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We are happy to inform you that the FILI Fall 2023 grant application period is now open and will last until November 1st. Now it’s the perfect time to acquire your next Finnish title and author!
FILI offers grants to support the translation of Finnish literature. These grants are intended for publishers outside Finland and are to be applied towards the translator’s fee. Grants are awarded for translating works of fiction and general non-fiction, children’s and young adult (YA) books, and comics and graphic novels from the Finnish, Finland-Swedish and Sámi languages. Grants are awarded to cover part of the translation cost, on average, 50 to 70 per cent. Grants are also available for printing costs for comics and graphic novels and for children’s picture books. Read more here: APPLY FOR THE FILI GRANTS
Now is the time to find your new Finnish bestseller – see some of our Fall highlights below, and browse our Fall 2023 Catalogue here: Ahlback Agency Fall 2023 Catalogue
The Investigations of One Cat
Katja Kettu
Katja Kettu’s stunning novel spins through ages whilst surrendering to the wilderness of nature and the deep yearning for offspring.
✓ A fascinating combination of autofiction and elements of magical realism!
✓ Latest novel by the award-winning and bestselling author!
✓ Katja Kettu’s works have been sold to 23 territories!
“Katja Kettu has written a fine novel where the power of words and narrative brings truth and justice into the world. [–] Here is the novel occupied by a cat, a cat turned into a novel.”
– Maaria Ylikangas in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
“Katja Kettu superbly commands the verbalization of emotional charges with strong expression. [—]. THE INVESTIGATIONS OF ONE CAT alluringly combines different traditions of storytelling, as if underlining how borders and categories can be broken and pierced. The novel doesn’t stay neatly and cutely in a specific box but wanders and sprawls. Its story carries, its sensations change from one extreme to the other and its language oscillates through its wordforms and rhythms. And, amidst everything, the peculiar Cat brings delight.”
– Kaisa Kurikka in Turun Sanomat newspaper
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The Logbook of Love
Elina Hirvonen
What’s love all about? In Elina Hirvonen´s new novel, The Logbook of Love, conversations about love form a sea of connections among people from wildly different backgrounds and places.
- A novel for fans of Rachel Cusk, Jenny Offill and Deborah Levy
- Awarded with the WSOY Literary Foundation Recognition Award 2023, worth 10,000 euros
“This struggle between sadness and joy, the light and darkness of loving is felt in every chapter of the book.
Hirvonen writes about people beautifully and touchingly, greatly appreciating each and every one. The narrative is documentary-like, but it is beautified by a sense of relevance, warmth and presence. Despite its heavy world, the love log book is light and joyful.”
– Outi Hytönen in Suomen Kuvalehti newspaper
| Request the English materials here |
The Kristinestad Murders #1: Revenge
Kaisu Tuokko
The peace of the idyllic seaside town Kristinestad is broken in the first installment of an addictive new crime series.
- A perfect mix of Nordic crime, love triangle drama, and the beautiful surroundings of the old coastal town of Kristinestad, Western Finland
- Bestseller – close to 10,000 copies sold & nominated for BookBeat’s Newcomer Of The Year Award!
Perfect for fans of Viveca Sten and Camilla Läckberg, this opening of the new KRISTINESTAD MURDERS crime series follows in the footsteps of strong female crime authors, offering gripping crime plots and interpersonal drama.
“Tuokko’s narration is effortless. The life of youth with its crises also appears natural. The plot of Revenge [Book 1] keeps one in its grip, even surprising the reader. The crime is the size of one book, but the story of Eevi and Mats is left open by the author.”
– Sari Toivakka in Keskisuomalainen newspaper
Request the English materials here
Timeless Nordic Rituals: Bringing Purpose and Joy to Modern Life
Reetta Ranta
Rediscover our lost connection to nature by applying Nordic ancient and modern rituals in your own everyday life.
- Ancient Nordic rituals as medicine for our often hectic, disconnected, and urban lives
- A guide connecting with yourself, nature, and our ancient roots
Can people who live their lives in cities, often more connected to technology than the world around us, benefit from ancient rituals and discover a life in rhythm with nature? What can we learn from the ancestors of the “happiest people on Earth”, the Finns?
Timeless Nordic Rituals is a book that invites us to take inspiration from long-forgotten and living traditions of the Finno-Ugric people, and to create rituals that strengthen our connection with nature, the cycle of life, and with our inner selves and invites you to engage with ancient Nordic rituals in a modern way.
Request the English materials here
The 50 Most Dangerous Families in the World
Hannu Sokala
They like to stay in the shadows. Who are the families that hold the most influence in the world?
- 7,000 copies sold in Finland!
- The newest title by the co-author of THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS COMPANIES IN THE WORLD, sold to 8 territories and currently on the Spiegel-Bestsellerlist in Germany!
- English sample available, featuring 5 of the dangerous families: Rotenberg, Musk, Guriev, Grimaldi, Wallenberg
Very few of us know the Lees, the al-Nahyans, the Quandts, the Safras or the Wertheimers. We all know, however, their companies Samsung, Manchester City, BMW, Chiquita, and Chanel. Many of the world’s most influential companies are still family businesses, and many of these families go back many generations, some even to the 18th Century. Many of them operate around the world, and some are worth tens of billions of dollars. Still, we know astonishingly little about these families.
The stories of the families in this book contain larger-than-life characters, unbelievable plots, and numerous conflicts, tragedies, and successes. This non-fiction book by the experienced business journalist Hannu Sokala offers a comprehensive and surprising perspective on the world’s most important, and dangerous families.
Request the English materials here
Stop Secret Mysteries: Stinker the Horrific Sock Monster
Ilona Ahti and Miila Westin
A funny middle-grade mystery series for fans of Roald Dahl
- Miila Westin is a Finlandia Junior Prize winning illustrator (2020) and her books have been sold into 14 languages
- Ilona Ahti is an award-winning TV and film script writer and co-writer of the Oscar nominated film Girl Picture
- Independent sequel planned for 2024
The sock-trap has been set! A sock-monster, Stinker, is on the loose!
In the opening of this charmingly funny middle-grade series, top-secret cases are being solved. Why are there only odd socks in the cabinet, and where have the hairclips and remote controls vanished?