Olli Heikkonen (1965) was born in Karelia, a region in eastern Finland from which the population has been emigrating steadily, leaving behind a virgin countryside. Heikkonen himself relocated to Helsinki. There, he summons an animated spirit to warn humanity through emotionally charged monologues. In this way, Heikkonen connects with the long tradition of shamanism in Finland: beyond the border between life and death, gathered insight and knowledge can help us. In his poems, Heikkonen takes nature’s side in the interest of mankind.

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