Kari Hotakainen

Kari Matti Hotakainen ( born January 9, 1957 in Pori, Finland) is a Finnish writer. His works have been translated into over 20 languages ​​, among others into German and Swedish. His writing style is referred to as ironic and critical of society.

Life

Kari Hotakainen was born in 1957 in the southwestern Finnish city of Pori. After graduation in 1976 Hotakainen studied Finnish literature major at the University of Helsinki. He has two children and is married to sound engineer Tarja Laaksonen since 1983. He lives in Helsinki since 1986.

The letter Hotakainen first started as a journalist. His writing career began in the early 1980s with Poetry: His debut work Harmittavat takaiskut, a book of poems, published in 1982 In the 1990s, the first children's books and novels were published, since its production is influenced more by prose than of poetry.. Hotakainen is a versatile writer; he is also an excellent playwright and has also written several radio plays. For Finnish television, he wrote a 10 - part drama series in 2002. Prior to his career as a freelance writer Hotakainen worked as a news editor and in the advertising department of the Finnish publisher WSOY. He wrote, inter alia, also columns for the largest Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat. As a freelance writer he has worked since 1996.

The breakthrough came with the work Hotakainen Klassikko ( " classic " ), which was also a candidate for the Finlandia Prize in 1997. In 2002, the novel Juoksuhaudantie, the 2002 Finlandia Prize and the 2004 Literature Prize of the Nordic Council received ( German translation from the life of an unfortunate man 2006) appeared. A playwright Award from the Nordic Drama Award he received in 2006 for his acting Punahukka. The novel Huolimattomat ( The reckless 2006) in 2006 was again on the candidate list for the Finlandia Prize. In 2010 he received osa the Runeberg Prize for Ihmisen.

On March 3, 2012 Hotakainen was involved in a traffic accident in which two people lost their life. Hotakainen himself suffered injuries.

Works

Kari Hotakainen published his first work, a collection of poems Harmittavat takaiskut ( " embarrassing setbacks " ) in 1982. During the 1980s, he was first known as a poet, and in 1990 his first children's book Lastenkirja ( " The Children's Book " ) was published. Since then he has focused on prose and wrote mostly novels, plays, short stories and children 's books. Nevertheless Hotakainens background as a poet can be in his novels notice.

In his books Kari Hotakainen often describes the daily life with irony and black humor. He is known for his clever wordplay and exaggerated, creative metaphors. The most common themes in Hotakainens works are family, work and gender differences. Often the absurd side of modern life is described. The socially critical novel Bronk (1993 ) is his only work that belongs to the science fiction genre.

Hotakainens first novel, Buster Keaton - elämä yes TEOT ( Buster Keaton - The Life and Works 2001) appeared in 1991, the novel tells the story of the film actor Buster Keaton, but is not a traditional biography but a series of fictitious and surreal stories about Keaton from. the point of view of his family, of Clint Eastwood, Charlie Chaplin and others.

His breakthrough had Kari Hotakainen published his in 1997, partly autobiographical novel Klassikko ( " classic " ), which was also filmed. His biggest success to date is the novel Juoksuhaudantie (2002) ( From the Life of an unhappy man 2006). The novel was awarded with the highest literary award in Finland, the Finlandia Prize, and later the prestigious literature prize by the Nordic Council and the Runeberg Prize. Also Juoksuhaudantie was filmed.

German translations

  • Favorite Scenes 2001 ( Sydänkohtauksia ), ISBN 3-100-33640-2
  • Buster Keaton - The Life and Works. 2001 ( Buster Keaton - Elämä TEOT yes. ), ISBN 3-596-14280-6
  • No Shirt 2003 ( Näytän hyvältä ilman paitaa ), ISBN 3-596-80418-3
  • Flutes go is not bad at 2005 ( Hukassa on hyvä paikka )
  • The story of an unfortunate man 2005 ( Juoksuhaudantie ), ISBN 3-492-27083-2
  • The reckless 2007 ( Huolimattomat ), ISBN 978-3-492-05112-5

Main works

  • Harmittavat takaiskut 1982 ( collection of poems )
  • Kuka pelkää mustaa miestä 1985 ( collection of poems )
  • Buster Keaton: Elämä TEOT yes. 1991
  • Bronk 1993
  • Klassikko 1997
  • Sydänkohtauksia, eli kuinka tehtiin Kummisetä 1999
  • Näytän hyvältä ilman paitaa 2000 ( YA )
  • Juoksuhaudantie 2002
  • Huolimattomat 2006
  • Ihmisen osa 2009

Important spectacles

  • Hukassa on hyvä paikka ( Helsinki City Theatre 1999)
  • Sydänkohtauksia (working theater Tampere in 2002, Kuopio City Theatre 2003)
  • Punahukka (COM - teatteri 2005, Joensuu City Theatre 2007 Theatre Riihimäki 2009)
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