I am a Finnish freelance journalist living in Spain. I specialise in world affairs and hi... more
I am a Finnish freelance journalist living in Spain. I specialise in world affairs and history of ideas.
I started my career in journalism with the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) in 1967. For most of the 1970s I worked at the radio news foreign desk as a foreign news commentator. In 1983-86 I was YLE's London correspondent. I have also reported from Ireland, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Libya, China, the Philippines and Brussels.
In 1987-95 I worked in London as a freelance journalist. I did work for the BBC Finnish Section and several Finnish newspapers and magazines. In addition to news work, commentaries and book reviews, I also made jazz programmes for both the BBC and YLE.
In 1996 I started working for the Finnish Institute in London, editing first the Eagle Street newsletter (both printed and internet versions) and its successor on the Internet, Polarities. The latter was discontinued after 2001 but I have kept some of the archive material on these pages.
I lectured on East European political systems at the University of Helsinki in 1981-82. I graduated from the same university in 1966. My thesis was about U.S. foreign policy towards the communist countries.
In the past I have written two books, Viimeinen taisto, 1970, on European integration and the workers' movement, and Palkat paketissa, 1971, on incomes policy, both written with Kaj Bärlund. Recently I edited 'Blairism' — A Beacon for Europe?with Keijo Rahkonen. You can order this book from the Renvall Institute at the University of Helsinki or read it in pdf form.
