author
Kasperi Tanttu
1886–1918
A restless Finnish writer and poet, he became known as much for his bohemian life as for his sharp, unconventional presence in the literary world. His short career ended violently in 1918, giving his work an added sense of intensity and unfinished promise.
1 Audiobook
Sonetteja
by Kasperi Tanttu
About the author
Born in Hirvensalmi in 1886, Kasperi Tanttu was a Finnish writer, poet, and journalist. Contemporary accounts describe him as a bohemian figure who moved between working-class and middle-class circles, and his life has often attracted as much attention as his writing.
Tanttu belonged to the early generation of Finnish working-class writers, but he did not fit neatly into any one camp. Sources note that his political views shifted over time, and during the Finnish Civil War in 1918 he became known from a photograph in which he appeared as a Red commander — a role later described as more theatrical than military.
He died in Kouvola in May 1918, when he was only 31 years old. Because his life was cut short and surrounded by conflicting stories, he remains an intriguing, slightly elusive figure in Finnish literary history.