SOSHISHA acquires Japanese rights to Mia Kankimäki’s WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT, sold now in 18 territories

We are very happy to share the news that Japanese publisher Soshisha has acquired Japanese rights to Mia Kankimäki’s internationally bestselling THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT. In August, Soshisha published very successfully Mia Kankimäki’s first book THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER to great reviews, with the first edition already sold out!

The Japanese publisher gives praise:
“I am delighted to share that Mia Kankimäki’s debut title, THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER, is embraced and loved by many Japanese readers. A cross between an autobiography and a travelogue, the author finds an emotional connection with a woman geographically far apart and from a different era and tries to discover who she really was. I believe this style is reflected in THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT as well. Though some of the female figures in this second book might not be well-known locally, I am looking forward to seeing how our readers will react to their lifestyles.” – Daisuke Watanabe, Editor, Soshisha


Mia Kankimäki’s second book The Women I Think About at Night has sold over 50,000 copies in all formats in Finland and the translation rights have been sold to 18 territories, including USA and China. The book was just published in Sweden to excellent reviews, and will publish this week in France. Mia visited last week Prague to promote her Czech edition.

 

Download Full English manuscript from here

The Independent’s ”Best Travel Books of Year 2021″:
“Packed with emotions, this book is like reading a travelogue, feminist’s manifesto and a self-help guide in one.”

PRAISE:

“[E]nlightening…[A] patchwork study of the many hurdles women artists faced—and still face.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The stories are complicated and inspiring, and Kankimäki’s experience unwinding each one to help understand her own life reminds us of the power of using travel for self-discovery.” —Travel + Leisure

“Complicated and engaging … Through each chapter, you’ll learn about women who went against the grain and set out on personal adventures to unapologetically live their lives with passion and fervor. You’ll read about a woman who ran a coffee plantation in Kenya; a travel writer who suffered from depression until she took the advice of a doctor to explore the high seas; a Buddhist nun who became the first white woman to enter Lhasa, a forbidden city in the mid 1920’s; an inventor who traveled around the world with just a handbag; and many more. —Forbes

“Astute, entertaining….This insightful book will appeal to adventure enthusiasts and be an inspiration for those with an eye on hitting their stride later in life.” —Publishers Weekly

“In yesterday’s radio transmission the book was welcomed astoundingly well. The speakers were wondering about how thick the book was but in the end it didn’t matter as they dived quickly into it. Mia’s exceptional imagination that fills any void and her overflowing passion about Sei kept them spellbound till the very end.”
– NHK Live Radio, Japan, September 18th on “Things That Make One’s Heart Beat Faster”

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
CHINA: Winshare Books Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media / Motto
DENMARK: Bilgrav
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE: Editions Leduc
GERMANY: btb Verlag/Random House
ITALY: Neri Pozza Editore
JAPAN: Soshisha
LATVIA: Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Gelmes Publishing
NETHERLANDS: Orlando
NORWAY: Gursli Berg Forlag
RUSSIA: Eksmo
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Wahlström & Widstrand
USA: Simon & Schuster (World English)

About author


Mia Kankimäki

Mia Kankimäki is the author of two best-selling books which blend travelogue, memoir, biography, and women’s history. After taking a master’s degree in comparative literature at the University of Helsinki and working diligently in Finnish publishing, in 2010 she left her job and traveled to Japan to write her first book. Her books have received several literary awards, for example the Best Travel Book of the Year 2013, the HelMet Award 2015, and Otava Book Foundation’s Non-Fiction Award 2020. She currently lives in Helsinki, Finland, whenever she’s not traveling for her next book project.

Mia has been enthusiastic about Japanese culture for years and is a qualified ikebana teacher of the Sogetsu school. Her first book Things That Make One’s Hear Beat Faster took her to Kyoto where she has spent long periods of writing and making research ever since. Kankimäki’s second book The Women I Think About at Night has sold over 55,000 copies in Finland and the translation rights have been sold to 21 territories, including USA and China.

Mia's both books have been aqcuired by Japanese publisher Soshisha:

"I am delighted to share that Mia Kankimäki’s debut title, THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER, is embraced and loved by many Japanese readers. A cross between an autobiography and a travelogue, the author finds an emotional connection with a woman geographically far apart and from a different era and tries to discover who she really was. I believe this style is reflected in THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT as well. Though some of the female figures in this second book might not be well-known locally, I am looking forward to seeing how our readers will react to their lifestyles." - Daisuke Watanabe, Editor, Soshisha

Bibliography


2018, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

The Women I Think About At Night

Mia Kankimäki


2013, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Things That Make One's Heart Beat Faster

Mia Kankimäki