26 May 2010

Leena Lehtolainen breaks through on the Spanish market

Press Release

Barcelona-based Ediciones Destino has acquired the world Spanish rights for Leena Lehtolainen‘s Ensimmäinen murhani. The Spanish publisher of Stieg Larsson plans to release the first title of Lehtolainen’s bestselling Maria Kallio series in early 2012. According to Destino the Spanish readers are excited about the distinctly down-to-earth heroine and Finnish crime novels. Destino will be presenting Lehtolainen to the wider audience at the Madrid Book Fair, where the Nordic Countries are the guests of honour, later this week.

Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency has sold Lehtolainen’s rights since March 2010 and has already been successful in many European markets. Italian Fanucci recently bought the rights to two Lehtolainen titles while in Germany and France Leena Lehtolainen’s position on the crime fiction markets has already been stabilised.

The 11th Maria Kallio title will be published in Finland by Tammi in August 2010.