Rising Literary Star Dies At 33

Yesterday, one of Finland’s most promising writers suddenly passed away at the age of 33.

On Wednesday, July 5, the publisher of one of Finland’s most promising literary prospects, Miki Liukkonen, announced his death.

Widely considered to be one of the brightest stars of Finland’s literary scene, his death has come as a shock to many.  Liukkonen’s publisher, WSOY, issued a statement but did not specify his cause of death.

Publisher’s Emotional Tribute

Publisher Samuli Knuuti remembers his long-time friend Liukkonen in the release: ‘Sometimes I run out of words, but I have to write. This is one of those moments.

‘Miki Liukkonen was my dear friend, a heartfelt listener and, in my opinion, the most talented writer of his generation, with whom I had the pleasure of working on five novels, three poetry books and one parody of a children’s book.

‘They will live on for a long time, but I cannot accept that their author is gone. But loss is an accounting of love, its unit of measure just as a meter consists of cents, and now is the day of reckoning.

‘Miki often told me that life is too much for him. He poured this feeling into his novels, of which the masterful Life: Preface (2021) showed all that was human in a rich, funny and precise way, so that its author seemed to carry many lives, many personalities, many worlds within himself.

‘Now they are all gone. It’s a cliché, but sometimes it’s all we have: rest in peace, Miki.’

No further details have been released for the time being, the publisher respectfully added that the writer’s family ‘requests privacy.’

Prolific body Of Work

During his all-to-brief career, Liukkonen had already produced five novels, three poetry collections and a picture book for adults.

His mammoth 800-page novel ‘O,’ published in 2017, was nominated for the country’s most prestigious literary award, the Finlandia prize.

WSOY announced that Liukkonen’s final novel ‘Vierastila (‘Guest Mode) will be published posthumously later this year.

Liukkonen was also a guitarist in the band The Scenes and presented a TV programme, and was engaged to the singer Behm, but the couple separated in May 2023. He also made no secret about his mental health issues.

Sari Multala, Finland’s Culture Minister posted her respects on Twitter: ‘Extremely sad news. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of author Miki Liukkonen.’