Jalmari Finne

Born Adolf Jalmari Finne on August 11, 1874, in Kangasala, Finland, he moved with his family to Helsinki as a child and studied at the Helsinki Normal Lyceum. He began university studies in languages in 1894 and soon became involved in theatre, translating plays and working with Kaarlo Bergbom at the Finnish Theatre.

Finne’s theatre career lasted from the 1890s until 1907 and included directing and managing theatre companies, as well as extensive travels to study European theatre. Afterward, he worked as a freelance writer and produced a broad body of literature, including the beloved Kiljunen books, plays, songs, translations, and works on genealogy and settlement history. He died in Helsinki on January 3, 1938.