Kaari Marjatta Utrio (born July 28 1942, proper surname Utrio-Linnilä, is a Finnish writer. She has written tens of historical novels and many factual books about history.

Personal history

Kaari Utrio was born in Helsinki to a middle-class family. Her father was Urho Untamo Utrio, who after the Winter War worked as CEO of Tammi, a Finnish publishing company. Her mother Meri Marjatta Utrio (née Vitikainen) worked as an editor and a translator to Finnish. There were about four thousand books in Utrio's home, and literature was greatly valued in her family.

Utrio became acquintated with literature at a young age, when her mother read her classics of world literature, such as Kipling and Shakespeare as bed-time stories. At age seven Utrio read a whole book by hereself, it happened to be the rather thick Jokamiehen maailmanhistoria (World history for the everyman). At school Utrio did rather well, also in concept writing, even though she did not have any plans to become a writer at the time. Instead she wanted to become a researcher in history. Grimberg's Kansojen historia (History of peoples) offered a living description of history to the young Utrio.

Kaari Utrio matriculated in 1962 from Helsingin tyttölukio, a lyceum for girls. After that, she studied history at the University of Helsinki and graduated as a Bachelor of Sciences in 1967. The following year, Utrio published her first novel Kartanonherra ja kaunis Kirstin (The lord of the mansion and the beautiful Kirstin), which was published by Tammi. The name was given by the publisher, and Utrio did not like it hereself. The book was, however, a start for Utrio's numerous other historical novels, which have today appeared at a steady pace, usually one per year. Utrio has also published many factual books about history.

Utrio has three children: Karri Virkajärvi (1969), Antti Virkajärvi (1971) and Lauri Linnilä (1976). In 1974 Utrio married Kai Linnilä. The next year, they moved to Somerniemi in Somero. At first, the couple tried their hand at self-sufficient agriculture, but it stopped after a couple of years. Instead, in 1982, Utrio and Linnilä founded a publishing company called Oy Amanita Ltd. Amanita became a family corporation, because Meri Utrio worked there, and later also Lauri Linnilä and his wife joined the staff.

Utrio has worked actively in several organisations. She has been the chairman of the Minna Canth Society from 1999. Utrio is a member of Amnesty International and has been on the board of the Finnish Association of Writers for several years. She has also been active in municipal politics, because Utrio was a non-committed member of the Social Democratic group of the Somero municipal government from 1980 to 1988. She has also given many lectures in many events all around Finland.

Utrio was appointed an artistical professor for the years 1995 to 2000, which was a recognition for her work. Utrio has been an academic in the Väinö Tanner Foundation since 2000. She was awarded the Finnish State Publication Prize in 2002 for her life's work.

General works

A combining factor in Utrio's novels is that, save for one, they all take place in historical times, some in more ancient history, some nearer the modern times. The main character is typically a woman, often somehow connected to Finland or Finnish history, although in the novel Vaskilintu (The Iron Bird) the main character is a man, Eirik Väkevä. The setting is usually Finland or its neighbouring countries, but also far-away places like Constantinople also appear in the books from time to time.

The characters in Utrio's books are often fictional, but she also uses real persons as background characters. Utrio makes use of her knowledge of history in the details of the books, which create a feeling of the book's time period. History of everyday life is prominent in her books, not only great country-level events. Everyday life is described from a woman's point of view, and thus also the inferior position of women in historical times is strongly evident. On the other hand, Utrio has many strong female characters, who are able to achieve a comparably good position because of their strength and love.

Utrio can be seen as continuing the tradition of the Finnish historical novel, which can be thought of including Zacharias Topelius, Santeri Ivalo, Mika Waltari and Ursula Pohjolan-Pirhonen. However, Utrio has renewed the historical novels, compared to the older male writers, by also using women as main characters. In addition, her style of narration is more detailed than Pohjolan-Pirjonen's, known for her somewhat light novels. Utrio also hardly ever uses the present tense in her narration, unlike some of Pohjolan-Pirhonen's work.

Utrio's factual books, like her novels, feature the history of women and children, which often have very minor roles in historical literature. Eevan tyttäret (The daughters of Eve) is one of Utrio's most notable factual books. The book describes the history of women starting from ancient Middle East and ancient Greece to modern times. In Eevan tyttäret, there is a strong background of feministic thinking and critique of patriarchan society, which however does not diminish the scientific value of the book. The book has achieved international note, and has been translated into seven languages.

Works by Utrio

Novels

Aatelisneito, porvaristyttö (A noble maiden, a bourgeois girl) (Tammi 1974)
Haukka, minun rakkaani (The falcon, my love) (Tammi 1990)
Iisalmen serkku ja muita kertomuksia (The cousin from Iisalmi and other tales) (Tammi 1996)
Isabella (Isabella) (Tammi 1978)
Kartanonherra ja kaunis Kirstin (The lord of the mansion and the beautiful Kirstin) (Tammi 1968, also named Kirstin, Tammi 1998)
Katarina (Katarina) (a combination of the books Neidontanssi and Katarinan Taru; Tammi 1998)
Katarinan taru (The story of Katarina) (Tammmi 1981)
Kuka olet, Elissa? (Who are you, Elissa?) (Tammi 1989)
Kun nainen hallitsi, rakasti ja vihasi (When a woman ruled, loved and hated) (Tammi 1975)
Kuukiven kevät (The spring of the moonstone) (Otava 1995)
Neidontanssi (The maiden dance) (Tammi 1980)
Pappilan neidot (The maidens of the priest's mansion) (Tammi 1976)
Pirita, Karjalan tytär (Pirita, the daughter of Karelia) (Tammi 1972)
Pirkkalan pyhät pihlajat (The holy rowan trees of Pirkkala) (Tammi 1976)
Pormestarin tytär (The daughter of the mayor) (Tammi 1982)
Porvarin morsian (The bourgeois bride) (Kolmiokirja 1981)
Rakas Henrietta (My dear Henrietta) (Tammi 1977)
Rautalilja (The iron lily) (Tammi 1979)
Ruma kreivitär (The ugly countess) (Tammi 2002)
Ruusulaakso (Rose valley) (Tammi 1982)
Saippuaprinsessa (The soap princess) (Tammi 2004)
Sunneva Jaarlintytär (Sunneva, daughter of the earl) (Tammi 1969)
Sunneva keisarin kaupungissa (Sunneva in the emperor's city) (Tammi 1970)
Tuulihaukka (The wind falcon) (Tammi 1995)
Uhritulet (The sacrificial fires) (Tammi 1993)
Vanajan Joanna (Joanna from Vanaja) (Tammi 1991)
Vaskilintu (The iron bird) (Tammi 1992)
Vehkalahden neidot (The maidens of Vehkalahti) (Tammi 1971)
Vendela (Vendela) (Tammi 1989)
Viipurin kaunotar (The beauty from Viipuri) (Tammi 1973)
Yksisarvinen (The unicorn) (Tammi 2000)

=Factual books

Bella Donna (Bella Donna) (with Sari Savikko; Tammi 2001)
Eevan historia (The history of Eve) (Amanita 1985)
Eevan tyttäret (The daughters of Eve) (Tammi 1984)
Familia 1-6 (Familia) (with many writers; Tammi 1995-1997)
Kalevan tyttäret (The daughters of Kaleva) (Tammi 1986)
Laps' Suomen (The child of Finland) (with Kaarina Helakisa; Otava 1987)
Perhekirja (The family book) (Tammi 1998)
Rusoposkia, huulten purppuraa (Rosy cheeks, purple lips) (with Una Nuotio and Taina Heikkilä; Tekniikan museo 1995)
Somero: viljan maa (Somero: the land of grain) (with Kai Linnilä, Amanita 1982)
Suomalaisia taiteilijakoteja (Finnish artists' homes) (only the introduction, Kuurojen liitto 1982)
Suomi silloin kerran (Finland, once upon a time) (with Kai Linnilä, Meri Utrio and Lauri Haataja; Tammi 1992)
Suuri prinsessakirja (The great princess book) (with Kaarina Helakisa and Matti Kota; Otava 1991)
Venus (Venus) (Tammi, 1985)
Vuosisatainen Viipuri (The century-old Viipuri) (Tammi 1991)

Other works

Ruusulamppu (The rose lamp) (Kaisaniemen Dynamo 2002) (No information is available of the nature of this book)
Tulin onneni yrttitarhaan (I came into the herb garden of my happiness) (with Salme Sauri; Otava 1988)