Jorma Ojaharju
Encyclopedia
Jorma Ojaharju was an author from Vaasa
, Finland
. He had been described as a "boxer of rough prose" because of his background as a sailor
and a boxer
, but also because of his relaxed narrative
. Ojaharji published his writings in 1966 and his main work was the so called Vaasa-trilogy - 'Valkoinen kaupunki' (1976), 'Paremmassa maailmassa' (1979) and 'Maa kallis isien' (1982) - which depicts history from the Finnish Civil War
to the present day through the eyes of a few sailors. As a describer of recent history he chose another path compared with other Finnish writers of the same generation, as he strove fora realistic narrative, but also left room for fantasy and myth. Jorma Ojaharju's style of writing has been compared with Colombian
novelist Gabriel García Márquez
who is widely considered the leading exponent of the literary style called magical realism. Aside from being a writer and his history as a sailor, Ojaharju also worked as a rock blaster, a harbour and dock worker, and a diver.
Ojaharju died on 8 February 2011 at the age of 72.
Vaasa
Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. He had been described as a "boxer of rough prose" because of his background as a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
and a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, but also because of his relaxed narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
. Ojaharji published his writings in 1966 and his main work was the so called Vaasa-trilogy - 'Valkoinen kaupunki' (1976), 'Paremmassa maailmassa' (1979) and 'Maa kallis isien' (1982) - which depicts history from the Finnish Civil War
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
to the present day through the eyes of a few sailors. As a describer of recent history he chose another path compared with other Finnish writers of the same generation, as he strove fora realistic narrative, but also left room for fantasy and myth. Jorma Ojaharju's style of writing has been compared with Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
novelist Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
who is widely considered the leading exponent of the literary style called magical realism. Aside from being a writer and his history as a sailor, Ojaharju also worked as a rock blaster, a harbour and dock worker, and a diver.
Ojaharju died on 8 February 2011 at the age of 72.