Retrieved 2017-11-10.
10. "Sillanpää, Frans Emil (1888–1964)" (http://www.kansallisbiografia.fi/english/?id=700). The
National Biography of Finland. SKS. Retrieved 2016-04-29.

External links
"The Game Behind Finland's First Nobel prize" (http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/understrecket/s
pelet-bakom-finlands-forsta-nobelpristagare_3893513.svd), article (in Swedish; based on
documents in the Nobel Archive), first published in Svenska Dagbladet, 5 December 2009;
later published in the Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
F. E. Sillanpään Seura (http://www.fesillanpaanseura.org/seura) Archived (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20210816162314/http://www.fesillanpaanseura.org/seura) 2021-08-16 at the
 Wayback Machine
Works by Frans Eemil Sillanpää (https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL504945A) at Open
Library
List of Works (http://noblib.internet-box.ch/NLEW.php?authorid=38)
Frans Eemil Sillanpää (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0798072/) at IMDb
Frans Eemil Sillanpää (https://www.nobelprize.org/laureate/613) on Nobelprize.org

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