Mika Toimi Waltari was a Finnish writer, best known for his best-selling novel The Egyptian. He was extremely productive. Besides his novels he also wrote poetry, short stories, crime novels, plays, essays, travel stories, film scripts, and rhymed texts for comic strips by Asmo Alho.
The Egyptian is a historical novel by Mika Waltari. It was first published in Finnish in 1945, and in an abridged English translation by Naomi Walford in 1949, from Swedish rather than Finnish. Regarded as "one of the greatest books in Finnish literary history", it is, so far, the only Finnish novel to be adapted into a Hollywood film, which happened in 1954.
The Dark Angel is a novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari about a hopeless love affair and the Fall of Constantinople. The Finnish version was originally published in 1952, with an English edition being published in Great Britain in 1953.
The Adventurer is a novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari, published in 1948. It is a fictional tale of a young Finnish man, Mikael Karvajalka (Hairy-foot), set in 16th century Europe. Mikael is portrayed as an intellectual but rather naive person. Beginning life as an orphan bastard, he pursues a better social position with help of friendly people and by means of theological studies, but ends up drifting along through historical events across Europe rather than being able to steer his life himself.
Finnish literature refers to literature written in Finland. During the European early Middle Ages, the earliest text in a Finnic language is the unique thirteenth-century Birch bark letter no. 292 from Novgorod. The text was written in Cyrillic and represented a dialect of Finnic language spoken in Russian Olonets region. The earliest texts in Finland were written in Swedish or Latin during the Finnish Middle Age. Finnish-language literature slowly developed from the sixteenth century onwards, after written Finnish was established by the bishop and Finnish Lutheran reformer Mikael Agricola (1510–1557). He translated the New Testament into Finnish in 1548.
Inspector Frans J. Palmu, depicted as "a gruff detective of the Helsinki Police Department", is one of the most popular characters created by Finnish writer Mika Waltari.
Vodkaa, komisario Palmu is a 1969 film directed by Matti Kassila. It is the fourth and final part of the Inspector Palmu series and the only part of the series to be filmed in color. The film is also the only one not to be based on a novel by Mika Waltari.
The Etruscan is a novel by Mika Waltari, published in 1956, telling of the adventures of a young man, Turms, which begins approximately in 480 BC. It tells of the spiritual development of Turms, as he adventures from Greece to Sicily, then to Rome and then finally to Tuscany, where he learns of his immortality and his duties to the future. There are many actual historical events in this book, but how Turms gets involved in them is fictitious.
The Secret of the Kingdom is a 1959 novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari about the early days of Christianity. The story is told through the eyes of Marcus, a Roman citizen who arrives in Jerusalem on the day Jesus is crucified.
Ihmeellinen Joosef is a Finnish novel written by Mika Waltari under his pseudonym M. Ritvala and published in 1938. He adapted it also as a play the same year.
Yö yli Euroopan is a Finnish play. It was written by Mika Waltari and produced in 1933. It was never performed during Waltari's lifetime; he had produced only 100 copies and forbidden any performances, copies or quotations. The republishing ban was overturned in 1999 upon WSOY issuing a collection of Waltari's plays with his heirs' permission, and the play premiered in 2012.
The Witch is a 1952 Finnish horror film directed by Roland af Hällstrom and produced by Mauno Mäkelä. The film is based on Mika Waltari's 1947 play of the same name.
Suuri illusioni is a 1928 novel by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari and also his debut novel. It is about bohemian and aimless urban life in the author's own generation. The novel became a breakthrough for Waltari, who previously had been a writer of religious poetry and horror short stories. It received positive reviews and was translated into several languages.
A Nail Merchant at Nightfall is a 1949 novel by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari. It is a fictionalised and humorous account of when Waltari wrote his novel The Egyptian. It was published in English in 1954, translated by Alan Beesley.
A Stranger Came to the Farm is a 1937 novel by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari. It tells the tragic story of a farming couple where the husband is an alcohol abuser.
April's Coming is a 1953 Finnish comedy film directed by Valentin Vaala and starring Ossi Elstelä, Tuija Halonen and Kurt Ingvall.
From Father to Son is a 1942 novel by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari.
Inspector Palmu's Mistake is a 1940 Finnish detective novel by Mika Waltari. It is the second book of the Inspector Palmu series after the first book, Who Murdered Mrs Skrof?. The protagonist of the book, like his predecessor, is Inspector Frans J. Palmu, who sets out to investigate a rich victim who appears to be died in an accident, but which is revealed to be murder.
No Tomorrow is a 1957 Swedish drama film directed by Arne Mattsson and starring Jarl Kulle, Margit Carlqvist and Kolbjörn Knudsen. It was shot at the Centrumateljéerna Studios in Stockholm and on location in Helsinki and Porkkalanniemi on the Gulf of Finland. The film's sets were designed by the art director Bibi Lindström. It was adapted by Finnish writer Mika Waltari from his own novel of the same title.
