Emmi Itäranta’s Memory of Water sold in Norway

emmijuly212014We are thrilled to announce that Gresvik Forlag, a publisher of quality literature, has acquired Norwegian rights to Emmi Itäranta‘s acclaimed speculative fiction novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja, Teos 2012). This marks the 16th territory in which the book has been sold; we congratulate Emmi on her continued success!

Memory of Water is a beautiful, at times lyrical, reflection on a dystopian society where water has become rare. Through a futuristic tale in which the protagonists have to deal with the choices and actions made by people in a bygone world – and their consequences – the author creates a narrative that is both engrossing and pensive. As a publisher, I am proud and happy to present this delightful novel to Norwegian readers!”
-Marte Gresvik, publisher, Gresvik Forlag

This summer Itäranta visited the United States and Spain to mark the launch of Memory of Water. The book has been praised by critics in both Spain and the U.S, earning glowing reviews from the likes of Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and The Washington Post.

Best Science Fiction and Fantasy in June, The Washington Post:

“Itäranta’s lyrical style makes this dystopian tale a beautiful exploration of environmental ethics and the power of ritual.”

Publishers Weekly starred review:

“Where Itäranta shines is in her rejection of conventional plots and in her understated but compelling characters. The work is a deceptively tranquil examination of a world of dust and ashes where the tenacious weed of hope still survives.”

Library Journal starred review:

“The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale that Finnish author Itäranta employs.”

See here for a recent guest post Itäranta wrote about her writing process for the Harper Voyager web site.

Memory of Water has thus far been published in the U.S and UK by Harper Voyager, in the Arab World by Dar Al Muna, in the Czech Republic by Albatros Media/Plus, in Estonia by Koolibri, and in Spain by Ediciones B. Rights have been sold in 16 languages. Itäranta is currently writing her independent follow-up, City of Woven Streets.

MEMORY OF WATER
Original publisher: FINLAND, Teos
WORLD ENGLISH, HarperCollins (2-book deal)
ARABIC, Dar Al Muna
BRAZIL, Record (2-book-deal)
BULGARIA, Perseus
CZECH, Albatros Media/Plus
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Koolibri
FRANCE, Place des Editeurs (2-book deal)
GERMANY, DTV/Reihe Hanser
HUNGARY, Metropolis Media (2-book deal)
ITALY, Piemme
JAPAN, Nishimura Shoten (2-book deal)
NORWAY, Gresvik Forlag
SPAIN, Ediciones B.
TURKEY, Dogan Egmont

CITY OF WOVEN STREETS
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins
BRAZIL: Record
FRANCE, Place des Editeurs
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media
JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten

PRIZES:
Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013
Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012
Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011
Nominated for the Tähtivaeltaja science fiction award 2013

Reading material:
English edition
German edition
Spanish edition

Contact: info@ahlbackagency.com

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015. Her latest novel The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) was published in September 2020.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Bibliography


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta