October deals & reviews round-up: The Guardian Angel and The Core of the Sun

The Guardian Angel, Einar Hansen’s psychological thriller, has sparked a lot of interest from Frankfurt. We currently have first offers in Denmark – where the story takes place – and a newly-closed deal in Serbia with Vulkan, whose list includes high-profile thriller authors such as Paula Hawkins and Stephen King, with plans for a film tie-in for the Serbian premiere of The Guardian Angel, the movie.

Rights also sold in Italy to Piemme, at auction, last month. In Finland, the book will be published by WSOY in spring 2018.

Hansen’s novel, which has been written alongside an eponymous feature film, directed by Arto Halonen as a Finnish-Danish-Croatian co-production, is based on real events of the so-called ‘hypnosis murders’ that shook Copenhagen in the early 1950s.

Turkey and Denmark acquire a feminist dystopia

Meanwhile, Johanna Sinisalo’s Prometheus Award-winning dystopian novel The Core of the Sun has just been sold in two territories, coinciding with its longlisting for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award.

In Denmark, indie publisher Jensen & Dalgaard acquired the rights, and in Turkey rights sold to Ithaki Yayinlari. The prominent Turkish publisher of speculative and general fiction acquired Johanna’s topical dystopian novel, which has received a stream of great press attention since its publication in English:

“Margaret Atwood and Aldous Huxley get down with Carlos Castaneda in The Core of the Sun, an adventurous and original dystopian satire which isn’t likely to be forgotten in a hurry… It’s dark, biting, unlike anything you’ll read this year and, ultimately, a triumph,” The Herald (Scotland) wrote.

Undertaker by Marko Kilpi:
“At the top of its genre.” – Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
“Undertaker is also a work of art.” – Kauppalehti, FinlandThey Know Not What They Do by Jussi Valtonen:
“This hugely ambitious work of contemporary realism offers a dramatic warning about the influence of digital culture.” — Booklist,USA
“A contemporary novel that doesn’t lose sight of perennial dilemmas.” – Kirkus Reviews, USA

Roots by Miika Nousiainen:
“A quirky Nordic story that’s simply fun!” – Brigitte Extra, Germany
“Quirky humour, a good story, a happy end. Reading is rarely as deliciously amusing while also educative about dental hygiene and public health.” – NDR Kultur, Germany