Hannu Salama
Hannu Sulo Salama (born 4 October 1936), also known by his pen name Aki Rautala, is a Finnish author known for his working-class themes. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969 and 1973.
Also recorded as Hannu Sulo Salama · Aki Rautala
Hannu Salama

Anonymous Unknown author · Public domain
- Name
- Hannu Salama
- Born
- 4 October 1936
- Birthplace
- Kouvola, Kymenlaakso, Finland
- Occupation
- novelist, short story writer, essayist
- Awards
- Order of the Lion of Finland (1975) Nordic Council Literature Prize (1975) Eino Leino Prize
- Full name
- Hannu Sulo Salama.
- Nationality
- Finland.
- Fields
- fiction, poetry and crime.
- Honours
- Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland, Nordic Council Literature Prize, Aleksis Kivi Award, Eino Leino Prize and Vuoden Kiila.
- Languages
- Finnish.
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Hannu Sulo Salama (born 4 October 1936), also known by his pen name Aki Rautala, is a Finnish author known for his working-class themes. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969 and 1973.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q555358 · wikipedia · Hannu Salama
In this article
Biography
Biography
The recorded working language is Finnish. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are fiction, poetry and crime. Places of work recorded in the authority are Tampere. Residence is recorded at Pispala and Helsinki. Distinctions recorded are Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland, Nordic Council Literature Prize, Aleksis Kivi Award and Eino Leino Prize.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Hannu Salama • Born — 4 October 1936 • Birthplace — Kouvola, Kymenlaakso, Finland • Occupation — novelist, short story writer, essayist • Awards — Order of the Lion of Finland (1975) Nordic Council Literature Prize (1975) Eino Leino Prize • Notable Works — Minä, Olli ja Orvokki (1967)
Biography
Biography
Hannu Salama was born in Kouvola, Kymenlaakso region in Southern Finland. He spent his childhood in the Pispala district of the city of Tampere, in a traditional working-class area with working class politics and culture. Following in the footsteps of his father, Salama first worked as an electrician and a farm hand.
Literary career
Literary career
Salama's literary debut was called Se tavallinen tarina (The Usual Story) (1961). In 1966 he was convicted for blasphemy for his book Juhannustanssit (Midsummer Dances) from 1964. He was released on probation, but finally pardoned by the Finnish president Urho Kekkonen in 1968. The new editions of the book were published as censored versions up until 1990. Salama has written short stories as well as novels and won many literary awards in Scandinavia. Despite his working-class background Salama has never admitted to be a working-class novelist. He has maintained his critical autonomy both to the left and to the right. But it has to be said that according to the two main characteristics of the working-class literature and author – a person comes from the working-class and deals with workers' world, its ordinary issues as well as controversies with the elite – he belongs to the long tradition of working-class authors. Of Salama's books, his Finlandia Series probably enjoys the greatest literary reputation, including among all Kosti Herhiläisen perunkirjoitus, Kolera on raju bändi and Pasi Harvalan tarina I–III. Hannu Salama has also published collections of poetry. In the mid-1990s, he wrote three crime novels under the pen name Aki Rautala.
Novels, short story and poems
Novels, short story and poems
• Se tavallinen tarina (1961) • Lomapäivä (1962) • Puu balladin haudalla. Runoja vuosilta 1960–62 (1963) • Juhannustanssit (1964) • Kenttäläinen käy talossa (1967) • Minä, Olli ja Orvokki (1967) • Joulukuun kuudes (1968) • Kesäleski (1969) • Tapausten kulku (1969) • Lokakuun päiviä (1971) • Villanpehmee, taskulämmin (1971) • Siinä näkijä missä tekijä (1972) • Runot (1975) • Kolme sukupolvea (1978) • Itäväylä (1980) • Punajuova (1985) • Amos ja saarelaiset (1987) • Näkymä kuivaushuoneen ikkunasta (1988) • Ottopoika (1991) • Hyvä veli (1992) • Pieni menestystarina (1993) • Jatkuu huomenna (2004) • Sydän paikallaan (2010) • Hakemisen riemu (2014) • Hyvästi, kirvesvarsi! (2016) • Läheltä pitäen, kaukaa käyden (2020)
Finlandia series
Finlandia series
• Kosti Herhiläisen perunkirjoitus (1976) • Kolera on raju bändi (1977) • Pasi Harvalan tarina I (1981) • Pasi Harvalan tarina II (1983) • Kaivo kellarissa (1983)
Disciples of Life series
Disciples of Life series
• Elämän opetuslapsia I (1997) • Elämän opetuslapsia II (1999) • Elämän opetuslapsia III (2002) • Elämän opetuslapsia IV (2005)
As Aki Rautala
As Aki Rautala
• Kaikki naiset pitävät parabellumista (1995) • Bipappi soittaa bebopia (1996) • Rikoksia ilman rangaistuksia (1996)
Identity
Identity
Hannu Salama is recorded as having received Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland, Nordic Council Literature Prize and Aleksis Kivi Award.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1936
Hannu Salama born at Kouvola.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Pispala and Helsinki.
Residences
Kouvola.
Birth place
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- Hannu Salama: A Writer between the Social Classes, World Literature Today, 1980
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 1980
- Writer, church and party: Literary polemics since 1954 and the career of Hannu Salama, Index on Censorship, 1982
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 1982
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q555358: Hannu Salama
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Hannu Salama”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Prizes
• 1975: Order of the Lion of Finland • 1975: Nordic Council Literature Prize • 1985: Eino Leino Prize • 1990: Aleksis Kivi Award
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Verifiedscholarly publication
Writer, church and party: Literary polemics since 1954 and the career of Hannu Salama, Index on Censorship, 1982Crossref registry
Verifiedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q555358: Hannu SalamaWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Hannu Salama was recorded at birth as Hannu Sulo Salama. He also worked under the name Aki Rautala. The authorities additionally record the headings Hannu Sulo Salama and Aki Rautala. His recorded language was Finnish. Salama received Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland, Nordic Council Literature Prize, Aleksis Kivi Award, Eino Leino Prize and Vuoden Kiila.
Identity and origins
Recognition and collections
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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