Tiia Strandén


Tiia Strandén is a literary agent and cultural administrator. She has served as Director of FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange since 1 February 2017. FILI is a non-profit organisation affiliated with the Finnish Literature Society that promotes literature from Finland abroad.

Early life and education

Strandén was born into a Finnish-speaking family in Aavasaksa, Ylitornio, Finland.
At the age of four, she moved with her parents to Västerås, Sweden, where she grew up.
She attended a Finnish-language primary school but received her later schooling in Swedish.
In 1990, Strandén returned to Finland to study philosophy and Nordic literature in a Swedish-language degree programme at the bilingual University of Helsinki. She completed her studies with a Master of Arts degree.
Her master's thesis examined the reception of the novel Katrina by Sally Salminen.

Career

After completing her studies, Strandén worked for several years as a cultural secretary at The Nordic Institute in Finland, a cultural centre operated by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
In addition to her work in the cultural sector, she was also active for a time as a Swedish-language teacher.
In 2011, during the preparations for Finland's role as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2014, Strandén joined FILI as a specialist in Finland-Swedish literature. She served as Deputy Director from August 2016 to January 2017 and was appointed Director on 1 February 2017.

Personal life

Strandén holds Swedish citizenship.
She has described herself as simultaneously Finland-Swedish, Finnish, and Swedish, stating: "I am not exclusively a Finland-Swede."
Her children, who were born in Finland and with whom she speaks Swedish, have developed a Finland-Swedish linguistic identity.

Honours

Selected publications

  • 2002: Men det var hennes kläder: Nedslag i den samtida svenskspråkiga kvinnolitteraturen, Söderström, Helsinki
  • 2007: Detta är inte fiktion: 18 nordiska samtidspoeter, Söderström, Helsinki
  • 2008: Tråkboken: Om att bejaka vardagens tristess, Söderström, Helsinki
  • 2008: Replik: Om finlandssvensk teater i samtiden, Söderström, Helsinki