1. Arto Paasilinna's brothers are the writers Erno Paasilinna, Reino Paasilinna and Mauri Paasilinna.
11 Facts About Arto Paasilinna
1. 2.
Arto Paasilinna was born on 20 April 1942 in the Alakyla part of the municipality of Kittila, in Lapland, Finland.
3.
Arto Paasilinna studied at the General and Elementary School Line at the Lapland Folk Academy.
4.
Arto Paasilinna initially worked as a journalist at Nuoren Voiman Liitto, Nuori Voima and various newspapers as writer and editor.
5.
In 1975, at the age of 33, Arto Paasilinna found journalism growing "more superficial and meaningless" and desired a change; that summer, he sold his boat to fund the writing of The Year of the Hare.
6.
The book was an immediate success and from 1975 on Arto Paasilinna became an independent writer able to support himself with his novels, signed to Finnish publisher WSOY since 1977.
7.
Arto Paasilinna still wrote journalism articles and was a columnist on Finnish radio.
8.
Arto Paasilinna's books reflect quite common Finnish life, usually from a middle-aged male perspective, and in rural Finland.
9.
In 2008 and 2009, while still living in Espoo, Arto Paasilinna was featured in Finnish tabloids for his incoherent behaviour, including reckless driving.
10.
In October 2009, Arto Paasilinna was rushed to a hospital due to a stroke.
11.
Arto Paasilinna died on 15 October 2018 in a nursing home in Espoo.