1. Mika Waltari's parents were Toimi Waltari and Olga Johansson; Toimi was a Lutheran pastor once, teaching religion in Porvoo, and Olga one of his pupils.
16 Facts About Mika Waltari
1. 2.
At the age of five Mika Waltari suddenly lost his father to illness on 5 July 1914, and the 25-year old Olga Waltari was left, with crucial help from Toimi's brother Toivo, to support her three children: Samuli, Mika and Erkki.
3.
Mika Waltari was, for a while, a member of the liberal literary movement Tulenkantajat, though his political and social views later turned conservative.
4.
Mika Waltari was married on 8 March 1931 to Marjatta Luukkonen, whom he had met during military service the preceding year, and on 4 January 1932 they had a daughter, Satu.
5.
Mika Waltari had a very busy schedule and strict work ethic.
6.
Mika Waltari suffered from manic-depressive psychosis and became depressed after completion of a book, sometimes to the extent of needing hospital treatment; in his manic phases he did his writing.
7.
Mika Waltari participated, and often succeeded, in literary competitions to prove the quality of his work to critics.
8.
Mika Waltari scripted the popular cartoon Kieku ja Kaiku and wrote Aiotko kirjailijaksi, a guidebook for aspiring writers that influenced many younger writers such as Kalle Paatalo.
9.
Mika Waltari visited Germany in 1939 and wrote a mostly favourable article titled Tuntematon Saksa.
10.
Mika Waltari wrote seven more historical novels, placed in various ancient cultures, among others The Dark Angel, set during the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
11.
Mika Waltari became a member of the Finnish Academy in 1957 and received an honorary doctorate at the University of Turku in 1970.
12.
Mika Waltari was involved in re-publishing and editing his early works, and gave long interviews to Ritva Haavikko which were published as a book.
13.
Mika Waltari wrote at least 29 novels, 15 novellas, 6 collections of stories or fairy-tales, 6 collections of poetry and 26 plays, as well as screen plays, radio plays, non-fiction, translations, and hundreds of reviews and articles.
14.
Mika Waltari is internationally the best-known Finnish writer, and his works have been translated into more than 30 languages.
15.
Mika Waltari died on 26 August 1979 in Helsinki, the year after his wife Marjatta's death in 1978.
16.
Mika Waltari received the State literature award five times: 1933,1934,1936,1949, and 1953.