Raija Siekkinen was born in Kotka, southeast Finland, in 1953. She studied literature, folklore, and philosophy, worked in a library and as a literary critic, and from 1984 until her death in 2004 she made her living primarily from writing. Siekkinen wrote fifteen books, including novels, short story collections, children’s books, and plays. She was a two-time recipient of the Finland Award for her writing.
