Gunnar Kieri grew up in Swedish Tornedalen and had Tornedalian Finnish as his mother tongue. In a 1988 interview with TT, he said he was beaten by a teacher at school for speaking Finnish.
Gunnar Kieri is often described as the author who first put the Tornedalen region firmly on the map of Swedish literature.
I am probably the one who has truly written about Tornedalen and how people survived in this barren climate for centuries. I write with great respect for these people - the somewhat quiet ones. Everything I have done is about reality and not anecdotes. Although it seems to be more profitable to write anecdotes, Gunnar Kieri told NSD in 2010.
Gunnar Kieri made his debut in 1972 with "1st Work Company" and wrote 15 novels. He lived to be 97 years old.
