HISTORY

Tammi Publishers was founded during the Second World War in 1943. The period after the war was the publishers' golden age - whenever paper was available - while the end of rationing at the beginning of the 1950s forced publishers to review all aspects of their activities.

Characteristic of Tammi's activities during the fifties was the expansion of its translated literature list, especially with the founding of The Yellow Library in 1954, a publishing list fully dedicated to high quality translated literature from around the world. Tammi became the Finnish home of many great European writers beginning with Joyce, Greene and Calvino, as well as American writers from Faulkner to Hemingway and Steinbeck. The Yellow Library -series has maintained its prestige for over fifty years and remains a strong feature in Finnish publishing.

The following decade, the 1960's, saw the country's re-emergence from the shadow of the war; the country began to prosper economically and book publishing assumed new features. The renewal of the country's educational system increased the need for text book publication and Tammi was active within the field up until the late 1970's. Tammi also became the choice publisher for the radical youth movement in Finland, publishing several pamphlets relating to a variety of social issues from childcare to third world problems. These pamphlets appeared in a separate Huutomerkki (!) -series which became almost legendary. Tammi also began its collaboration with a Swedish encylclopedia content provider, Sven Lindman, which resulted in the creation of a modern Media Encyclopedia -series. The series was also published in six other languages.

At the end of the 1980s, Tammi became the centre of a publishing group consisting of five publishing companies and four other firms. A new period of strong development and restructuring started in 1996, when Bonnier AB, the leading media company in the Nordic region, acquired Tammi and its daughter companies. Today Tammi consists of General Literature, Educational Materials and Book Club Unit. The company publishes around 400 new books and 200 reprints each year. Tammi employs 120 people and has a turnover of €30 million.

The Managing Directors of Tammi Publishers

Untamo Utrio (1905-1980) was the head of the Tammi Publishers for the first 25 years of its operations. Utrio's pioneering spirit ensured the functional formation of the company's sales and marketing channels. Due to Utrio's personal influence and interest, the 1950's also saw an increase in the publication of memoirs.

Jarl Helleman (b.1920) has had the most notable effect in the development of Tammi's company profile and its international connections. He began work at Tammi Publishers in 1945 and became its Managing Director in 1968. Helleman is the founder of Tammi's celebrated Yellow Library -series.

Olli Arrakoski (1941-2006) was elected as the Managing Director after Helleman's retirement in 1982. Arrakoski retired from his position in the beginning of the year 2000. Pentti Molander (b.1954) served as the Managing Director from 2000 until September 2004. Anne Valsta (b.1952) became the President Tammi Publishers in March 2005.