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
Märta Tikkanen’s rise to global fame was thanks to the director of a small Swedish publishing house.
“The director of my publisher in Finland, Söderström, encouraged me to meet the director of the newly founded Swedish publisher Trevi. So I did. The publisher Solveig Nellinge took my book and urged me to continue writing. She was the one who made me a writer.”
Nellinge noticed that the themes of Tikkanen’s books were very current and took her with her to the Frankfurt Book Fair.
“I don’t understand how she did it but she rented a room and got it full of people. There I read English translations of my poems to 80 people. It was an incredible achievement in Frankfurt, and she was a tough businesswoman.”
Tikkanen’s reputation spread so quickly that it is Germany, in addition to Sweden, where her books have sold the most, 325,000 copies.
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
