French rights deal for SWAN SONG by Johanna Sinisalo

We are thrilled to announce that Swan Song by Johanna Sinisalo is travelling to France, where Actes Sûd has secured the French rights.

Published last fall by Otava, Swan Song received wide critical acclaim in Finland and was nominated for the Tähtivaeltaja Award 2026.

The jury praised the novel for its ambitious themes and compelling storytelling:

“The work, which deals with broad themes such as animal rights ethics, interspecies communication, and human-caused ecological catastrophe, unfolds across several narrative threads… The compelling storytelling and rich informational content keep the reader fully engaged.”

Finland’s leading newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, also praised the novel:

“The novel unfolds pulsatingly, piece by piece… Sinisalo playfully tightens the bolts on the simulation spirals spun by The Matrix and The Truman Show, teasing out a cascade of clever and captivating ideas… Johanna Sinisalo’s Swan Song is a passionate and beautiful deep dive into the life that surrounds us. It’s a reminder of how much communication is about the effort to listen and understand one another—regardless of species.” – Arla Kanerva, Helsingin Sanomat

REQUEST THE READING MATERIALS FOR SWANSONG HERE

Swan Song is a visionary literary novel exploring the boundaries between species, perception, and technology. Set in a near future shaped by the ambitions of billionaires, it follows Jane, a Finnish-born woman living in the United States who remotely rescues people from disasters. When she is assigned what seems to be a routine scientific project involving an AI monitoring birds, she becomes entangled in a journey that may alter the future of humanity. A perfect read for readers of Margaret Atwood, Jeff VanderMeer, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Kurt Vonnegut.

Johanna Sinisalo is Finland’s internationally acclaimed master of speculative fiction. Winner of the Finlandia Prize and numerous international awards, her works have been translated into twenty languages. Drawing together ecological concerns, philosophical questions, and bold imagination, she has established herself as one of the most original voices in contemporary literature.

Warmest congratulations to the author and the publisher!