About

Mikael Viima

Mikael Viima is the literary name of Manne Mikael Laukkanen, a Finnish writer with a PhD in psychology and a background spanning criminal profiling research, technology, data and music.

He is currently writing poetry and fiction for a wider English-speaking readership — his first English-language poetry collection, FEED, is in development.

His first crime novel, Verijälki, was published by WSOY in 2022; Rekyyli followed in 2023. In 2024, Otava published his nonfiction book Vaaralliset gurut under his real name.

Photo: Juha Törmälä, 2021

Psychology explains lukewarmly. Poetry crawls under your skin.

Viima's doctoral work concerned the profiling of serial criminals. He has also spent decades working with data, software and large information systems across industries, in global settings.

The combination has left a mark.

One discipline asks what a person is likely to do.

Another asks what the system is actually doing.

Writing gets to ask the more uncomfortable question:

What if both descriptions are wrong?

His poetry and fiction move repeatedly through psychology, desire, love, memory, aging, science, mortality, art, class, power, politics, manipulation and damage.

Why Mikael Viima

“Mikael” is part of his real name.

“Viima” is a Finnish word associated with a cold, cutting wind.

The name began as the identity used for fiction. It now serves as the main literary identity for poetry and fiction in international markets.

Why write?

Because too many things remain unsaid and softened until they no longer resemble the thing itself.

And as if I had a choice.

Background

Poet — debut English-language collection FEED in development
Author of the Aarni Susi crime series
Published by WSOY and Otava in Finland
PhD in psychology (Helsinki University / Åbo Akademi)
Doctoral research on serial-criminal profiling — cited 200+ times, ResearchGate
Long background in technology, data and complex systems — LinkedIn
Professional percussionist and pipe-band drummer — Finnish National Opera, the Guards Band (Kaartin Soittokunta), three-time World Pipe Band Championships competitor
Based in Finland