Ambo|Anthos pre-empts the Dutch rights to Marius by Sirpa Kähkönen

We are thrilled to announce the third foreign deal for MARIUS by Finlandia Winner Sirpa Kähkönen as Ambo|Anthos has pre-empted the Dutch rights. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Ahlbäck Agency.

This follows the recent Swedish rights deal with Lind & Co, and German rights deal with Blessing. In addition to strong international interest, the book has received rave reviews in Finland, and it is top #12 selling books of September in printed books, and it was recently nominated for Adlibris Prize’s Novel of the Year.

Renate Liesker, Sr. Editor at Ambo|Anthos shares her enthusiasm:

“What a delightful treat! In such a short novel, the author touches on big and universal themes in such an exquisite way, I couldn’t stop underlining sentences. The protagonist Lily is such a true to life and rounded character, vibrant, alive, yet taking stock of her life, what is done, what is had and enjoyed and what it is that can still be expected. It is such a beautifully rendered exploration of love, art, the passage of time, longing, and female empowerment, too, it felt like exactly the sort of novel that we are always on the look-out for for our literary Ambo|Anthos list!”

REQUEST MATERIALS FOR MARIUS HERE

“Sirpa Kähkönen’s Marius is simply dynamite.”
—  Turun Sanomat

“Marius is a gem.”
— Suomen Kuvalehti

“The romance is among the most delightful elements of Kähkönen’s novel. Desire flares up, then slowly settles into longing. The portrayal is playful, sensuous, and richly evocative.”
—Helsingin Sanomat

MARIUS is a one-day novel about memory, longing, and desire. Sixty-year-old Lili has developed an intense crush for the young Frenchman Marius, to whom she said goodbye the previous night, and is having a hard time to let go. Then Marius sends her a message, hinting that he may show up again, and the sadness turns into longing. While Lili waits for Marius, she starts thinking back to her youth, her past lovers, romantic adventures, and her fascination with arts and the work of a painter she came to know in her youth. Memories, sensations, and feelings lull her all day and as evening falls Lili is no longer waiting, but she is content.

Reading material:

English sample and full English draft translation, English synopsis, Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Siltala (orig.)
GERMANY: Blessing Verlag (PRH Germany)
NETHERLANDS: Ambo|Anthos
SWEDEN: Lind & Co

About author


Sirpa Kähkönen

Sirpa Kähkönen is one of Finland’s   most acclaimed and widely recognised contemporary authors. Her historical novels   begin where source information ends. It opens the gates to experiencing the   past in a sensory way; the characters live out the story as physical, sensual   beings.

Kähkönen was born to a family that had been harshly treated by the   history of the 1900s. The Second World War and the Civil War preceding it had   wounded her family members and marked them with heavy silence and unspoken   words.

She has published thirteen novels, including 36 Urns: A History   of Being Wrong, which won the prestigious Finlandia Prize and has sold   over 100,000 copies in Finland, with rights sold in six territories.   Four of her other novels have been nominated for the Finlandia Prize, and one   was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize. She has also published   three works of non-fiction, one of which was nominated for the Non-Fiction   Finlandia Prize, and written five plays.

In 2022, Kähkönen received the Finnish Cultural Foundation's Grand   Prize for significant achievements in culture.

Awards and nominations:

  • Kirjallisuuden        valtionpalkinto 1992 - The State Literary Prize 1992
  • Savonia-palkinto        1999 - Savonia Prize 1999
  • Kuopion        taiteilijaseuran kirjallisuuden tunnustuspalkinto 2003 - The Kuopio        Artist Society's Literary Award 2003
  • Kiitos kirjasta -mitali 2008 - Thank You for        the book medallion 2008
  • Savon Sanomien        Savonmuan Hilima -titteli 2010
  • Otavan        kirjasäätiön Veijo Meri -palkinto 2012 - Otava Literary Fund Veijo Meri        Prize 2012
  • Pro-Finlandia -mitali 2015 - Pro Finlandia        Medallion 2015
  • Suomi-palkinto 2016 - Suomi-Finland Prize 2016        from the Ministry of Education and Culture
  • Savonia-palkinto 2021 - Savonia Prize 2021
  • Suomen Kulttuurirahaston suurpalkinto - The        Finnish Cultural Foundation's Grand Prize 2021
  • Finlandia-palkinto 2023 - Finlandia Prize 2023

Photo   credit: Laura Malmivaara

Bibliography


2026, Literary Fiction

Marius

Sirpa Kähkönen


2023, Literary Fiction

36 Urns: A History of Being Wrong

Sirpa Kähkönen


2021, Literary Fiction

The Green Chamber

Sirpa Kähkönen