"A Glance at Espoo" poetry competition received nearly a hundred poems written by seniors
At the turn of the year, the City of Espoo organised the “A Glance at Espoo” poetry competition for people aged 65 and up. The competition drew almost a hundred entries, which paint Espoo as a city of nature and sea, but also of day-to-day life, memories and change. The three winners were announced at a cozy event at the Iso Omena library on 7 May 2026.
The first prize was taken by Jyrki Laine with his poem “Toinen kaupunki” (Another City). The runner-up was Leena Kauppinen with her poem, with Martin Westman and his poem "Hagalund" awarded the third prize. The winner received season tickets for the Tapiola Sinfonietta orchestra's Indie series. The second and third prizes were free tickets for cultural activities.
Troubadour Tomi Pulkkinen will set a poem of his choice from the top 20 entries to music. His choice, Marjatta Luukkonen's poem ”olen tässä” (I'm here), can be heard in song at select Senioripaku stops in Espoo in the coming summer.
The president of the poetry jury, author Johanna Venho, said on the entries:
“The jury was inspired and delighted by the poems, which show the many faces of Espoo. Nature, the presence of the sea, urban growth, multiculturalism and homeliness all resonated in the verse. There were rough edges, defiance and the full spectrum of human feeling on display. The poems talk about daily life, but also of dreams and change. The jury members found the minimum age of 65 to be a fascinating touch, which illuminated the long arc of history and memory in Espoo. We were also pleased by the surprisingly even gender distribution among the top twenty.”
The public can read the top 20 entries at poetry exhibitions in six libraries. The poems will be exhibited at the Iso Omena, Kalajärvi, Entresse, Lippulaiva, Sello and Tapiola libraries until 23 May 2026.
The poetry competition was organised in cooperation with Espoo’s Cultural Services and libraries. The jury consisted of seven members. The initial selection was made by a jury chaired by author Johanna Venho and consisting of performance poet Harri Hertell, author Sanna Vaara and the Espoo City Library's representative Inari Mykkänen. In the final phase, visual artist Jussi Lahtinen, journalist Sakari Heiskanen and Erja Tikka, representative of the older people’s council of Espoo, also contributed to the choice of winners.
A new poetry competition will open in late autumn 2026. The competition will be open to people of all ages, and its theme will be “Sukupolvet yhdessä” (Generations together).