First foreign sale for THE MARIMEKKO STORY!

We are very happy to announce the first international rights sold for THE GREATEST OF ALL IS LOVE. THE MARIMEKKO STORY.

Just yesterday, in an auction, the Estonian rights were secured by Helios!
We are also excited to announce that a feature film based on The Marimekko Story is in development by Aurora Studios!We are very glad to have just started representing the breathtaking rags-to-riches story of Marimekko’s former owner and CEO Kirsti Paakkanen, who turned the fortunes of the iconic brand around.

This is the true story of how a retired businesswoman took over the practically bankrupt Finnish design house and turned Marimekko into a successful worldwide brand name.

  • #1 Bestselling non-fiction title on Finland’s official bestseller list 16 weeks in a row since publication! 
  • Feature film in development by Aurora Studios

Reading materials: English sample coming in September
Ask for the Full Finnish manuscript for your reader by clicking here.

If you do not yet have a Finnish reader, please take a look at Kääntöpiiri portal, where you can currently find 99 possible readers.


Author bio:
Ulla-Maija Paavilainenaward-winning journalist, is the author of several well-received novels and non-fiction books. She has worked as the editor-in-chief at several top Finnish magazines over the past 25 years.

Listen to the author Ulla-Maija Paavilainen talking about the book by clicking here.


Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Helios

About author


Ulla-Maija Paavilainen

Ulla-Maija Paavilainen, award-winning journalist, is the author of several well-received novels and non-fiction books. She has worked as the editor-in-chief at several top Finnish magazines over the past 25 years. One of her specific areas of interest is the role of women in working life and analysing the power structure and what is required for women to have successful careers.

Paavilainen’s most recent work is the moving biography of the legendary entrepreneur Kirsti Paakkanen, who took over Marimekko, one of Finland’s most famous design brands. Kirsti Paakkanen: Greatest of All is Love is the story of Marimekko, an authentic rags-to riches tale of how a poor girl from the countryside first founded the world’s first all-women’s advertising agency, Womena. Selling Womena when she was 62, Paakkanen bought Marimekko, a global design company that was on the verge of bankruptcy and turned it around into an international iconic fashion house.

Bibliography


2020, Memories & Biographies

The Greatest of All Is Love. The Marimekko Story

Ulla-Maija Paavilainen