author
Iris Uurto
1905–1994
A bold Finnish novelist and poet, Iris Uurto became known for psychologically sharp stories about women seeking independence, desire, and a life beyond society’s expectations. Her candid treatment of sexuality and marriage made her one of Finland’s most discussed writers of the 1930s.
2 Audiobooks
Tulta ja tuhkaa : Novelleja ja runoja
by Iris Uurto
Ruumiin ikävä
by Iris Uurto
About the author
Iris Uurto was the pen name of Lyyli Ester Ripatti, née Mielonen. Born on January 28, 1905, in Kerimäki, Finland, she grew up in a farming community and moved to Helsinki as a teenager. While working as an office clerk and proofreader, she studied independently, completed her upper secondary education in 1929, and briefly attended university.
She made her debut in 1930 with the poetry and short-story collection Tulta ja tuhkaa, followed the same year by her breakthrough novel Ruumiin ikävä. Her fiction explored gender, marriage, sexuality, and women’s struggle for self-determination, often with a directness that challenged the moral conventions of the time. Other important works include Kypsyminen (1935), Rakkaus ja pelko (1936), and Ruumiin viisaus (1942).
Uurto was widowed while still young and raised her son largely on her own. She was associated at different times with left-wing literary circles and the Kiila writers’ group, but later distanced herself from organized affiliations. Known for avoiding publicity and interviews, she continued to write prose, poetry, and drama until her death in Kivijärvi on April 1, 1994.