The soft power of cultural diplomacy: Literature and politics in the lives and works of Aino Kallas, Hella Wuolijoki and Elin Wägner c. 1900–1950

Aino Kallas (b. 1878), Hella Wuolijoki (b. 1886) and Elin Wägner (b. 1882) are today recognized authors in Finland, Estonia and Sweden and their contribution to the national literary histories is unquestioned. But during their lifetime, all three contributed to several of the political and social movements of the time, such as the socialist movements, nationalist independence movements and women's movements.

The political aspects are mentioned in previous research, but it has often been difficult to simultaneously highlight their prominent literary achievements and the clearly political goals. In this project, I conduct parallel readings of the political and the literary, and the national and international. The aim is to understand the flow between the literary and the political as mutually enriching.

Theoretically, the project contributes to a research field that connects cultural studies with more political science-oriented disciplines where the concepts of cultural diplomacy, soft power and intercultural mediation are key concepts. By bringing together my previous individual-focused studies, the result will provide a deeper understanding of the societal mechanisms that enabled, controlled, and limited the visibility of literary women as political actors as well as.

The project includes a stay in Vienna and a combined stay in Helsinki/Tallinn/Tartu to discuss results and carry out necessary archival studies.