Research on Finnish Literature, Research Profile

Over the past years, research activity in the Department of Finnish Literature has been very high, and resulted in a considerably large number of published monographs and articles, appearing in quality journals or published by recognized academic publishers, both nationally and internationally.

The primary scholarly interest of the Department is in the history and evolution of Finnish literature. Research approach has thus a strong historical bent, while theoretical advances in literary theory are keenly followed and applied. Accordingly, the Department emphasizes the study and research of historical contexts and intertextual connections alike, and looks beyond national to international, intradisciplinary to interdisciplinary, perspectives.

The Department has a strong profile as a unit specializing in Finnish literary history, and within this domain in particular in genre research, genre history and period related concepts of literature. Several funded projects ( Academy of Finland , University of Helsinki ) have been completed and an extensive project on genre history is in progress as of 2002. A large national colloquium on the topic of genre history was organized in 2003. Resulting from these projects, substantially new scholarly work on Finnish literary history has emerged. Completed publications include, on earlier Finnish literature, a monograph using the concept of “transgression” in an analysis of the Seven Brothers of Aleksis Kivi (Lyytikäinen 2004), articles on the problematic of genre in Finnish Naturalism (Rossi 2002, 2003, Maijala 2003), and studies on intertextuality (Nummi 2002) as well as decadence (Lyytikäinen 2003) in fin-de-siecle Finnish literature. Additional publications are forthcoming. Another periodical specialization is the literature of Finnish Modernism of the1950´s and after, resulting, among others, in studies on memory in the prose of Antti Hyry (Seutu, 2001), on women poets (Hökkä 1999, 2004) and the concept of irony in Finnish post-war prose (Salin 2002).

The Department has participated in several large-scale national projects on new approaches to Finnish literary or cultural history. In 1999, A History of Finnish Literature (Suomen kirjallisuushistoria) was completed. The contribution of the Department was significant, consisting of numerous articles and covering a multitude of periods (Hökkä, Koskela, Grünthal, Lyytikäinen). Moreover, in the recent (2002–2004) Finnish Cultural History (Suomen kulttuurihistoria) a substantial part of the literature section is by professor Lyytikäinen. Future contributions to comprehensive reference works will include the section on Finnish literature, coordinated by professor Lyytikäinen, in the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA) project entitled “Histories of Scandinavian Literary Cultures.”

A strong point of the Department has for long been the research and analysis of poetry and poetics. Research emphasis is on concepts of poetry, poetics of Modernism, and on assessments of theoretical and analytical tools of the field. There is much publishing activity in the domain (Hökkä, Hollsten, Haapala). Research in poetical subject voice theory is of high international level. Particularly noteworthy is the dissertation by Leena Kaunonen in 2001 on Modernism and Paavo Haavikko, awarded the doctoral award by the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. Additional dissertations in 2003 on Bo Carpelan (Hollsten) and in 2005 on Edith Södergran (Haapala).

Theoretical interests of the Department are broad, and accentuate the comprehension of the role of context and intertext in the analysis of literature. Historical understanding is emphasized, as are the interconnections with many neighbouring disciplines, such as art history, philosophy and so forth. Research is active, with publications, in intertextuality (Nummi 2001, Sipilä 2001), in genre theory (Lyytikäinen 2005), word-image research and interart studies (Kaunonen 2003, Hollsten 2003). Interconnections of literature, literary theory and philosophy are the interest of many researchers (Lyytikäinen 2001, Pasanen 2003). In connection with its theoretical interests, the Department has hosted several internationally renowned scholars, most notably prof. Jacques Derrida (EHESS, France) in 2000, prof. John Sallis ( Penn State, USA ) in 2002 and Marjorie Perloff ( SUNY-Buffalo , USA ) in 2003.

A developing strong point is research in contemporary Finnish literature, parallel to the considerable upsurge and thriving of Finnish literature, cinema, and art, in the past 15–20 years. The field is particularly popular among younger researchers and doctoral students; several publications in national academic journals. One dissertation on intertextual and contextual aspects of Antti Tuuri´s prose (Sipilä 2002); several dissertations are expected.

The overall objective of the Department is to promote high level international research while keeping scholarly work in Finnish language as a priority. The main language of publications is Finnish while publishing in foreign languages has been and will be promoted. International contacts and publishing in high quality international forums has been and will be encouraged.

Research Projects

>> Styles of Mimesis

>> The Finnish Doctoral Programme for Literary Studies