Room for thought and work

Last autumn, SLS opened its building at Ritarinkatu 5 in Helsinki for writers, researchers and cultural workers who need offices. The visual artist Kukka Paavilainen and the dramaturg Per Ehrström are among the first to be given time-limited workrooms.

“I often used to sit in the SLS reading room, leafing through Ellen Thesleff’s archives. So it was a natural step to apply for a workroom here,” says Paavilainen. She is writing her doctoral thesis on Thesleff and painting as a research method for the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts.

Per Ehrström has worked as a performance dramaturg in close collaboration with theatre directors. He is currently writing a play as part of a project funded by the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland.

“I've never had an office before, and as a father of young children, it’s wonderful to have a room where I can keep my papers and books. “It’s a huge luxury to have a physical workspace to which I can retreat,” says Ehrström.

Agneta Rahikainen

Applications for the SLS workrooms are processed on a continuous basis and interested parties can apply at any time. Submitted applications are considered when a room or desk becomes available. Further information about who can be granted a workroom is available at sls.fi.

The Karl Emil Tollander Prize celebrates winners’ literary or academic life’s work, and is the greatest honour bestowed by SLS. It is one of the biggest literary awards in the Nordic region.

“I’ve been in Sweden for a long time, so maintaining an affiliation with Finland-Swedish literature feels important.”

So says Robert Åsbacka , who received the 2022 Tollander Prize of 40 000 euro for his novel Kistmakarna. According to him, the FinlandSwedish literary community is robust and writes high-quality literature.

“We have pretty good forms of support, and thanks to that, FinlandSwedish writers can devote themselves to writing, at least periodically.”

He made his own debut in 1988 and has written 13 literary works. At the beginning of Robert Åsbacka’s career, Wava Stürmer and EvaStina Byggmästar were among those who offered great support via the writers’ cooperative that published his debut.

“Those two women showed me how to become a writer. Although I had read a lot, I had never met an author until after I’d written my first book.”

Michaela

von Kügelgen