Hella Wuolijoki

She was briefly married to parliament member SuloVuolijoki. They married in 1907 while she was still in school. Ten years later she started had a long term affair with another man resulting in the eventual divorce.

Hella and Sulo had a daughter together. She took advantage of her time at home with her new baby to begin writing her first plays. Her grandson ErkkiTuomioja has been the Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2011.

She passed away on February 2, 1954 due to old age. Due to her political fame and business success, she has left behind a much more woman-friendly Finland.

She was born on July 22, 1886 in Estonia to Ernst and KadriMurrik.Hella Wuolijoki was christened Ella Murrik on her birth.Her father was a successful bookshop owner and teacher while her mother was a farmer’s daughter.

In 1901, she began attending ‘Púskin Grammar School’ in Dorpat. Once she finished her secondary schooling, she wanted to continue to study. It was only through her connections with influential contacts that she was able to attend a university for women in St. Petersburg.

In 1908, she graduated from the ‘Imperial Alexander University’ with her M.A becoming the first Estonian woman to do so. While attending school, she began her publishing career by writing in Estonian periodicals.

In 1912, her very first play, ‘Talulapsed’, was shown in theaters in Finland and Estonia. This performance was later forbidden by the authorities due to its excessively nationalistic nature.

In 1923, she began work as the director of Carelia Timber co and AunuksenPuuliike. With her looming separation from her husband, she put all of her efforts into becoming a successful businesswoman.

Throughout the 1920s and 30s, she owned a salon which became a political hub for left-wing ideas. She was known for her connections with the Soviets, and was even believed by the Finnish government to be an illegal spy.

In 1931, she accepted the prestigious role of chairman of the board of the oil company SuomenNafta. While working here, she began work on her numerous plays.

In 1933 she completed her works ‘Ministerijakommunisti’ and ‘Lakijajärjestys’. Around this time, her plays began to become more about women empowerment and deeply saturated with political ideas.

Her most well-known work is her ‘Niskavuori’ series. Published under her male pen name, it features the power struggle between the older and younger generations of women.

Most people expected the show to be short-lived. The show, however, ran for hundreds of performances and brought in more money than any other plays that season. They have remained popular being staged across Europe and adapted to modern film.

In 1937, she completed the writing of ‘JuurakonHulda’. This play was later interpreted and adapted into the comedy ‘The Farmer’s Daughter’ which premiered ten years later. The performance has won Oscars and inspired a television series.