Arto Salminen
Encyclopedia
Arto Salminen was a Finnish
writer known for his social commentary
. Salminen, who had also worked as a journalist and taxi driver, wrote six novels which criticised with a morbid black sense of humour such current phenomena in Finnish society as neoliberalist
politics, the decline of the welfare state
, tabloid media, reality television
and so on. His books gained a small cult following in Finland and they also received excellent reviews even though they did not sell particularly well.
Salminen received the Koskenkorva Prize in 1998, and the Olvi Prize in 2004. He died of a sudden stroke in November 2005.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
writer known for his social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
. Salminen, who had also worked as a journalist and taxi driver, wrote six novels which criticised with a morbid black sense of humour such current phenomena in Finnish society as neoliberalist
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
politics, the decline of the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
, tabloid media, reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
and so on. His books gained a small cult following in Finland and they also received excellent reviews even though they did not sell particularly well.
Salminen received the Koskenkorva Prize in 1998, and the Olvi Prize in 2004. He died of a sudden stroke in November 2005.