author
Valter Juva
1865–1922
A Finnish poet, translator, and lyricist whose work helped bring world literature into Finnish, he is still especially remembered for the beloved song text "Karjalan kunnailla." Writing under the name Valter Juva, he paired literary ambition with a gift for clear, memorable language.
4 Audiobooks
Kuvia ja säveliä
by Valter Juva
Maahengen salaisuus: Tohtori salapoliisina
by Valter Juva
Runoja. Uusi sarja
by Valter Juva
Valkoinen kameeli ja muita kertomuksia itämailta
by Valter Juva
About the author
Born in Pyhäjoki on September 3, 1865, and originally named Valter Henrik Juvelius, he became known to readers as Valter Juva. He was part of the first educated generation in Finland to be schooled in Finnish, and that background shaped his lifelong interest in developing Finnish literary language.
Juva worked as a writer, translator, and lyricist, and he also trained as a surveyor. Over several decades he translated a large amount of world literature into Finnish, helping open international poetry and fiction to new readers. He is particularly remembered for the words he wrote to the well-known song "Karjalan kunnailla lehtii puu," which kept his name familiar long after his lifetime.
He also published his own poems and was active in cultural and educational life, including work in Viipuri. Juva died there on December 25, 1922, but his legacy lives on in both his original writing and the many works he carried into Finnish for others to enjoy.