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Finnish authors abroad
Finnish authors abroad
A feminist trailbrazer’s candid account of her life and writing
A diary that has become one of the most-loved books of Finland’s Annie Ernaux
‘But in any case, life is a fantastic phenomenon.’
A woman’s diary is a candid account of the life of a middle-aged writer spanning from spring to autumn, discussing writing, and the consuming alternation of creativity and melancholy.
Published in 1978, A Woman’s Diary was not written to be published, but was born out of Eeva Kilpi’s introspective conversations with herself about the hardships of everyday life, about her work and about human relationships. It gives voice to many aspects of a woman’s life that had previously been silenced.
Eeva Kilpi fearlessly brings forward her own soul in her diary entries, reflecting the complexity of motherhood, longing for love and loneliness of a single mother.
The entries in A Woman’s Diary candidly contemplate the essence of our inner self and the significance of others in our lives.
Finnish edition
English sample
‘A Woman’s Diary’ provides a unique insight into the conditions of life and work of a woman writer for whom the very form of a diary offers a frame in a specific historical context. In ‘A Woman’s Diary’, writing and living are inextricably linked and woven into the everyday bodily existence and in the expression of emotions.’
—Maarit Leskelä-Kärki, PhD, in her non-fiction work ‘Päiväkirjojen jäljillä’
‘When Kilpi speaks openly about the problems that you have considered your own and unique, it’s like a sister reaching out to you: don’t worry, it’s all part of a woman’s life.’ —Arvosteleva kirjaluettelo, 1979
