Biography
Hanna-Leena Määttä is a literary scholar and Docent in Literature and Cultural Studies whose research examines literature and the literary field in relation to transnational phenomena, cultural memory, and the politics of representation. Her work is situated at the intersection of literary studies, memory studies, and transnational humanities, with particular emphasis on difference, belonging, mobility, displacement, and the cultural legacies of war.
Määttä has studied transnational literary cultures, literary debates, whiteness, and the ways national frameworks shape literary institutions, categories of literature, and interpretations of history and culture. Her work has also examined representations of war, displacement, and refugee experiences, particularly in Northern European contexts.
Her work engages with contemporary discussions in transnational literary studies, postcolonial and decolonial approaches, borderland studies, and the ethical and political dimensions of literature and cultural memory. While her research often draws on Finnish and Northern European materials, it addresses broader trans-cultural and European questions concerning mobility, belonging, cultural encounters, and historical experience.
Määttä is a co-founder of the Nordic research network Nordic Crossroads: War, Memory, and Crisis Preparedness in the Legacies of WWII (NORCROSS). The interdisciplinary network brings together researchers from Finland, Norway, and Sweden to examine the transnational histories and legacies of WWII in Arctic border regions.
Määttä has extensive experience in interdisciplinary research collaboration, university teaching, supervision, and academic leadership. She has participated in several research projects and conducted research visits at Utrecht University and the Research Center for Memory Studies, Charles University.
Her co-edited volumes include:
- Sota meissä. Sodan kokemushistoriaa Lapissa (SKS, tulossa 2026)
- Displaced Families, Dispersed Memories (Helsinki University Press 2026) https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-35
- Romaanin tieto. Kirja ja kirjailija tiedon tuottajina (SKS 2025) https://doi.org/10.21435/skst.150
- Kansallisen katveesta – Suomen kirjallisuuden ylirajaisuudesta (SKS 2016)
(Photo: Hannu Tarvainen)