author
Toivo Lyy
1898–1976
A Finnish poet and translator, he helped bring world literature into Finnish while also publishing his own lyrical work. His writing is remembered for its literary polish and for a career that moved between poetry, editing, and translation.
1 Audiobook
Tuomivaaran tuolta puolen
by Toivo Lyy
About the author
Born Otto Toivo Lyy in Joensuu on April 20, 1898, he was a Finnish poet and translator. Until 1930, he used the surname Mähönen, and he later became known simply as Toivo Lyy.
Lyy worked not only as a poet but also in literary and publishing circles. Sources describe him as an editor at Suomen Kuvalehti, as well as a publishing employee and later a company director. He was especially noted for his wide-ranging translation work, which included authors such as Omar Khayyam, Geoffrey Chaucer, Friedrich Schiller, and Zacharias Topelius.
He died in Naantali on July 27, 1976. Remembered as both a creative writer and a careful translator, he holds a place in Finnish literary history for connecting Finnish readers with major works from other languages.