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The shortlist for the Tähtifantasia Award 2026, presented annually since 2007, has been announced! We are happy to share that two Ahlbäck Agency titles are nominated: SNOWSINGER by Emmi Itäranta and THE WITCH OF SARDESIA by J. S. Meresmaa! The award, given by the Helsinki Science Fiction Society, honors the best fantasy book published in Finland during the previous year.
From the books released in 2025, five titles have been selected as nominees, showcasing the rich diversity of contemporary fantasy literature.
Here is what the jury says about SNOWSINGER:
“This mythic novel offers a vivid and deeply convincing portrayal of people and circumstances in Iron Age northern lands. Its themes include justice, storytelling as a means of power, and individual choice. The characters feel authentic and dynamic, and the language is both evocative and beautifully crafted.”
And about THE WITCH OF SARDESIA:
“This coming‑of‑age story offers adventure, romance, unexpected plot twists, and thoughtful social commentary. The narrative’s light and dark tones blend seamlessly into a cohesive whole. A richly diverse fantasy world and playful use of language make the novel a thoroughly enjoyable read.”
DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR SNOWSINGER HERE
The enchanting origin story of Louhi, the witch queen of Pohjola from the Finnish national epic Kalevala. Emmi Itäranta’s award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (2012) is a classic and an international hit: published in 28 territories.
Award-winning author Emmi Itäranta’s latest novel Snowsinger takes the readers to a mythological past, a world of magic and shapeshifting. Harmony and respect reign between humans, nature, and animals. Until the idyll is broken and the lust for power, the desire for revenge, and greed arise.
Lauha is living her childhood in Pohjola where strong women rule, each of them with their spell-shape, or animal form. When Lauha is nine, a foreign tribe attacks Pohjola and kills most of her family, while Lauha flees with her mother and two younger sisters. After many hardships, Lauha ends up in the safety of a women’s forest community known as Metsänpeitto, where she lives silently for years.
After a tragic incident, Lauha decides to have revenge on the conquerors of Pohjola and reclaim her home. Defending Pohjola and keeping her family safe shapes Lauha into Louhi, a woman feared by many. The painful memories of her escape drive Louhi to choices that have fateful consequences to the people of Pohjola and to Louhi herself.
DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR THE WITCH OF SARDESIA HERE
A magical and emotional story about a young pearl whisperer who seeks out a powerful witch to find a cure for her sister, who has been stricken by a deadly sleep sickness
Soon to turn seventeen, Noa is the daughter of a pearl whisperer. She lives with her older sister and her mother, who has been crippled by a bear attack, in a house on Shady Pine Ridge, deep in the forest. The family cultivates pearls in their farm in the river, selling them to jewelers in the city. But the pearl farm is in trouble. No new pearls have been whispered for years. Noa’s mother has lost her ability to pearl whisper, and it was recently revealed that Noa’s sister Midja has no gift for pearl whispering either. Their father is serving a debtor’s sentence in the city of Paulava. Noa is their only hope.
When Midja falls ill with a deadly sleep sickness, the family faces a harsh reality: she can only be cured by the most powerful witch in Kernos—the Witch of Sardesia. Noa must venture out into the world for the first time, find the witch, and bring back a cure. Otherwise, her sister will die, their pearl farm will be doomed, and their father will never leave prison.
Together with a sly, wise toad and an enigmatic young man named Vesper who joins in the journey, Noa encounters dangers in the city and in her own heart.
SNOWSINGER
Lumenlaulaja, Teos 2025, 410 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ESTONIA: Argo
Reading Material:
Full English text, English synopsis, Finnish PDF
THE WITCH OF SARDESIA
Noidanlanka, Myllylahti 2025, 320 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Myllylahti (orig.)
Reading Material:
English sample and synopsis, Finnish PDF
