Aleksis Kivi

Who is Aleksis Kivi?

Aleksis Kivi, born Alexis Stenvall, was a Finnish author regarded as the father of Finnish-language literature and the national writer of Finland. Born in Nurmijärvi as the son of a village tailor, he studied at the University of Helsinki, where he was encouraged by the scholar Fredrik Cygnaeus. He wrote in Finnish at a time when Swedish still dominated the country's literary and educational life, helping to establish Finnish as a language of serious literature. His masterpiece, the novel 'Seitsemän veljestä' (Seven Brothers, 1870), follows seven orphaned brothers who flee civilization for the forest and gradually mature into responsible members of society; it is considered the first significant novel written in Finnish. He also wrote the acclaimed comedy 'Nummisuutarit' (The Heath Cobblers, 1864), the tragedy 'Kullervo' drawn from the Kalevala, and lyric poetry. Plagued by poverty and illness, he died at Tuusula at the age of 38. His birthday, 10 October, is celebrated in Finland as the Day of Finnish Literature.

Sources: Aleksis Kivi, 'Seitsemän veljestä' (Seven Brothers, 1870) · Aleksis Kivi, 'Nummisuutarit' (The Heath Cobblers, 1864)