Eight Ahlbäck Agency authors nominated for Adlibris Prize!

Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen (b. 1981) is a Spiegel bestselling author and environmental inspector based in Pori, Finland. During the evenings, he writes dark and tough crime novels. He is best known for his psychologically nuanced and gripping crime novels. Tuominen's novels are acclaimed for their intense atmosphere, compelling plots, and richly drawn characters.

His River Delta series has sold over 230,000 copies in Finland alone and has been published in six different languages. Tuominen has received numerous accolades, including the Vuoden Johtolanka (Clue of the Year) award for The Oath and the Palle Rosenkrantz Prize from the Danish Crime Academy for Jeopardy. In addition he has been nominated for the prestigious Glass Key Award. His novels have earned praise from both critics and readers, firmly establishing him as a leading voice in Finnish crime fiction.

Jenni Multisilta

Jenni Multisilta is a Master of Economics and a writer. Multisilta's works include the YA thriller series @buriedpodies, feel-good romance novels, and psychological thrillers.

In addition to writing, she is a former national-level competitive athlete who teaches aerial acrobatics and pole dancing, as well as yoga. In her free time, Multisilta hangs upside down here and there, for the world looks more interesting from different perspectives.

Leena Lehtolainen

Leena Lehtolainen is the top female crime author in Finland: her new titles always head straight to #1 on the Finnish bestseller lists.

Lehtolainen created her successful protagonist, detective Maria Kallio, in 1993. Having already featured in 16 novels and a complete TV series, a new Maria Kallio TV reboot series was launched in Fall 2021 on C More. Lehtolainen’s novels have been translated into 30 languages and have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.

And just like the events in Bodyguard, a that takes the heroine Hilja Ilveskero all around Europe, Lehtolainen’s own work takes her to book festivals, exhibitions and other events across the globe.

Leena Lehtolainen has also published outside the crime genre; her book The Charm of Figure Skating was voted sports book of the year 2010 in Finland, and A Life in Six Scenes showed her return to literary fiction.

The Crossing of the Green Dragon is her first title for YA audiences.

In her free time, Lehtolainen enjoys all kinds of music and follows lynx trails in the forests – just like Maria Kallio.

Photo credit: Ville Juurikkala

Magdalena Hai

Magdalena Hai is an award-winning author, lover of cross-genre fiction and all things strange. Her fiction often combines elements of sci-fi, fantasy and horror.

Her Little Shop of Nightmares series has been sold to 30 territories around the world. Among Hai's many accolades are winning the Finlandia Prize for children's and YA literature and the Finnish Literary Export Prize, and being nominated  the Nordic Council Children & Young People's Literature Prize.

Besides being an author, Hai teaches writing and is an active member and editor in the publishing co-operative Osuuskumma.

Mari Renko

Mari Renko (b. 1994) is an Eastern Finnish author from Kuopio. She writes both the two-timeline romantic book series The Yellow House Chronicles aimed at adults, as well as The Fader Files, which combines YA fantasy and detective adventures. She wrote her debut novel Pearl Ring, Enclosed after growing tired of the one-dimensional male heroes in romantic books. Her goal is to show that the world is full of different love stories, each worth telling, even if they don’t end in marriage and children, or even if the love in question is something other than romantic love.

In fantasy, Mari is fascinated by other worlds where one can escape everyday life, and by gripping adventures into which important themes can be woven, without forgetting romance.

Mari has studied medicine and writing. She is also active on book-related social media, where she talks about her writing and shares writing tips.
On Instagram and TikTok, you can find Mari under the username @renkomari.

Photo credit: Anna-Katri Hänninen Bazar kustannus

Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

Max Seeck – New York Times Bestselling Author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Winner of the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for his novel THE LAST GRUDGE.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“Another star has been added to the firmament of thriller writers,” announced Iltalehti newspaper, when Max’s debut novel was published in 2016. Four books later, Max Seeck’s novels have been sold to more than 40 countries, including US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries and as far as Korea!

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 11 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

Max Seeck has a background in sales and marketing, and has lately been able to dedicate his time to his lifelong love of writing. His interests include well-conducted research, reading Nordic Noir and listening to movie soundtracks as he writes.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

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

Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system. His books have sold over 400,000 copies in Finland and have been translated into 22 languages.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet, which was shortlisted for the Finlandia Prize and won several other awards, has since been nominated for the Finlandia Prize four times, most recently for Pine Bark in 2024. His novels have all been critical and commercial successes.

His first two novels, Where Four Roads Meet and The Light Behind the Eyes, are connected by their characters and family history. The Long Open, his seventh novel, published in 2026, returns to the characters of his first two books as an independent sequel.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.