Eira Stenberg (b. 1943), who lives in Helsinki, has written six award-winning collections of poems and four novels. The collection of poems Halun ikoni (Icon of desire, 1997) was entered for the Finnish Broadcasting Company's Dancing Bear poetry prize, and the novel Kuun puutarhat (Gardens of the moon, 1990) for the Finlandia Prize. Next autumn, her seventh collection of poems Siksi seurustelen varkaiden kanssa (And so I keep company with thieves) is due to appear. Stenberg's poems have been translated into numerous languages, including Spanish, Swedish, Italian, German, Icelandic, French and English. Stenberg has also written plays for television and radio, fairy-tales, a children's opera and children's play, and the lyrics of songs.

Photo: Tammi