author
Urho Karhumäki
1891–1947
Remembered for energetic, accessible writing and an unusual Olympic gold medal in literature, this Finnish author brought sport, nature, and everyday ideals into popular fiction. He was especially widely read in the 1930s, when his books reached a broad audience in Finland.
1 Audiobook
Syöttöpaikassa : Kaksiosainen maalaisaiheinen huvinäytelmä
by Urho Karhumäki
About the author
Born in Multia, Finland, in 1891, Urho Karhumäki became a prolific Finnish writer whose work included novels, children's books, plays, short stories, and other prose. Sources also note that he trained as a schoolteacher, and his career later reached beyond literature into public cultural work.
Karhumäki is best known internationally for winning a gold medal in the art competitions at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games for Avoveteen (Into Free Water). Finnish biographical sources describe him as especially popular in the 1930s and connect his writing with themes such as physical fitness, sport, idealism, and the relationship between people and nature.
He died in Vihti in 1947. Although he is less widely known today than some of his contemporaries, his career still stands out for its range and for the rare distinction of being an Olympic champion in literature.