Laila Ellen Kaarina Hirvisaari (7 June 1938 – 16 June 2021),^[1] also known as Laila Hietamies, was a Finnish author and writer. By 2008, more than four million copies of her works had been sold.^[2]

When Laila Hirvisaari was three years old, her father Aarne died in the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union, so she had no memories of him.^[3] After the war, she and her family were evacuated first to Lappeenranta and later to the western part of Finland.

In 1958, she married Heikki Hietamies, who later also became a well-known Finnish author. He is also known for presenting the Tangomarkkinat ("Tango fair"), a major tango competition (1985–1999). ^[3][4]

Laila Hietamies's first novel Lehmusten kaupunki ("City of the Lindens") was published in 1972 and began a series of novels about Lappeenranta; ^[3] the seventh part was published in 2004.^[5] Hietamies wrote many other novel series, mostly about Karelia and the consequences of the wars of Finland in the 1940s. She wrote also books about a Russian princess, Sonja, during the Russian Revolution.

On 9 December 2004, Laila Hietamies, along with her three cousins, changed their name back to the maiden name Hirvisaari and from then on, her books were published under that name.^[3]

Hirvisaari received many respected Finnish literature awards but never the most prestigious one, the Finlandia Prize.^[5] Her novel about Catherine the Great] (Minä, Katariina), however, was nominated for the Finlandia in 2011.^[6]

Hirvisaari wrote 34 novels and many short stories and plays. A movie was based on her novel Hylätyt talot, autiot pihat ("Abandoned houses, empty yards") in 2000.^[7] Several of her books have been translated into other languages:^[5]

• Myrskypilvet (Tormipilved), Estonian, Eesti Raamat, 1996
• Satakielimetsä (Ööbikusalu), Estonian, Eesti Raamat, 1998
• Sonja (Vürstitar Sonja), Estonian, Eesti Raamat, 1995, translated by Debora Vaarandi
• Valkoakaasiat (Valged akaatsiad), Eesti Raamat, 1996, translated by Debora Vaarandi
• Vienan punainen kuu (Red Moon over White Sea), English, Aspasia Books/Canada, 2000, translated by Börje Vähämäki
• Viktoria (Victoria), Estonian, Eesti Raamat, 1999, translated by Anne Karu