author
O. A. (Oskar Albin) Kallio
1874–1940
A Finnish teacher and literary scholar, this early 20th-century writer helped shape how Finnish literature was studied and discussed. He is also remembered for bringing major European works to Finnish readers through translation.
1 Audiobook
Elias Lönnrot
by O. A. (Oskar Albin) Kallio
About the author
Born in Mikkeli on April 18, 1874, Oskar Albin Kallio was a Finnish lyceum teacher, literary scholar, and critic. He studied at the Lyceum in Mikkeli, later worked in education, and became known for writing about Finnish literature at a time when the field was still taking shape outside the university world.
Kallio wrote literary history and criticism, and his work helped introduce and explain modern Finnish literature to a wider readership. He was also active as a translator. Among the works associated with him is a Finnish translation of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince (Ruhtinas), as well as translations of works by Voltaire.
He died in Tampere on April 1, 1940. Although not widely known today outside specialist circles, he remains a notable figure in Finnish literary history for both his scholarship and his role in making important texts available in Finnish.