Aila Johanna Sinisalo is a Finnish science fiction and fantasy writer, born on June 22, 1958, in Sodankylä. She studied comparative literature and drama, among other subjects, at the University of Tampere. Professionally, she worked in the advertising business, rising to the level of marketing designer.

Johanna Sinisalo is an important figure in the Finnish science fiction scene since the late 1980s and early '90s, having won a rare back-to-back collection of Atorox Awards for short fiction in the genre. She was also the first Finnish science fiction writer to make a mainstream breakthrough by breaking genre barriers.

Her first novel, Troll, won the Finlandia Prize, which is the most important literature award in Finland. In addition to her writing career, Sinisalo enjoys hobbies such as astronomy, gastronomy, hiking, literature, and comics. Her works often include a touch of everyday reality, and she believes that overcoming the borders of realism does not necessarily classify her works as strictly science fiction or fantasy.