Finnish author Miki Liukkonenconsidered one of the most brilliant feathers of the Finnish literary scene, died at the age of 33, announced Wednesday July 5 his publishing house WSOY.
The cause of death was not disclosed by the publisher, who, contacted by AFP, did not wish to give details, citing respect for the privacy of the writer’s family.
Despite his young age, Mr. Liukkonen had already published three books of poetry, four novels and a graphic novel. Elizabeth And O or Universal treatise on the why of things were published in French in Castor astral.
Released in 2017, his novel O, which has nearly 1,000 pages and a hundred characters, was in the running that year for the Finlandia Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in the Nordic country. He was described by the French daily newspaper Le Monde as “scholarly labyrinth, a magnetic book-monster”.
Liukkonen’s writings combine “the winds of international experimental literature with a virtuoso mastery of the Finnish language”wrote the publisher in its press release, adding that his works were imbued with “lavish metaphors and obsessive people trying to make their way, alive, through life”.
Beyond writing, the young man was the guitarist of the alternative rock group “The Scenes”, and presented a television show where he met people whose life choices interested him, and whom he wanted to better understand. .
Miki Liukkonen was also openly discussing her mental health issues. At the end of May, he explained in an Instagram post the difficulties he had recently encountered: “All I can do is lie on the floor and exhale this bad feeling, before watching it come back in an instant.”
Her fifth novel Vierastila will be released posthumously in the fall, WSOY said.
