The memorial depicts Turku-born writer and poet Josef Julius Wecksell (1838–1907), whose best-known work is the play Daniel Hjort, set at Turku Castle during the Cudgel War. His literary career was cut short at an early age because of mental illness.

In the sculpture, the writer leans against a block of stone, clutching his cap tightly in his hand and lowering his gaze towards the ground. Sculptor Yrjö Liipola is known for his portrait and monumental sculptures. An art museum bearing his name is located in his home municipality of Koski Tl.