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Märta Tikkanen

Märta Eleonora Tikkanen (née Cavonius, 1958–1963 Ginman)
Born April 3, 1935, Helsinki

Bachelor of Arts 1958, Master of Arts (Swedish literature) 1961, University of Helsinki

Author 1980–
Principal of Arbis, Helsinki’s Swedish language adult education centre, 1972-1980
Freelance journalist 1968-70
Senior lecturer in Swedish language, Drumsö Svenenska Samskola 1962-66
Journalist 1958-61, Hufvudstadsbladet

Photo: Tammi
Written by Heta Muurinen
Translated by Matthew Billington

Laudatur Seminar with Jörn Donner

When Märta Tikkanen went to her Laudatur Seminar, there were only two students besides her – a Frenchman, Jean Bry, and Jörn Donner.

“Professor Olof Enckell just called me fröken, miss, all the time.”

Tikkanen was a diligent student who always managed to do the necessary reading. Donner’s life situation was different.

“Jörn had small children who would keep him up at night, so he was often fighting against sleep and sinking slowly beneath his desk – especially when I was speaking.”

Tikkanen and Donner sat an oral exam on Swedish literature together, where professor Enckell began to ask his students about 18th century writers.

“When Enckell asked Donner something, he began to sink on his chair towards the floor. ‘What about Fröken?’ he then asked. Well, fröken naturally knew everything. ‘Well, what can Mr. Donner tell me about Kellgren?’ And again Jörn went underneath the table,” Tikkanen remembers with amusement.

Nevertheless, in the end Donner and Tikkanen ended up getting the same grade.

“That was of course because Jörn knew his Elmer Diktonius extremely well, that’s what he wrote his Master’s thesis on.”

 

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