(1926-)
A Finland-Swedish poet and novelist, Carpelan had his literary debut with the poetry collection Som en dunkel varme (1946; Like a Dusky Warmth), which was quickly followed by Du morka overlevande (1947; You Dark Survivor) and Variationer (1950; Variations). From the beginning of his career Carpelan had his own voice, even though he was influenced by both the Swedish and the Finnish modernists. While intrigued by the mystery of life, Carpelan also looks at life with a sense of humor, as evidenced by some of the prose poems in Minus sju (1952; Minus Seven). Additional prose poems are found in his collection Jag minns att jag dromde (1979; I Remember That I Dreamed). The three poetry volumes Landskapets forvandlingar (1957; The Landscape's Transformations), Den svala dagen (1960; tr. The Cool Day, as a part of Homecoming, 1995), and 73 dikter (1966; 73 Poems) attest to increasing precision and conciseness in Carpelan's expression.
In the collection Garden (1969; tr. The Courtyard, 1982; also as a part of Homecoming, 1995), Carpelan offered poetic snapshots of life in an apartment building during his childhood in the 1930s. In Kallan (1973; The Source), strength is found in love, while Ide morka rummen, i de ljusa (1976; In the Dark Rooms, and in Light), for which Carpelan received the Nordic Literary Prize in 1977, shows the interplay between life and death. Dagen vander (1983; The Day Turns) and Marginalia till grekisk och romersk diktning (1984; Marginal Notes to Greek and Roman Poetry) express his sense ofindebtedness to the tradition. Ar som lov (1989; tr. Years like Leaves, 1993; also as a part of Homecoming, 1995) pays tribute to acknowledged influences.After the collection I det sedda (1995; In What Is Seen), Carpelan returned to prose poems in the volume Namnet pa tavlan Klee malade (1999; The Name on the Picture Klee Painted). (Ögonblickets tusen arstider (2001; The Thousand Seasons of the Moment) contains 270 brief poems that in their minimalism are similar to those in 73 dikter.
Carpelan's first novel, Rosterna den sena timmen (1971; tr. Voices at the Late Hour, 1988), tells about the start of a nuclear war and how different members of an extended family respond to what is most likely certain death. Din gestalt bakom dorren (1975; Your Figure behind the Door), a novel in the tradition of the doppelganger, offers a frightening portrait of the human mind. Vandrande skugga (1977; Wandering Shadow) is a historical novel about murder and arson. Axel (1986; tr. 1998) tells the story of one of Carpelan's relatives, who was closely associated with the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Urvind (1993; tr. Urwind, 1997) is an epistolary novel; its protagonist, a secondhand bookseller, writes letters to his chemist wife, who is away doing research at Harvard. In Benjamins b k (1997; Benjamin's Book) a retired translator looks back on his life with an eye for both its tragic and its comic elements.
Carpelan has also written several books for both younger and older children, beginning with Anders pa on (1959; Anders on the Island) and Anders i stan (1962; Anders in the City); both were inspired by his son Anders. Another pair of books for young people are Bagen (1968; tr. Bow Island: The Story of a Summer That Was Not, 1971) and Paradiset (1973; tr. Dolphins in the City, 1976); the latter tells about a disabled boy. The protagonist in Julius Blom: Ett huvud for sig (1982; tr. Julius Blom-Bvr 111, 1992) is another sensitive child.