Kirsi Marjatta Kunnas (14 December 1924 – 8 November 2021) was a Finnish poet, children's literature author and translator into Finnish. Her oeuvre consists of poems, fairy tale books, drama, translations (e.g. Lewis Carroll, Federico García Lorca) and non-fiction. Her books have been translated into Swedish, English, German, French, Hungarian, Estonian and Polish. She received several awards in Finland for her life's work.

Personal Life

Her parents were visual artists Väinö and Sylvi Kunnas. Her father died when she was four from pneumonia. Her mother then married art critic Einari Vehmas. Kunnas married author Jaakko Syrjä in 1957. Their sons are singer/songwriter Martti Syrjä and guitarist Mikko Syrjä of Eppu Normaali. Kunnas died in her sleep at her home in Ylöjärvi on 8 November 2021, at the age of 96. Her widower Jaakko Syrjä died six months later on 22 May 2022 from COVID-19, also at the age of 96.

Poetry

Children's poetry, nursery rhymes

Fairy tale books, primers

Picture books

Notable translations into Finnish