We 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