Arto Tapio Paasilinna was a Finnish writer, known for his transition from journalism to comic novels.

One of Finland's most successful novelists, he garnered international acclaim and a wide readership outside of Finland, a feat achieved by few Finnish authors. His works have been translated into 27 languages, selling over seven million copies worldwide. Paasilinna is credited with significantly increasing global interest in Finnish literature.

He is particularly renowned for his 1975 novel "The Year of the Hare" (Jäniksen vuosi), which became a bestseller in both France and Finland. It has been translated into 18 languages, received three international awards, and was adapted into two feature films: a 1977 Finnish film directed by Risto Jarva and a 2006 French film directed by Marc Rivière.

Arto Paasilinna had three brothers, also writers: Erno Paasilinna, Reino Paasilinna, and Mauri Paasilinna.