Abstraktin kirjallisuuden loisto ja kurjuus (Poesia 2022) by Päivi Mehtonen backgrounds the formerly unknown tradition of literary art in Finland, which at the beginning of the 1900’s seemed to affect everything, but was since forgotten.
Inspired by the book, Mehtonen discusses the boundaries of prose and poem with poet Silja Järventausta. Järventausta’s prose poetry collections creatively and independently test the borders or language and genre, and her collection Hyvän yön puisto (Teos 2012) received the award for the best work of prose by Mahdollisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Her latest book Iltapäivä isolla kirjaimella was published in March 2022.
Mehtonen and Järventausta are interviewed by essayist and poet Pauliina Haasjoki, who has never been able to definitively resolve to herself the point where poetry and prose part ways.
The discussion is held in Finnish.
Free entry.
In collaboration with Osuuskunta Poesia.