Zacharias Topelius

Zacharias Topelius (Finland Swedish pronunciation: [sɑˈkɑːriɑs toˈpeːliʉs]; 14 January 1818 – 12 March 1898) was a Finnish author, poet, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history. He wrote his works exclusively in Swedish, although they were translated early on into Finnish. In Finland Topelius emerged as one of the foremost heirs to Sir Walter Scott’s legacy of exploring the nation through the historical novel.