Revealing Images XXXI

Me reading in the Nuoren Voiman Liitto "literary saloon", June 5, 2007, after receiving the Nuori Voima Literary Price. Sitting behind, from left, Aki Salmela, Tommi Nuopponen, and Jyrki Pellinen. Photo by Karri Kokko. For a "before" image, see here. & this is what the Jury had to say:

The 14th Nuori Voima Literary Price, of eur 1, has been awarded to the writer and translator Leevi Lehto for his achievement in promoting the polyformism of poetry.

Leevi Lehto is phenomenal in his ability to transform his own enthusiasm into concrete as well as virtual tools and platforms. At the same time, he creates new ways of doing poetry and brings forth talented new poets.

The pioneer quality of his poems and poetry projects is not aimed at taking attention away from others, rather, it teases everyone to experiment themselves.

Poetical works such as Ampauksia ympäripyörivästä raketista, Päivä, and Lake Onega and Other Poems, the transformation of Tuli&Savu poetry magazine, the organizing of the Helsinki Poetics Conference, and the Google Poetry Generator, each represent facets in an activity that seems to be geared toward tireless enabling as well as enjoying the possibilities created.

Leevi Lehto is the embodiment of an inborn cultural exportation. He has internationalized the Finnish poetry scene by speaking and performing in numerous poetry events and by establishing contacts worldwide. Alongside the various projects, his translation work is a horn of plenty, his work with Ulysses by James Joyce being one of the indicators of its richness.

The jury was composed of the members of Nuoren Voiman Liitto board, Riikka Pelo, Eino Santanen, Armas Alvari, Aina Bergroth, Pauliina Haasjoki, Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen, Sanna Karlström, Katja Kettu, Mikko Myllylahti, Mikko Rimminen, Aki Salmela, and Kyösti Salokorpi.