The Finland-Swedish culture has a long history. For instance, the national anthem of Finland, written as a poem by Johan Ludvig Runeberg in 1846, was originally composed in Swedish. The poem was later translated into Finnish during the late 19th century.
Even Jean Sibelius, known for his composition Finlandia, had a Finland-Swedish background.
Litteratur
If you enjoy reading, you’ll find a wealth of literature, both from the past and the present. Monika Fagerholm, Kjell Westö, Tove Jansson, Jörn Donner, Maria Turtschaninoff, and Philip Teir are some of the contemporary authors. You will find many more on the author presentation pages of the publishing houses Förlaget and Schildts & Söderström.
Every autumn there are two major events for book lovers; the Book Fair in Helsinki and Bokkalaset in Ekenäs. If you have a library card, you can order any book to be delivered to your local library.
Theater
Theater lovers will have a great time in the Capital Region, where they can attend performances at Svenska teatern, Lilla Teatern, Viirus, Klockriketeatern, Universum and Unga Teatern.
Music
Music enthusiasts can explore the vibrant music scene and listen to talented artists such as Sofia Finnilä, Desirée Saarela, Peter Hägerstrand, Isac Elliot, Bubbeli, Iiris Viljanen, Vasas flora och fauna and KAJ for the grownups. And for the younger ones, there are for example Arne Alligator & Djungeltrumman, Robin Hund & hans glada orkester, Sås & Kopp, Benny Törnroos and Raka bananer.
Art
When it comes to art, notable historical Finland-Swedish artists include Helene Schjerfbeck, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Albert Edelfelt, and Tove Jansson.In the contemporary art scene in Finland the emphasis is rarely placed on the artist’s mother tongue.
Among today’s Finnish-Swedish artists are Kim Simonsson, Susanne Gottberg, Katarina Reuter, and Ville Andersson. More artists can be found at The Pro Artibus Foundation, an expert organization for contemporary art.