Pentti Holappa

Who is Pentti Holappa?

Pentti Holappa is a Finnish poet and writer. Born in Ylikiiminki to a family of modest means, he held numerous jobs before becoming Minister of Culture. Self-educated, he has published close to fifteen volumes of poetry, six novels, and numerous essays. He has also worked as a translator; among the poets and authors whose work he has translated into Finnish are Charles Baudelaire, Pierre Reverdy, and J. M. G. Le Clézio. He received the Finlandia Prize in 1998.