Eino Leino
Humanist of the day

Eino Leino

Armas Einar Leopold Lönnbohm, perhaps better known as Eino Leino, was a literary lion. Leino wrote poems, prose and plays, and translated works by classic writers such as Dante. He was also a prolific journalist, unafraid to take a stand on matters relating to the arts and politics. Leino was granted the Finnish State’s literary prize no fewer than eight times.

Eino Leino

Armas Einar Leopold Lönnbohm (nom de plume Eino Leino)
Born July 6, 1878, Paltimo. Died January 10, 1926, Tuusula.

Latin studies, Imperial Alexander University, 1895-99

Poet, author, translator
Reporter, Nykyaika periodical, 1898-1899
Cultural sub-editor, Päivälehti newspaper, 1899-1904
Theatre Critic and columnist, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, 1904-1914
Editor-in-chief, Sunnuntai newspaper, 1915-1918

Honours and memorials
Finnish State Prize for Literature, 1899-1900, 1902, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1911-1912, 1915-1918, 1920
Finnish State Writer’s Pension, 1918
Eino Leino society, 1947
Streets bearing his name: in Helsinki (1948), Hämeenlinna, Parikkala, Tuusula
Memorial Statue, the Esplanade in Helsinki, 1953
The Eino Leino Prize established, 1956
Memorial plaque for his translation of Divina Commedia, Rome, 1971
The Eino Leino Building, Paltaniemi, 1978
Eino Leino commemorative postage stamp, 1978
Memorial statue, Rantapuisto park, Kajaani, central Finland, 1980
Runon ja suven päivä (’Poem and summer day’), 6th June (flag day since 1992)

Works

Photo: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura
Written by Tomas Sjöblom
Translated by John Calton

Eight times state prizewinner

As a child, Armas Einar Leopold Lönnbohm, or Eino Leino as he is better known, showed an interest in reading and writing. And by the turn of the century Leino had become perhaps the nation’s most influential poet and writer.

Leino’s first poetry appeared in the pages of…

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