Ilma Virtala

Born Ilma Karoliina Näätänen in Nousiainen on October 24, 1886, and later known by the pen name Ilma Virtala, she was a Finnish writer who also worked as a massage therapist in Helsinki. She died in Helsinki on December 31, 1931.

Her known works include the novels Valkea kansa, Kosken laulu, Jääkärin sisko, Tuomion jälkeen, and the marriage novel Anja rouva. She also wrote the play Heikki Ortela, a four-act drama set in Ostrobothnia during 1917–1918.

Her writing is remembered for its connection to Finnish themes and history. Even from the small surviving biographical record, she comes across as a writer interested in both the larger story of the nation and the intimate pressures of family and personal life.