The French translator has translated from Finnish and ten other languages
Finnish State Award for Foreign Translators to Sébastien Cagnoli

This year's Finnish State Award for Foreign Translators goes to Sébastien Cagnoli, who has translated a wealth of quality literature from Finnish into French.

Cagnoli started his career translating from English. He has also translated from Komi and intermittently from Sámi, Estonian, Italian, Swedish, German, Mari, Udmurt and Veps. He first became interested in Finnish after becoming acquainted with the works of Finnish composers, particularly opera.
 “For example, Aulis Sallinen’s operas and his symphonic music have been a great motivation for me. I first heard about the Kalevala thanks to Sibelius’s Kullervo. I believe that the rhythm and prosody of a language impel into melodic lines certain qualities that are not found elsewhere. For the same reasons, many foreigners are interested in Finnish because of metal music. Literature for me is words, poetry, rhythm, music, dance. I can't distinguish between these fields of art.”

Cagnoli made his first translation of Finnish literature, the poems of Uuno Kailas, in 2006.
 “I enjoy translating classical poetry because I enjoy repeating constraints such as metre, lines and rhymes. Kailas’s poems were fascinating to translate, but also a good way to learn the language. I feel like I’ve been ‘translating’ ever since I learned my letters. Writing anything – a poem or a prose text – is the same process: with French words and phrases, I formulate something immaterial that comes out of my own or someone else’s head. This is precisely what I want to focus on: to give form to something that doesn’t yet have it, and thereby share it with others.”

Cagnoli is also interested in linguistically challenging contemporary literature. The creative voices of Mikko Rimminen and Katja Kettu, for example, have been inspiring for him to translate. Other inspiring, demanding translations include Miki Liukkonen’s O and Jaakko Yli-Juonikka’s Neuromaani, currently a work in progress.

Cagnoli has also translated works by Ann-Christin Antell, Niillas Holmberg, Karo Hämäläinen, Daniel Katz, Sofi Oksanen, Petra Rautiainen, Antti Rönka, Pirkko Saisio, Iida Turpeinen, Jussi Valtonen and Caj Westerberg, among others. In addition, he has translated Finnish children’s and young people’s literature, plays, opera librettos and essays. Cagnoli has also translated Oksanen’s novel Kun kyyhkyset katosivat into Occitan, in collaboration with Miquèl de Carabatta.

 “The Finnish State Award for Foreign Translators is a unique way to highlight translators who make Finnish literature known in different countries. I am particularly delighted that Sébastien Cagnoli has also translated a lot of Finnish poetry into French. Translating poetry is a skill in itself, and I greatly appreciate the fact that Finnish poetry is gaining more readers around the world,” says Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie, who presented the award.

Sébastien Cagnoli initially studied to be an engineer, but his love for languages won out. Cagnoli, who also works as a writer and researcher, has won several awards in France for his books and translations. His translation of Iida Turpeinen’s novel Elolliset is currently nominated for the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger award.

A gratifyingly large amount of Finnish literature is currently published in French. According to statistics from the Finnish Literature Exchange (FILI), French was the fifth largest translation language last year, after Estonian, German, Danish and Polish. 

The Ministry of Education and Culture awards the Finnish State Award for Foreign Translators annually on the proposal of the Finnish Literature Exchange (FILI). The prize, which has been awarded since 1975, is worth EUR 15,000.

Inquiries and requests for interview: 
Hannele Jyrkkä, Communications Manager, FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange, tel. +358 50 3222 387, [email protected]