Mike Pohjola

{{short description|Finnish writer and game designer}}

File:Mike Pohjola.jpg

Mikko "Mike" Pohjola (born 15 October 1978{{in lang|fi}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20041012205200/http://www.vs-vas.fi/vanu/mike/cv.html Mike Pohjola's brief CV]) is a Finnish playwright, novelist, and game designer.{{in lang|fi}} [http://www.johnnykniga.fi/kniga/index.jsp?c=/author&id=1033&categoryId= Publisher's page on Pohjola]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

He is the author of Sinä vuonna 1928, 1827, Maailman hauskin, Myrskyn aika, Star Wreck Roleplaying Game, Tähti, Kadonneet kyyneleet, Ihmisen poika, and Age of the Tempest. He is also the narrative designer and main writer of the Agemonia board game. {{in lang|en}} [https://agemonia.com/a-chat-with-narrative-designer-mike-pohjola/ A chat with narrative designer Mike Pohjola]

He is the chairman of Helsinki City Theatre, and was on the board of the Olympic Stadium and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Nordic live action role-playing (larp) circles, he is known as the author of "the Manifesto of the Turku School" (2000), advocating immersive gaming, as the designer of several experimental larps,{{in lang|fi}} [http://www.kaltio.fi/vanhatsivut/arkisto/larp.htm Interview on Mike Pohjola] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009013655/http://www.kaltio.fi/vanhatsivut/arkisto/larp.htm |date=2007-10-09 }}

and as the author of several published roleplaying books. Several of Pohjola's artistic and theoretical articles have been published in journals and magazines in Europe and the United States. He has often written about character immersion, rituals, theatre, and identity.

Pohjola's first novel, Kadonneet kyyneleet was published in the summer of 2008.{{in lang|fi}} [http://www.gummerus.fi/page.asp?sivuID=280&component=/PublishDB/Kirjat_kirjaesittely.asp&recID=4372 Kadonneet kyyneleet by Mike Pohjola] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206225953/http://www.gummerus.fi/page.asp?sivuID=280&component=%2FPublishDB%2FKirjat_kirjaesittely.asp&recID=4372 |date=2009-02-06 }}, Gummerus Publishing

Since then he has written several historical novels and some books for younger readers. {{in lang|fi}} [https://gummerus.fi/collections/mike-pohjola Mike Pohjola]