Kari Hotakainen

Kari Hotakainen passed his matriculation examination in 1976 and graduated from Rautalampi High School the same year.

Before he started writing full-time, Hotakainen worked as a news reporter, in the advertising department of WSOY, etc.

Hotakainen's breakthrough came when he was nominated for the 1997 Finlandia Prize, for his semi-autobiographical work titled Klassikko (The Classic).

In 2002, Hotakainen received the Finlandia Prize for his book titled Juoksuhaudantie (Battle Trench Avenue) published the same year.

Hotakainen has also written children's plays, radio dramas, newspaper columns and the scripts for a 10-part TV series titled Tummien vesien tulkit.