Joel Pettersson

Joel Pettersson (June 8, 1892 - January 5, 1937) was a painter and writer on the Åland Islands, Finland. He would remain an obscure figure during his lifetime; most of his works were unpublished for decades after his death.

Biography

Joel Pettersson was born into poverty in Lemland, Åland. His parents were eldery peasants, Joel's father being well over 50 at the time of Joel's birth. Joel had a younger brother Karl, who died while at sea in 1916.

Pettersson began writing and painting in his early school years; though much of his works from this period weren't preserved.

In 1913, he got the opportunity to study at a drawing school in Turku. He would stay in Turku until 1915, when he decided to abort his studies and return to Åland. He painted for a few years, but he eventually tired of it and would not paint for many years.

Upon his return, Pettersson became active in the local youth organisation, for which he wrote plays and monologues. He would also write prose which he read out loud during organisation meetings. Pettersson was most active as a writer following his return from Turku until 1921.

During the 1920s, Pettersson worked mostly on his parents' farm, only sporadically participating in the youth organisation's activities. His parents both died in 1928, leaving Pettersson to care for the farm. He sold all the animals and most of the property. He tried earning a living on his artistry, but was unsuccessful; Pettersson then tried raising hens, but it also proved to be an unsuccessful venture. He resumed painting in 1935, and some of his paintings would be displayed during an exhibition the following year.

His constant economic difficulties and work load took its toll; in 1936, he suffered a nervous breakdown and was committed to Grelsby Asylum, where he would remain until his death in early 1937.

Joel never married, although he was engaged for a brief period of time; his fiancée left for America. There is some speculation that Pettersson may have been bisexual.

Appreciation after death

During his lifetime, Joel Pettersson did not receive much appreciation for his works; he did not write in formal Swedish but relied heavily on the vocabulary of the local dialect, and publishers had little interest in publishing Joel's texts. Some of Joel's writings appeared in local publications, but most of it remained unpublished.

In 1970 writer and rural dean Valdemar Nyman began editing and publishing Joel Pettersson's writings, starting with "Jag har ju sett" in 1972, 35 years after Joel's death. Nyman would also write an extensive biography of Pettersson, "Pojken och den gråa byn" (1977). In recent years Ralf Svenblad has edited and published some of Pettersson's works.

Today Joel Pettersson is considered to be one of the most important Åland writers.

Bibliography

elected published works

Edited by Valdemar Nyman

*"Jag har ju sett" (1972)
*"Eldtände" (1973)
*"Frifågel" (1974)
*"Hallonskogen" (1975)

Edited by Ralf Svenblad

*"Pojken som fantasin skenade bort med" (1992)
*"Knollan. En kosaga" (2001)
*"Till alla, alla, alla" (2002)
*"Måndagsmorgon" (2004)

Publications about Joel Pettersson

*Nyman, Valdemar: "Pojken och den gråa byn" (1977)

External links

* [http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/petters.htm Joel Petterson at Kirjasto.sci.fi]
* [http://www.mhbibl.aland.fi/alandica/jpettersson/index.stm Joel Pettersson pages at the Library of Mariehamn]