The Finnish author Miki Liukkonen, considered one of the most brilliant feathers of the Finnish literary scene, died at the age of 33, announced Wednesday July 5 his publishing house, WSOY. The cause of death was not disclosed by the publisher, who declined to give details, citing respect for the privacy of the writer’s family.
Despite his young age, Mr. Liukkonen had already published three books of poetry, four novels and a graphic novel. His works have been critically acclaimed and crowned with several awards. Released in 2017, his novel O, which has nearly 1,000 pages and a hundred characters, was in the running that year for the Finlandia Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in the Nordic country.
Translated into French in 2021, O has been described in our columns as a “learned labyrinth, a magnetic monster book”. Mr. Liukkonen’s writings combine “the winds of international experimental literature with a virtuoso mastery of the Finnish language,” the publisher wrote in its statement, adding that his works are laced with “sumptuous metaphors and obsessive people trying to make their way, alive, through life”.
Mental health problems
Beyond writing, the young man was the guitarist of the alternative rock group The Scenes, and presented a television show where he met people whose life choices interested him, and whom he wanted to better understand.
Miki Liukkonen was also openly discussing her mental health issues. At the end of May, he explained in an Instagram post about the difficulties he had recently encountered: “All I can do is lie on the ground and breathe out this bad feeling, before I see it come back. in an instant. »
Her fifth novel, Vierastila, will be published posthumously in the fall, WSOY reported. On Twitter, Finnish Culture Minister Sari Multala lamented “extremely sad news”. “My condolences to the family and friends of author Miki Liukkonen,” she wrote.