Paavo Haavikko (1931–2008) is one of Finland’s most important poets, aphorists, writers and publishers. During his lifetime, Haavikko and his works were frequently recognised with awards, most notably the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1984, the Swedish Academy Nordic Prize in 1993, and the State Prize for Finnish literature in 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1975 and 1982. In 1963, he won the Eino Leino Prize for poetry, and in 1966, he won the Finnish Literature Society’s Aleksis Kivi Prize. In 1996, Haavikko was named the recipient of the Nordic Playwright Award. In 2008, Haavikko received the Finnish Writers’ Union Award.