Kari Hotakainen facts for kids
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Kari Hotakainen (born on January 9, 1957, in Pori, Finland) is a well-known Finnish writer. He writes many different kinds of books, including novels for adults and stories for children. Before becoming a full-time writer in 1996, he worked as a reporter in Pori. Later, he moved to Helsinki in 1986. Kari Hotakainen is married to Tarja Laaksonen, a sound technician, and they have two children. He has also worked as a copywriter and written columns for the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Writing
Kari Hotakainen's father, Keijo Hotakainen, worked as a storekeeper and photographer. His mother, Meeri Ala-Kuusisto, was a sales clerk. Kari finished high school in 1976 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He began his writing journey in the early 1980s by writing poetry. His first collection of poems, Harmittavat takaiskut (which means Unfortunate setbacks), was published in 1982. After writing poetry, Kari Hotakainen started creating books for children and young adults. Later, he moved on to writing novels for grown-ups.
Becoming a Full-Time Author
Before he became a full-time writer, Hotakainen had several jobs. He worked as a news reporter and in the advertising department of WSOY, a publishing company.
Kari Hotakainen became very well-known when his book Klassikko (meaning The Classic) was nominated for the 1997 Finlandia Prize. This book was partly about his own life.
Awards and Famous Works
In 2002, Kari Hotakainen won the important Finlandia Prize for his book Juoksuhaudantie (which means Battle Trench Avenue). This book was so popular that it was later made into a movie with the same name.
In 2004, he received the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for the same book, Juoksuhaudantie. This is a big award given to writers from Nordic countries. Two years later, in 2006, he won the Nordic Drama Award for his play called Punahukka.
Besides novels and plays, Hotakainen has also written plays for children. He has created radio dramas and written scripts for a 10-part TV series called Tummien vesien tulkit.
Later Years
On March 3, 2012, Kari Hotakainen was in a car accident.
See also
In Spanish: Kari Hotakainen para niños
