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he writer's job is to change the world. The writer's job is also to develop and create the language. Honesty is at the essence of writing, and often the most personal is the most public." Hone sty re quire s courage. S of i Oksanen has dared to question the axiomatic issue of Finnish equality, for instance. "In Finland, women are part of the working world and the fabric of society, and the streets are safe. But equality and safety are often discounted within the walls of homes. Even the EU has remarked on Finnish domestic violence." "t Grateful for female authors "I am indebted to all those women who were involved in the birth of Finnish literature and theatre back in the 1800s. Fredrika Runeberg was not only the first female author of historic novels in Finland, but also one of the first authors of historic novels in Finland. She wrote about the Russian occupation and its consequences, just as I have." "Runeberg's thoughts touch upon the intellectual world of John Stuart Mill, which was important for the feminist movement in the late 1800s. According to Mill, women are like nations: Nothing of their essence can be known until they are freed. Nations, too, behave differently in slavery than when free. This parallel between repressed nations and women is something I have used myself in my novels about Estonia and Estonian women." Oksanen wrote her first novel on composition paper when she was ten, and presented it to her mother as a Christlanguage loaded with symbolism For some authors, writing is a dive into the dark recesses of the senses, into a chaos that can be sorted out only upon surfacing. Oksanen's way of creating is different. "An author outlines the unsaid, approaches the unknown. But I'm constantly aware of what I am doing. For me, writing doesn't mean a dive into the unknown." The profusion of details in Oksanen's literature appeals to all the senses without drowning the reader. Everything has meaning and a justified place in the big picture. Even the seemingly insignificant, such as the mentioning of a sunflower seed, unlocks possibilities. "I mention sunflower seeds in Purge a couple of times. Soviet occupiers brought them to Estonia. The observant reader will surely catch this. And, of course, sunflower seeds also have positive symbolic meaning." Challenging truths As a social debater, the insightful Oksanen challenges many truths and, in opening new perspectives, helps democracy prevail. As a world-changing artist, she has for now chosen Estonia's recent history as her subject matter. e Her literary merits have made her one of Finland's most talked about artists. Sofi Oksanen, 33, looks the interviewer straight in the eye. Text: Jorma leppänen Photo: toni härkönen "My actual subject is power. The fact that my novels deal with Estonia is due to the remarkable interest in the country's recent history. Rarely do we get to experience an overnight change in the social system of a nation. The collapse of the Soviet Union and Estonia's independence were literally dramatic events." "And the fact that my mother is Estonian obviously influenced my choice of subject matter. I have spent a lot of time in rural Estonia." Published in 2008, Oksanen's novel Puhdistus (Purge) has been described in Finland as the novel of the decade. It looks at Estonia's history through the experiences of one family. In the novel, a woman's body is a metaphor for an occupied country. For the feminist movement, this was a natural concept already over a century ago. Purge has been translated into more than 20 languages. mas gift. Her own writing style, theme and subject crystallised during her studies at the University of Helsinki and at the Theatre Academy Helsinki. "I have always read a lot of literature, but studying literature wasn't my cup of tea. It took so much time that I had no time to write. I found that oppressive." On Oksanen's list of authors important to her, she mentions Marguerite Duras, whose works she discovered in their original language back in high school. "The simplicity and musicality of Duras' sentences made a great impression on me. Years later, I realised that experiences of colonisation are behind her literature. Perhaps I had unconsciously identified that undertone already as a youngster." Loaded with symbolism, the poetic language requires from its reader more than prose advancing like a train. While it's not surprising that Purge won the most recognised literature awards in Finland, the novel's enormous popularity amongst readers was unexpected. A quality novel rarely becomes a best-seller. "It's difficult for me to figure out why my novel is so popular. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the subject matter is universal. When the theatrical version of Purge was presented at Dramaten in Stockholm, a South African director said he could very much identify with the world of the play. Changes in power structures always cause oppression and they always happen according to the same formula." Z 37
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