Loukko by 
Salla Simukka, author of the Snow White YA thriller trilogy (Tammi), has continued her travels around the world to meet international readers and bloggers.This summer and fall she visited Vienna, Austria, the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Scotland, and Riga, Latvia. Fans and international publishers can follow her whereabouts and latest news on Simukka’s official Facebook page.
Rights to the trilogy have been sold in 48 territories. Several international publishers, including Hachette Livre in France, Arena in Germany, Clavis in the Netherlands, Amazon/Skyscape in the U.S. and Hot Key in the UK, have already published all three volumes in the series.
Later this fall Simukka will travel to Japan, where Book 3 in the trilogy, As Black as Ebony (Tammi 2014) will publish in December.
See below for our interview with Simukka about her Snow White travels and the relaunch of her debut novels, When Angels Look Away and Minute Waltz (Tammi), originally published by WSOY in 2002 and 2004. An English sample of When Angels Look Away will be available this fall!
Q: The Snow White Trilogy continues to send you around the world. What has been the most rewarding aspect of meeting your international fans?
A: It feels incredible to think about the fact that my books are read in so many countries I’ve never been to, in languages I don’t speak. Readers around the world have welcomed my main character Lumikki Andersson with open arms: they mirror their own experiences and feelings against these stories and Lumikki’s life, and find strength in them.
One of the most memorable events I’ve attended was a party organized for readers and bloggers by my Dutch publisher Clavis. Everyone dressed up as characters from fairy tales; that was downright magical.
Q: Your first two novels, which tell a tender and realistic love story between two girls, have recently been re-released with beautiful new covers by Tammi. What is it like for you to revisit these books now?
A: It feels wild and wonderful to think about the fact that my debut novel, When Angels Look Away, is 13 years old: it’s a teenager now! When I reread both Angels and its sequel Minute Waltz, I was surprised by how well they have stood the test of time. Love doesn’t age. At the same time I’m worried and sad about the fact that our world hasn’t changed as much as I would have hoped. A love story between two girls still feels like a political issue that’s important to bring to light.
Q: What would you like to see Lumikki’s legacy be in the global YA scene? Do you see yourself continuing the story in the future?
A: I hope that Lumikki helps carve out a niche for many conflicted and diverse girl characters in YA literature. I also hope that the love story depicted in the books creates new possibilities to tell stories of love in all of its varieties. If I were to continue Lumikki’s story, I would have to have an outstanding idea. She deserves to not have a bland, mediocre sequel written about her.
Q: What can you tell us about your next writing project?
A: Right now I’m writing something completely different, a story about friendship that features an 11-year-old main character. You can find out more when I finish the book…
Simukka loves connecting with her international readers: contact info@ahlbackagency.com for interview requests!
See the Snow White Trilogy trailer here.
The official Snow White Trilogy page: snowwhitetrilogy.wordpress.com
Follow Salla Simukka on Facebook and Twitter
RIGHTS SOLD IN 48 TERRITORIES: THE SNOW WHITE TRILOGY
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
ALBANIA, Botime B-Books
ARAB WORLD, Arab Scientific
ARGENTINA, Nuevo Extremo
AZERBAIJAN, Qanun
BELGIUM, Clavis
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, BTC Sahinpasic
BRAZIL, Novo Conceito
BULGARIA, Egmont
CATALAN, La Galera
CHINA, Modern Press
CROATIA, Znanje
CZECH, Egmont
DENMARK, Gyldendal
ESTONIA, Pegasus
FAROE ISLANDS, Bókadeildin
FRANCE, Hachette Livre
GEORGIA, Bakur Sulakauri
GERMANY, Arena
GREECE, Metaixmio
HUNGARY, Athenaeum
ICELAND, Forlagid
INDONESIA, Kompas Gramedia/Bhuana Ilmu Populer
ISRAEL, Yedioth
ITALY, Mondadori
JAPAN, Nishimura
KOREA, Gimm Young
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA, Alma Littera
MACEDONIA, Bata Press
MALAYSIA, Buku Fixi
MONTENEGRO, BTC Sahinpasic
NETHERLANDS, Clavis
NORWAY, Gyldendal
POLAND, Foksal/WAB
PORTUGAL, Presença
ROMANIA, Trei
RUSSIA, Eksmo
SERBIA, Vulkan
SLOVAKIA, Verbarium
SLOVENIA, Mladinska
SPAIN, La Galera
SWEDEN, Rabén & Sjögren
TAIWAN, Emily Publishing
THAILAND, Nanmee Books
TURKEY, Altin Kitaplar
UK, Hot Key Books
U.S, Amazon Publishing/Skyscape
VIETNAM, Alpha Books
Contact: info@ahlbackagency.com
