I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER sold to Sweden!

We are happy to announce that the Swedish rights for the non-fiction title I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER by Tero Mielonen and Mari Ahokoivu have been acquired by Swedish publisher Epix! The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Previously sold to Bulgaria and Latvia, I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER shows children how they can turn their interests into careers in science and research, proofing that everyone can be a scientist!

Praise for I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER:

I’ll Become a Researcher tells you the basics of every discipline with accuracy and precision. Even If a preschooler will not understand all words, the excellent illustrations can help bring the research equipment and objects of investigation to life.  The presentation was also approved by my 12-year-old son, who is a little older than the target group. The comic in the end of the book gets a special commendation. Clear demonstration, I liked it!
– Elina Lindfors, Tähdet ja Avaruus -magazine, Finland

We have a full English pdf for you to read and the rights are still available in UK, US, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Korea etc!

Download the full English pdf for I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER here!

 

Maailman tutkijat
Ursa, 2021, 53pp

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Ursa (orig.)
BULGARIA: Enthusiast
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
SWEDEN: Epix

Reading materials:
Full English pdf

About author


Mari Ahokoivu

Mari Ahokoivu is a Finnish illustrator and a comics artist. She’s been drawing professionally for over 10 years, mainly drawing graphic novels and comics for children, including Sanni & Joonas and Lola Olifante. Ahokoivu loves everything cute and scary. She lives and works in Copenhagen. Mari Ahokoivu has illustrated WHERE DID THE ANIMALS GO which was nominated for the 2021 Finlandia Award and has also won the Tieto-Lauri award!

About author


Tero Mielonen

Tero Mielonen (PhD) is an atmospheric scientist and a comic book enthusiast. He studies the role of atmospheric aerosols in climate change at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. He also enjoys public outreach in its various forms.

Mielonen has written a children’s book, I'll Become a Researcher (illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu) which gives introductions to several scientific fields and shows how you can still do the things you enjoyed as a child when you become a scientist. Mielonen lives in Kuopio and is partial to cycling everywhere.

Breaking news! Chinese rights sold for Johanna Sinisalo’s “Finnish Weird” novel THE CORE OF THE SUN!

We are thrilled to announce a Chinese sale for Johanna Sinisalo’s classic novel of Finnish Weird, THE CORE OF THE SUNCitic Press has acquired Chinese simplified rights to this international bestseller, published originally in 2013 in Finland, and in 2016 in the US by Grove Atlantic, and also in Germany by Klett-Cotta, in Spain by Roca,  in Denmark by Jensen & Dalgaard, in Hungary by Metropolis Media, in Turkey by Ithaki Yayinlari, and Latvia by Petergailis. Join the success! The deal was closed by Elina Ahlback at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The Chinese publisher Citic Press loves the book:

“Such a clever and imaginative work! When a society lost its freedom, eating spicy food became a form of resistance. The seemingly trivial things in real life have become the best expression of people’s resistance under high pressure. Chili worship, smuggling, gratitude, and the superpower given by chili…… Great creativity has shown by the delicate structure.” — Citic Press, China

From the queen of “Finnish weird,” a captivating and witty speculative satire of a Handmaid’s Tale-esque welfare state where women are either breeders or outcasts, addicts chase the elusive high of super-hot chili peppers, and one woman is searching for her missing sister. The Core of the Sun has received excellent praise around the world:

“Hailed for being “Finnish weird,” this read from Finnish speculative fiction superstar Johanna Sinisalo will especially delight fans of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.”  – Bustle.com, USA

“An intoxicating book, sizzling to look at and as spicy as a hot pepper.” —Weltexpress, Germany

“One can read this with joy and docility as an exotic thriller. But it can also be seen as a call to resistance” – Anne-Françoise Hivert, Libération, France

“Written with wit and grace—Sinisalo describes depression as “a smooth-walled cavity, an open, echoing cave with a darkness living in it deeper than the space between the stars”—the novel maintains an impressive grasp on plot and suspense, easily luring the reader into taking its characters, politics, and striking story to heart.” – Kirkus Starred Review, USA

Download the English PDF fo THE CORE OF THE SUN here!

 

The Core of the Sun

Johanna Sinisalo

Set in an alternative historical present, in a “eusistocracy”—an extreme welfare state—that holds public health and social stability above all else, The Core of the Sun follows a young woman whose growing addiction to illegal chili peppers leads her on an adventure into a world where love, sex, and free will are all controlled by the state.

The Eusistocratic Republic of Finland has bred a new human sub-species of receptive, submissive women, called eloi, for sex and procreation, while intelligent, independent women are relegated to menial labor and sterilized. How did Finland turn into the North Korea of Europe? Johanna Sinisalo’s tautly told story of fight and flight is also a feisty, between-the-lines social polemic—a witty, inventive, and fiendishly engaging read.

Auringon ydin
Teos, November 2013, 340 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ARABIC: Al Arabi
CHINA: Citic Press
DENMARK: Jensen & Dalgaard
GERMANY: Klett-Cotta
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group Kft.
LATVIA: Izdevnieciba Petergailis SIA
SPAIN: Roca Editorial
TURKEY: Ithaki Yayinlari
UNITED STATES: Grove Atlantic USA

Reading materials: English edition

About author


Johanna Sinisalo

Johanna Sinisalo (b. 1958) is a Finlandia-Prize winning superstar of Finnish speculative fiction. In addition to her nine novels, she has also written short fiction and film and television screenplays. Her works have been translated into twenty languages.

Sinisalo has won several literary prizes also abroad, such as the 2004 James Tiptree, Jr. Award and the 2017 Prometheus Award, and was nominated for the Nebula Award in 2008, the Prix Escapades in 2012, and the Grand Prix de L’Imaginaire in 2017.

In 2022, Johanna Sinisalo was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal for services to Finnish literature! Founded in 1943, the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland is a distinction awarded by the President of Finland to artists and writers in recognition of their long meritorious work and exceptional services to Finnish art, drama, literature and music.

Bibliography


2021, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Storm Flute

Johanna Sinisalo


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Strangers Inside

Johanna Sinisalo


2018, Fantasy & Science Fiction

IRON SKY: RENATE'S STORY

Johanna Sinisalo


2013, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Core of The Sun

Johanna Sinisalo


2011, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Blood of Angels

Johanna Sinisalo


2010, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Möbius Twist

Johanna Sinisalo


2008, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Birdbrain

Johanna Sinisalo


2000, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Troll

Johanna Sinisalo

Rockefellers, Windsors, Toyodas – THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS FAMILIES IN THE WORLD by Hannu Sokala published this week!

We are thrilled to let you know that THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS FAMILIES IN THE WORLD by Hannu Sokala will be published in Finland this week by Otava/Nemo!

Many of the most important big companies around the world are still owned or controlled by their founding families. However, despite wielding significant economic and political power, these families would rather like to remain away from the limelight. What kinds of challenges might these families present for equality and democracy?

In THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS FAMILIES IN THE WORLD, investigative journalist Hannu Sokala presents a unique insight into the possessions of 50 different families all over the world. The reader might already be familiar with the Rockefellers, the al-Sauds, the Windsors and the Toyodas, but many others, including the Quandts, the Safras, and the al-Nahyans, remain mostly unknown. Hannu Sokala’s book reads like a thriller novel and reveals the twists and turns in the history of these absurdly wealthy and powerful families.

THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS FAMILIES IN THE WORLD is an independent sequel to THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS COMPANIES IN THE WORLD, written by Hannu Sokala and Juha-Pekka Raeste and originally published in Finland in 2021, which has been sold to 8 territories!

As reading materials, we now have the full Finnish manuscript and English sample chapters available.

Download materials for THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS FAMILIES IN THE WORLD here!

The 50 Most Dangerous Families in the World

Hannu Sokala

They like to stay in the shadows. Who are the families that wield the most power in the world?

Worse than the Roys
Did you think the Roy family in Succession was distressing? Truth is stranger than fiction. Read about the real-life Roys, the Murdoch family.

How did the BMW owners get rich?
The main owner of the German automaker are the Quandt family. They made their first fortune by supplying the German army with uniforms during World War 1. In the 1930s, they started to collaborate with the Nazis.

What is the greatest ever fortune squandered?
Cornelius Vanderbilt amassed the largest American fortune in the world in the 19th Century. His offspring demolished their fortune by building grand mansions and throwing opulent jet-set parties.

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.

THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS FAMILIES IN THE WORLD
MAAILMAN 50 VAARALLISINTA SUKUA
Otava/Nemo, 2023, 428 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample chapters
Table of contents

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava/Nemo (orig.)

About author


Hannu Sokala

Hannu Sokala works as an investigative reporter for YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company. His work covers e.g. international finance and macroeconomics.

Bibliography


2023, General Nonfiction

The 50 Most Dangerous Families in the World

Hannu Sokala

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES by Noora Kunnas and Teemu Juhani sold to Bulgaria! 9 territories!

We are thrilled to announce that the Bulgarian rights for MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES by Noora Kunnas and Teemu Juhani have been acquired by Enthusiast! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Enthusiast in an imprint of Alto Communications and Publishing Ltd. and their children’s authors include Tim Collins, Roald Dahl, Marcella Ward, Sam McBratney, and Quentin Blake.

In April, the German edition of MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES won the Prix Chronos literature prize in Switzerland:
Two children, two elderly people, a rooster and a horde of mini pirates: A colorful bouquet of different people and animals plays into this story and makes the book a unique and humorous reading pleasure.”
– Prix Chronos 2023 jury

Written by Noora Kunnas and illustrated by Teemu Juhani, the wonderful MABEL MERRYWEATHER series has now been sold to 9 territories!
Rights are available in US, UK, France, Spain, Korea, Portugal, Turkey…

Download materials for the MABEL MERRYWEATHER series here!

Mabel Merryweather and the Miniature Pirates

Noora Kunnas, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

A fast and funny middle grade mystery series by a Finnish children’s book author who loves Roald Dahl and crazy stories!

  • Series sold to 9 territories!
  • Winner of the Prix Chronos 2023 in Switzerland!

Supergranny, a singing rooster, and mischievous mini pirates – a new series begins!

Nick and Lilly’s visit to their rule-loving, child-hating uncle turns into an adventure as the children get to know their exciting, eccentric neighbor: Mabel Merryweather. Mabel and her friends are preparing for a flower arranging competition, when the town is hit by a jewel thief. Nick, Lilly, and Mabel have their own problems as Mabel’s decorative miniature pirates have come to life and are rummaging through backyards. And what happened to the main judge of the competition – a pop singer Monika who disappeared that same day? Something must be done to bring peace and order back to the town of Dalton.

Mabel Merryweather and the King of Thieves

Noora Kunnas, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

The wild gang is back! Nick, Lilly, Supergranny Mabel and her speaking rooster face a new enemy: an art hustler. Second book of a new middle grade mystery series!

The town of Dalton is celebrating a local children’s poet’s 140th anniversary, and everyone is dressed up as a character from a poem. But amongst the happy people there’s also a gentleman thief who has terrorized art museums all spring. Through many mistakes and misunderstandings Nick and Lilly help the police to catch a thief – and to teach a lesson to a grumpy literary critic.

Mabel Merryweather and the Cheesy Mystery

Noora Kunnas, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

The streets of Dalton have turned holey like Emmental cheese!

Mabel Merryweather’s friend Bruno and his goats have arrived from Switzerland to perform at the Dalton cheese festival. This fragrant event has attracted a lot of people to the venue, but to the horror of the townspeople, mysterious holes have started to appear on streets and courtyards at night. Who digs them – and why? The rumor spreads that the town is infested by aliens, but Lilly, Nick, and the mighty Mabel Merryweather don’t believe the gossip. With the help of yodeling goats, they dig up the truth.

Mabel Merryweather and the Crowbar Gala

Noora Kunnas, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

A fast and funny middle grade mystery series by a Finnish children’s book author who loves Roald Dahl and crazy stories!

A bandit gathering at an awards gala causes havoc in town! The fourth title in this cracking detective series for middle-grade readers.

Nick and Lilly go camping and birdwatching on an island. Visiting Mabel’s inventor-friend Helga turns out to be anything but quiet when Pedro the Rooster vanishes. To boot, the news reports say that a bunch of bandits have escaped from prison.

Soon, they find out that the old factory building on the opposite shore is not being used for filming the newest season of a popular game show, but instead for organizing the Crowbar Gala, in which awards for the most successful bandits are given out. Without the wits of Nick, Lilly, and the mighty Mabel Merryweather, these goons would be able to continue with their mischief.

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA MINIMERIROSVOT
Otava, 2019, 140 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
BULGARIA: Enthusiast
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
GERMANY: Mixtvision
HUNGARY: Pagony
ITALY: Terre di Mezzo
NETHERLANDS: Veltman Uitgevers
POLAND: Znak
RUSSIA: Eksmo

 

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE KING OF THIEVES
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA HUIJAREIDEN KUNINGAS
Otava, 2020, 140 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
GERMANY: Mixtvision
POLAND: Znak
RUSSIA: Eksmo

 

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE CHEESY MYSTERY
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA JUUSTOINEN MYSTEERI
Otava, 2021, 144 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
POLAND: Znak
RUSSIA: Eksmo

 

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE CROWBAR GALA
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA SORKKARAUTAGAALA
Otava, 2022, 144 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

About author


Noora Kunnas

Noora Kunnas is a children’s author from Helsinki, Finland. She has the knack for making both children and grownups laugh while they’re immersed in her zany books. She loves animals and British humor – she grew up watching Jeeves and Wooster and eating ice cream straight from the container. Kunnas draws her inspiration from the world of Roald Dahl. The trademark of her books is a nutty humor, spiced with quirky characters, as well as the titillating mood of various settings, where anything – and we mean anything – is possible.

Noora Kunnas has published eight children’s books at Otava (2015 – 2022),  and her works have been nominated for the prestigious Tiiliskivi and Lukuvarkaus literary prizes in Finland. She graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts with a degree in film, and she worked in television since.

About author


Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

GENTLE POWER is conquering the world: Rights sold in Latvia, US, China and Thailand!

We are thrilled to announce that the Latvian rights for GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu by Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD, have been acquired by Zvaigzne ABC! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Originally published in the US in January 2023 by Sounds True, the title has also been sold to China to Cheers Publishing, and Thailand to Amarin.

Life is an ultramarathon. The best path is to access your sisu and keep your heart open. Author, and founder of Sisu Lab and Gentle Power Academy, Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD, describes GENTLE POWER:
Love is our base element of life and love has always been there waiting for us to remove the veils that conceal it. Power is our base element too, and together with love it lays the blueprint for how we express our energy and potential in life. I call their harmonious expression gentle power.  This book is the result of my lifelong struggle to learn about love and power through trial and error. Every failure I meet reveals itself as a lesson in love and power.”

GENTLE POWER has garnered excellent reviews by critics and experts and generated a lot of media interest in both Lahti and her book:

“The book prompts readers to consider how they might develop their own compassionate power, urging them to be curious about what’s actually happening in a given conflict and to approach interactions with others without preconceived ideas. When we embody our sisu, Lahti says, we “open our eyes wide to whatever is at hand … with curiosity and courage that are soft around the edges.” – Spirituality & Health Magazine

Read Emilia Elisabet Lahti’s cover feature and 7-page interview for Spirituality & Health here: https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/running-on-gentle-power
Listen to Forging Mettle Podcast: The yin and yang of gentleness and power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Sv5GJjUAI

“In this beautiful book, Elisabet shows us how strength and toughness are not the same thing. A much-needed antidote to the myth of mind over matter, and a touching, honest story of one woman’s journey to discover the true origins of grit and fulfillment.” Angela Duckworth, PhD, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Gentle Power is a brilliant and refreshing idea. Lahti is a rare combination of real-life adventurer and scientist. With the warmth and authenticity typical to her writing, she outlines an inviting path toward our highest expression through the power of everyday relationships.” Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Download the English PDF for GENTLE POWER here!

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu

Emilia Elisabet Lahti

The Finnish philosophy of sisu shows us a new way to look at power—not as force and domination but as the harmonious expression of human character in everyday actions. With Gentle Power, Finnish-born Dr. Emilia Elisabet Lahti shares an illuminating guide to an emerging shift in the way we define true strength—an approach that balances resolve with reason, grit with compassion, and personal success with service to the collective good. Lahti explores sisu, world traditions, and modern research to provide a new way to approach leadership, resilience, and our power to create change.

Power is fundamental in our lives—we express it in every conversation, relationship, and choice we make. All too often, we equate force and domination with power, while gentleness and compassion are considered “soft” or “weak.” The destructive nature of this skewed perspective has never been more obvious, yet there is reason to hope.

GENTLE POWER: A REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK, LEAD, AND SUCCEED USING THE FINNISH ART OF SISU
Sounds True, 2023, 194 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Polish rights sold for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN by Prof. Kimmo Rentola!

We are thrilled to announce that the Polish rights for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN: From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950 by Professor Kimmo Rentola (orig. Stalin ja Suomen kohtalo, Otava) have been acquired by REBIS! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Previously, the World English rights were sold to Yale University Press for publication in November 2023 and the Greek rights to Papadopoulos Publishers. Full English manuscript is available!

The Polish publisher REBIS praised the book for being a timely and highly informative title:

A brilliant and original analysis of the political side of Finnish-Soviet relations under Stalin’s rule, based on excellent knowledge of diplomatic and intelligence sources. Important and alarmingly timely in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the revolutionary decision of the Finns to join NATO.”
– Tomasz Szponder, co-founder and president of the board, REBIS, Poland

Praise by Yale University Press:

‘I am thrilled to be publishing Kimmo Rentola’s important work on Finland and Stalin. As the leading scholar on Soviet-Finnish relations, his intimate understanding of the intelligence history during this crucial period makes for a uniquely fascinating and revelatory read. And of course this story has huge resonance at the present time, with Finland joining NATO and the parallels between the Winter War and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yale University Press will be proud to publish Kimmo’s book in English in November 2023.’ 
 Julian Loose, Editorial Director Trade & Academic, Yale University Press London

Download the full English manuscript for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN here!

How Finland Survived Stalin: From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950

Kimmo Rentola

A dramatic and timely account of Stalin’s failed invasion of Finland in 1939, and the decade of wars and fraught relations that followed.

  Winner of the Lauri Jäntti Prize for non-fiction literature! 
  Full English manuscript with updated introduction available!

How did Finland evade Joseph Stalin’s crosshairs three times? Did Stalin have a special relationship with Finland and the Finns? Why didn’t he continue the Soviet onslaught on Finland during the Winter War in 1940? Why did the dictator back down from his aspirations and demands towards Finland during the peace negotiations in 1944? Why did 1948 remain the year of an unfulfilled coup in Finland?

The answers lie in the relations between Finland and Russia. Joseph Stalin has been one of the individuals with the most influence on the history of independent Finland. The book focuses on the decisions of Stalin in which the entire existence or, at the very least, the essential nature of that existence, of Finland was at stake.

HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN: FROM WINTER WAR TO COLD WAR, 1939-1950
STALIN JA SUOMEN KOHTALO
Otava, 2016, 240 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Äripäev
GREECE: Papadopoulos Publishers
POLAND: REBIS
WORLD ENGLISH: Yale University Press

About author


Kimmo Rentola

Kimmo Rentola (b. 1953), PhD, is a historian and professor emeritus of political history, at the University of Turku from 2006 to 2014 and at the University of Helsinki since 2014. In his research, Rentola has specialized in the history of the Cold War, the relationships between Finland and the Soviet Union, and both Finnish and Nordic communism. His other research areas are the youth movements of the 1960s and the history of intelligence agencies.

His latest title, WINTER WARRIORS: How Finland Survived Stalin, won the Lauri Jäntti Award for non-fiction literature in 2017, while his previous book Vallankumouksen aave (‘The Ghost of the Revolution’) won the Scholarly Book of the Year Award in Finland in 2007.

Bibliography

SANG sold to Germany!

We are thrilled to announce that the German rights for SANG by Elina Pitkäkangas have been snapped up by cbj Verlag (Penguin Random House) in Germany! Previously, the rights have already been sold to Denmark and Turkey.

Cbj is the home of many bestselling international and German YA and crossover authors like Angie Thomas, Karen M McManus, Holly Black, Monika Feth, Naomi Novik and many more. They are part of Germany’s biggest book publisher, the Penguin Random House Group. We can’t wait to see their German edition of SANG which is scheduled for spring 2025!

SANG, the first part in a LGBTQIA+ friendly YA fantasy / romantasy duology with cross-over potential, has now been sold to four languages – and we are sure there are more to come soon, so watch this space! It is the winner of the Topelius award and City of Tampere Literature Prize. The sequel, NARAKA, will be published in Finland this fall.

Rights are still available for France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, UK, etc – now is the time to secure this fantasy highlight for your list!

Download the materials for SANG here! 

 

Sang
WSOY, September 2022, 496pp

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig. 2-book deal)
DENMARK: Straarup (2-book-deal)
TURKEY: Indigo Kitap
GERMANY: cbj

About author


Elina Pitkäkangas

Elina Pitkäkangas is an author from Nokia, Finland, and an active advocate of YA literature. She has studied creative writing and did her master's degree in the University of Helsinki majoring in literature. Her works seamlessly combine elements of fantasy, social criticism and moral questions. Pitkäkangas has written five novels and produces book-related videos to TikTok and Instagram on her channel @elinapitkakangas.

Bibliography


2023, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naraka

Elina Pitkäkangas


2022, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Sang

Elina Pitkäkangas

First foreign sale for LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY: The Finnish Way by Asko Känsälä!

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY: The Finnish Way by Asko Känsälä (orig. Johtajasta mestariksi) have been acquired by Ühinenud Ajakirjad! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This is the first foreign sale for this unique book on Finnish perspective of leadership combining art and craftsmanship, like the great Finnish master architect Alvar Aalto. Full English translation is available – join the success of the Finnish Way of Leadership!

Ühinenud Ajakirjad are aiming to publish LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY in Estonian in January 2024. They praised the book for its personal and unique approach to leadership:

Decades-long career in leadership has made Asko Känsälä understand leadership as a handicraft skill that you can improve upon, up until mastery. [This book is a] human and inspiring personal experience that reveals leadership as a profession from a wholly new perspective and shows that it is possible to become a good leader through learning, learning, and learning. And in order to become a good leader, one has to learn how to lead oneself.
 Tiina Lebane, Head of Book Department, Ühinenud Ajakirjad, Estonia

Download the full English manuscript for LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY here!

 

Endorsement:

“Leadership is often thought of as a quality of the individual, but in this LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY we learn it is more of an art form to be mastered.  We develop to be an exceptional leader through cycles of practice and reflection, just like the mastery of any other complex skill.”
– Jeffrey K. Liker, PhD, author of international bestseller The Toyota Way

 

LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY: The Finnish Way

Asko Känsälä

The Finnish way of leadership combines art and craftsmanship, like the great Finnish master architect Alvar Aalto.

  • Discover a new, Nordic perspective of leadership!
  • Find out what makes a company beautiful?
  • Growing up as a leader: craftsman’s path from apprentice to professional

What does craftsmanship have to do with leadership? What makes a company beautiful? And what can the Japanese culture contribute to a good working life and good leadership? Asko Känsälä spent his career building successful businesses and coaching new leaders. He has refined his leadership experience of more than 20 years into a vision of leadership as a craft. Leadership as Mastery: The Finnish Way presents the thinking patterns, tools of the leader-craftsman that good leadership requires.

Johtajasta mestariksi
Tammi, January 2023, 174 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Ühinenud Ajakirjad
Reading materials:
Full English manuscript

About author


Asko Känsälä

Asko Känsälä (b. 1957) is a Finnish business builder and leader with a successful career as deputy CEO in the Finnish market leading telecommunication and digital services company Elisa; coach, investor, and grandfather to 10 grandchildren. He is passionate about inspirational leadership and has worked in manufacturing industry, public administration, banking, and ICT, as well as for four years in Japan.

Bibliography


2023, General Nonfiction

Leadership as Mastery: The Finnish Way

Asko Känsälä

Three more LITTLE MOUSE titles sold to Poland!

We are thrilled to announce that the Polish publisher FILIA has acquired the rights to three more LITTLE MOUSE titles by Riikka Jäntti: LITTLE MOUSE’S HOLIDAY, LITTLE MOUSE’S SUMMER and LITTLE MOUSE WELCOMES SPRING! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The LITTLE MOUSE series has so far been sold to 21 territories, but the rights are still available in the US, Norway, Israel, Netherlands, Czechia, Hungary, Thailand, Greece, World Arabic etc.

Download the English PDFs for the LITTLE MOUSE series here!

Little Mouse’s Holiday

Riikka Jäntti

Little Mouse series – Book 4

Little Mouse and Mommy Mouse take the train together to the countryside to stay at their cottage on an island, pick berries, heat the sauna and cook sausages over a campfire under the starry skies. It’s a real treat for a little city mouse!

Little Mouse’s Summer

Riikka Jäntti

Little Mouse series – Book 6

Summer holiday is full of fun: going to the amusement park, playing by the beach and visiting the art museum. Buying strawberries and ice cream, and going to the cinema when the weather is too hot. Little Mouse knows that one must enjoy the summer, because it doesn’t last forever.

Little Mouse Welcomes Spring

Riikka Jäntti

Spring is here and Little Mouse has a lot to wonder about!

The ninth Little Mouse-title tells about the miracles of spring.

It’s so light in the evenings that Little Mouse cannot sleep. It’s spring. In the park and walking in the forest Little Mouse observes all kinds of things: the first butterfly of spring and a lizard. The ants that live in the cracks of stairs prove to be the most interesting, though.

There are some little worries with spring too as Grandpa Mouse has to go to the hospital. Little Mouse and Mummy Mouse visit him and Little Mouse thinks it’s a bit scary. Will Grandpa be okay?

Easter gets closer and the Easter Bunny brings Little Mouse a chocolate egg which is great fun to hunt after Mummy hides it. Will Little Mouse find the egg?

LITTLE MOUSE’S HOLIDAY
PIKKU HIIREN PUOLUKKAMATKA
Tammi, 2018, 48 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
AUSTRALIA: Scribe Publications
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat AS
FRANCE: Cambourakis
GERMANY: Cross Cult
NEPAL: Kathalaya Inc.
POLAND: FILIA
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Strecoza
SWEDEN: Epix Bokförlag

 

LITTLE MOUSE’S SUMMER
PIKKU HIIREN HELLEKESÄ
Tammi, 2020, 48 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat AS
FRANCE: Cambourakis
GERMANY: Cross Cult
POLAND: FILIA
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Strecoza

 

LITTLE MOUSE WELCOMES SPRING
PIKKU HIIRI JA HIIRENKORVAT
Tammi, 2023, 48 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
FRANCE: Cambourakis
POLAND: FILIA

About author


Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

Bibliography


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Welcomes Spring

Riikka Jäntti


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes to the Museum

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Fables

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse and the Birthday Present

Riikka Jäntti


2021, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes Camping

Riikka Jäntti


2020, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Summer

Riikka Jäntti


2019, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Winter

Riikka Jäntti


2018, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Holiday

Riikka Jäntti


2017, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Christmas

Riikka Jäntti


2016, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Helps Out

Riikka Jäntti


2015, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse

Riikka Jäntti

Hungarian rights sold for STELLA by Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander! Now 6 territories!

We are thrilled to announce that the Hungarian rights for STELLA (Snälla Stella, sluta skälla!) written by Ted Forsström and illustrated by Åsa Lucander have been acquired by Cerkabella! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Cerkabella is a member of the Móra Publishing Group and aims to publish children’s and YA books with high quality content, illustrated at an artistic level, and, if possible, to get little-known works and authors into the public consciousness.
They are intending to publish STELLA in spring 2024.

With the latest sale to Hungary, STELLA has now been sold to 6 territories!

Download the full English PDF of STELLA here!

Stella

Ted Forsström, illustrated by Åsa Lucander

An interactive and playful bedtime story for toddlers featuring a very loud dog with a big imagination!

“OFF! VOFF! GRR-VOFF!”

A father tries to put his child to bed, but keeps getting interrupted by Stella the dog, who starts barking hysterically. Something unexpected always happens, and the reader is treated to Stella’s lively imaginations: it may be a door opening or a car driving by, but Stella is strongly convinced it’s Grandma coming to give her food, or that squirrels have built a nest in the toaster.

Anyone who has ever tried to bring a child to bed knows how cozy yet fragile the situation is. It requires the right amount of patience and determination. The right bedtime story can be the key to a successful, quiet night.

There is a warm feeling, playful rhymes and an unusual mix of familiar ordinariness and fantastic antics. Clear recognition for anyone trying to combine cozy moments with a pet!

Stella is a book you can read again and again, night after night.

STELLA
SNÄLLA STELLA, SLUTA SKÄLLA!
Förlaget, 2023, 44 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF
Finland-Swedish PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Etana Editions (Finnish)
DENMARK: Gads Forlag
ESTONIA: Tammerraamat
GERMANY: Mixtvision
HUNGARY: Cerkabella
SWEDEN: Förlaget

About author


Åsa Lucander

Åsa Lucander is a director and designer, working in illustration and animation both in the UK as well as Scandinavia.

Originally from Finland, she moved to London in 2001 where she was introduced to animation while studying illustration. After graduating she joined the animation studio 12foot6 where she stayed until 2014.

In 2015 she joined Aardman Animations in Bristol, where she is now based.

With multi-faceted strengths in storytelling, design and animation she loves exploring various creative styles, be it in 2d, stop motion or CGI. Åsa has a passion for hand rendered drawings and explores many different textures and mediums in all areas of her work. She loves mixing humour with melancholy and thrills in bringing characters of every shape and form to life with compelling scripts and inventive visions. She nimbly blends music, authentic dialogue, film segments, hand drawn characters and dolls in innovative ways.

Åsa has directed multiple shorts, including her award-winning film Lost Property, as well as many heart-warming commercial films for clients including Blue Peter, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Project Every- one and Childline, and a VR documentary film for BBC. Most recently she directed the music video for Coldplay’s track Daddy that has won numerous awards.

About author


Ted Forsström

Ted Forsström is a Finnish-Swedish media personality living in Ostrobothnia. He has worked as a comedian, actor, radio host and author, often as part of the duo Ted & Kaj. Today he works with children's programs on Svenska Yle and talks once a week in Finland’s biggest Swedish podcast, Ted & Kaj, together with Kaj Korkea-aho.

Japanese rights to MONSTER NANNY TRILOGY sold at auction! 37th territory!

We are thrilled to announce the 37th territory for the internationally bestselling MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen: the Japanese rights were sold in an auction to Sekaibunka! The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency in association with Japan Uni Agency.

With Japan, the award-winning MONSTER NANNY trilogy has now been sold to 37 territories and a feature film, co-produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, is in development! 

The rights for the series are still available in Taiwan, Iceland, Thailand, Israel, Indonesia…

Download the materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Tolonen seamlessly intertwines contemporary life with a world full of strange creatures. Monster Nanny is at once a refreshing change of pace and a return to timeless adventure.

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Mimi, 6 years old, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gatekeeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Hellman kids face new troubles. Mom and Dad want to move into a bigger home on the other side of the city. Mimi’s talking bathrobe feels strangely shrunk, and drops hints of leaving. Monstrologist Runar Kalli is starting to act his age without his rejuvenating root potion – and he’s 122. Something must be done.

When Mimi finds crumpled leaves with strange markings in her room, they look like messages from underground, but who’s delivering them and why? And why does the Gatekeeper of the underground world appear in their bathroom?

MONSTER NANNY
MÖRKÖVAHTI
Tammi, 2015, 303 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
German edition
French edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani
JAPAN: Sekaibunka
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC Publishers
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto / Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

 

MONSTER ROUTE
MÖRKÖREITTI
Tammi, 2016, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample & synopsis
German edition
French edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
JAPAN: Sekaibunka
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LITHUANIA: Nieko rimto
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

 

MONSTER MESSAGE
MÖRKÖVIESTI
Tammi, 2020, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample & synopsis
German edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
JAPAN: Sekaibunka
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

About author


Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

About author


Tuutikki Tolonen

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, a Finnish literary magazine for children. Her inspiration for the Monster Nanny trilogy sparked during a family breakfast. “My son Leo, then six, said: ‘I heard on the radio yesterday that all moms have to go on vacation and monsters will take their places,” she says.

Tolonen is currently writing the Agnes series, of which the first book "Agnes and the Garden of Dreams" was in 2021 nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award.

Greek rights to HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN sold to Papadopoulos Publishers!

We’re thrilled to announce a Greek deal for Professor Kimmo Rentola’s award-winning non-fiction book  HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN: From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950 (orig. Stalin ja Suomen kohtalo, Otava, 2016, 240 pp.): Papadopoulos Publishers has acquired the rights in a pre-empt! The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The planned publication for the Greek edition is spring 2024. Previously, the World English rights were sold to Yale University Press:

‘I am thrilled to be publishing Kimmo Rentola’s important work on Finland and Stalin. As the leading scholar on Soviet-Finnish relations, his intimate understanding of the intelligence history during this crucial period makes for a uniquely fascinating and revelatory read. And of course this story has huge resonance at the present time, with Finland joining NATO and the parallels between the Winter War and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yale University Press will be proud to publish Kimmo’s book in English in November 2023.’ 
– Julian Loose, Editorial Director Trade & Academic, Yale University Press London

Download the English manuscript for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN here!

HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN: From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950

By Kimmo Rentola
A dramatic and timely account of Stalin’s failed invasion of Finland in 1939, and the decade of wars and fraught relations that followed.

  Winner of the Lauri Jäntti Prize for non-fiction literature! 
  Full English manuscript with updated introduction available!

How did Finland evade Joseph Stalin’s crosshairs three times? Did Stalin have a special relationship with Finland and the Finns? Why didn’t he continue the Soviet onslaught on Finland during the Winter War in 1940? Why did the dictator back down from his aspirations and demands towards Finland during the peace negotiations in 1944? Why did 1948 remain the year of an unfulfilled coup in Finland?
The answers lie in the relations between Finland and Russia. Joseph Stalin has been one of the individuals with the most influence on the history of independent Finland. The book focuses on the decisions of Stalin in which the entire existence or, at the very least, the essential nature of that existence, of Finland was at stake.

Stalin ja Suomen kohtalo
orig. publisher  Otava, October 2016, 240 pp.

Rights sold:
Finland: Otava (orig.)
Estonia: Äripäev
Greek: Papadopoulos Publishers
World English: Yale University Press

Reading material:
English manuscript

About author


Kimmo Rentola

Kimmo Rentola (b. 1953), PhD, is a historian and professor emeritus of political history, at the University of Turku from 2006 to 2014 and at the University of Helsinki since 2014. In his research, Rentola has specialized in the history of the Cold War, the relationships between Finland and the Soviet Union, and both Finnish and Nordic communism. His other research areas are the youth movements of the 1960s and the history of intelligence agencies.

His latest title, WINTER WARRIORS: How Finland Survived Stalin, won the Lauri Jäntti Award for non-fiction literature in 2017, while his previous book Vallankumouksen aave (‘The Ghost of the Revolution’) won the Scholarly Book of the Year Award in Finland in 2007.

Bibliography

Two new Children’s deals!

We are thrilled to announce two new Children’s deals!

Firstly, the Danish rights for the PET AGENTS series by Riina Kaarla, Sami Kaarla and Anders Vacklin have been acquired by Bogoo! The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Bogoo acquired the rights for the first two books in the series – NEW PETS & NEW FRIENDS and TRACKING A THIEF!

Download materials for the PET AGENTS series here!

Secondly, the Estonian rights for WHAT’S THE BUZZ? (Some soikoon!), book #3 in the THELMA THE TENACIOUS WITCH series written by Satu Varjonen and illustrated by Mari Luoma have been acquired by Elust Enesest in a pre-publication deal! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Download materials for the THELMA THE TENACIOUS WITCH series here!

 

Pet Agents 1: New Pets & New Friends!

Riina Kaarla, Sami Kaarla and Anders Vacklin

There’s something for everyone in the fast-paced Pet Agents series, whether you’re an animal lover or an electronics geek!

The first book in the bestselling series for the animal-loving and tech-savvy children of today.

Kati-e’s and Ti-bot’s schedule is full again. Sofia needs help choosing a dog breed, Mrs. Frang has to find a dog-walker, and a little kitten named Hugo has an upset tummy. But do you know what a diabetic alert dog is? And what do you do if you find a baby squirrel on the side of the road? When you join Kati-e and her robot sidekick for a day, you’ll find out!

Pet Agents 2: Tracking a Thief

Riina Kaarla, Sami Kaarla and Anders Vacklin

Keen to solve new cases, Kati-e and Ti-bot hardly get any sleep!

Kati-e has been busy coding and Ti-bot has new skills! He hurries over to the zoo to test his brand-new language abilities – he can talk with monkeys and other animals! The Pet Agents are in for a busy day from clipping the nails of a pet rabbit to helping a depressed budgie. But soon, a mystery thief in the neighbourhood lures the Pet Agents away from their usual tasks!

Who Nose?

Satu Varjonen, illustrated by Mari Luoma

A humorous and magical series about the adventures of a young witch girl, written by Satu Varjonen with gleeful illustrations by Mari Luoma!

A heart-warming story about accepting differences and loving oneself!

Thelma, the little witch girl, starts school and ends up literally nose to nose with the popular girl, Ornelia. However, the extraordinary witch girl doesn’t get startled easily and decides to give it her all to fit in.

After a bunch of mishaps, Thelma realizes that instead of trying to please everybody, it is best to be yourself!

An Egg-cellent Surprise!

Satu Varjonen, illustrated by Mari Luoma

A humorous and magical series about the adventures of a young witch girl, written by Satu Varjonen with gleeful illustrations by Mari Luoma!

The sweet witch, Thelma, tries her hardest to make things good. But magic is one of those things that sometimes leads to quite unexpected things.

Thelma’s house is as busy as ever. The spring cleaning must be done, guests are coming and The Great Egg Hunt with its tantalizing prizes is about to start on the mountain.

The easter traditions of witches and humans cause Thelma a headache, especially when her ghastly great-aunt, Grandma Myrtle and Thelma’s new friend Ornelia get entangled in them too. And magic doesn’t always go according to plan.

What’s the Buzz?

Satu Varjonen, illustrated by Mari Luoma

Witchy tricks on social media!

The energetic and well-intentioned witch girl, Thelma, takes a deep dive into social media. As usual, mishaps are guaranteed.

Thelma’s friend Ornelia introduces her to the world of mobile phones and social media. And like any other child, Thelma is quickly swept in by the crystal display.

It turns out that witchcraft is pretty good at going viral. But is fame great for the little witch girl that has grown up in the middle of the forest? Might it even be dangerous? The human-averse Grandma Myrtle is herself aghast at technology.

Be ready for delightful magic and goofs in the usual Thelma-like way!

PET AGENTS 1: NEW PETS & NEW FRIENDS
TÄÄLTÄ TULLAAN, LEMMIKIT!
Tammi, 2019, 112 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English series brochure

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
CZECHIA: Grada
DENMARK: Bogoo
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
POLAND: Media Rodzina
RUSSIA: Eksmo
SLOVAKIA: IKAR
UKRAINE: Ridna Mova

 

PET AGENTS 2: TRACKING A THIEF
VARKAAN JÄLJILLÄ
Tammi, 2019, 160 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English series brochure

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
CZECHIA: Grada
DENMARK: Bogoo
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
POLAND: Media Rodzina
RUSSIA: Eksmo
SLOVAKIA: IKAR
UKRAINE: Ridna Mova

 

WHO NOSE?
VOIHAN NENÄ!
Minerva, 2021, 56 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Minerva (orig.)
ESTONIA: Elust Enesest

 

AN EGG-CELLENT SURPRISE!
YLLÄRIPYLLÄRI!
Minerva, 2022, 56 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Minerva (orig.)
ESTONIA: Elust Enesest

 

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
SOME SOIKOON!
Minerva, 2023, 64 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English info sheet

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Minerva (orig.)
ESTONIA: Elust Enesest

About author


Mari Luoma

Mari Luoma is an illustrator and a comic artist. She has illustrated several children’s books and designs funny and quirky characters for various media.

About author


Satu Varjonen

Satu Varjonen has worked as a freelance editor for 17 years, during which she’s written e.g. for most Finnish women’s magazines. When it comes to storytelling, it is children’s literature that gets her heart beating. Who Nose? in the Thelma the Tenacious Witch series is her debut.

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES by Noora Kunnas and Teemu Juhani has won the Swiss PRIX CHRONOS Award 2023!

We are excited to share the news that MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES by Noora Kunnas and Teemu Juhani has won the Prix Chronos 2023!

The Prix Chronos is a Swiss Literature Prize that is honouring books for children that depict conviviality and exchange between different generations.
Two children, two elderly people, a rooster and a horde of mini pirates: A colorful bouquet of different people and animals plays into this story and makes the book a unique and humorous reading pleasure.”
– Prix Chronos 2023 jury

Noora Kunnas was overjoyed by the news:
It feels unbelievably great to win this prize. It’s amazing when your book is recognized internationally.

You can read more about the prize and the ceremony here: Preisverleihung 2023 (prosenectute.ch)

Congratulations to Noora and Teemu!

Written by award-nominated author Noora Kunnas and illustrated by Teemu Juhani, the wonderful MABEL MERRYWEATHER series has been sold to 8 territories!
Rights are available in US, UK, France, Spain, Korea, Portugal, Turkey…

Reminder: The FILI translation grant application round is ongoing! FILI provides grants that can cover up to 70% of the costs of translating Finnish and Finland-Swedish titles to other languages. The deadline for the current application round is May 1st. You can find more information here: Translation and printing grants for publishers outside Finland – FILI

Download materials for MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES here!

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE MINIATURE PIRATES
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA MINIMERIROSVOT
Otava, 2019, 140 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
GERMANY: Mixtvision
HUNGARY: Pagony
ITALY: Terre di Mezzo
NETHERLANDS: Veltman Uitgevers
POLAND: Znak
RUSSIA: Eksmo

 

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE KING OF THIEVES
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA HUIJAREIDEN KUNINGAS
Otava, 2020, 140 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
GERMANY: Mixtvision
POLAND: Znak
RUSSIA: Eksmo

 

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE CHEESY MYSTERY
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA JUUSTOINEN MYSTEERI
Otava, 2021, 144 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
POLAND: Znak
RUSSIA: Eksmo

 

MABEL MERRYWEATHER AND THE CROWBAR GALA
SALMANTERIN TERTTU JA SORKKARAUTAGAALA
Otava, 2022, 144 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

About author


Noora Kunnas

Noora Kunnas is a children’s author from Helsinki, Finland. She has the knack for making both children and grownups laugh while they’re immersed in her zany books. She loves animals and British humor – she grew up watching Jeeves and Wooster and eating ice cream straight from the container. Kunnas draws her inspiration from the world of Roald Dahl. The trademark of her books is a nutty humor, spiced with quirky characters, as well as the titillating mood of various settings, where anything – and we mean anything – is possible.

Noora Kunnas has published eight children’s books at Otava (2015 – 2022),  and her works have been nominated for the prestigious Tiiliskivi and Lukuvarkaus literary prizes in Finland. She graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts with a degree in film, and she worked in television since.

About author


Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

Pushkin Press to relaunch in the UK the Finlandia-winning TROLL. A LOVE STORY by Johanna Sinisalo!

We are thrilled to share that Pushkin Press has acquired the UK & Commonwealth rights to re-launch TROLL. A LOVE STORY by Johanna Sinisalo winner of the prestigious Finlandia Prize in 2000 and sold in 19 languages. Rights are now available in many territories (except US, UK, France, Germany, Denmark).  This classic novel was previously published in the UK by Peter Owen (now acquired by Pushkin Press) as Not Before Sundown and in the US by Grove Atlantic as Troll. A Love Story.
With Film & TV rights of TROLL optioned, and currently in development for the screen by Swedish writer/director Måns Mårlind (The BridgeMidnight SunThe Defeated) and Tuppence Middleton (Mank, Sense8War and Peace),  this thriller-fantasy is going to be the next big hit. Ask for the English edition and join the success!   More about the film news here. 

”A wily thriller-fantasy … Each discovery sounds like the voice of a storyteller reminding us of how the gods play with our fates.”
– Margo Jeffersson, The New York Times

Download the materials for TROLL. A LOVE STORY here

TROLL. A LOVE STORY

by Johanna Sinisalo

The International Fantasy Bestseller and Winner of the Finlandia Prize

Mikael, a young gay photographer, finds in the courtyard of his apartment block a small, man-like creature. It is a young troll, familiar from Scandinavian mythology: a demonic, wild beast. And it is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Supposedly extinct, today it is regarded as a hairy, cuddly toy by Nordic children. Mikael gives the troll a name, Pessi, and takes him home and hides him.

What Mikael does not know is that trolls exude pheromones that have a profound aphrodisiac effect on all those around them. Shooting an assignment for an ultra-hip brand of jeans, Mikael finds himself fast-tracked into a dangerouschain of events, and learns – with tragic consequences – that Pessi the troll is the interpreter of man’s darkest, most forbidden impulses.

A sharp, resonant, prickly book that exists on the slipstream of SF, fantasy, horror and gay fiction.”
– Neil Gaiman

“A punk version of The Hobbit”
– USA Today

Ennen päivänlaskua ei voi
Tammi, 2000, 268pp

Reading material: English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DENMARK: Jensen & Dalgaard
FRANCE: Actes Sud
GERMANY: Tropen (Klett-Cotta)
UK: Pushkin Press
USA: Grove Atlantic

About author


Johanna Sinisalo

Johanna Sinisalo (b. 1958) is a Finlandia-Prize winning superstar of Finnish speculative fiction. In addition to her nine novels, she has also written short fiction and film and television screenplays. Her works have been translated into twenty languages.

Sinisalo has won several literary prizes also abroad, such as the 2004 James Tiptree, Jr. Award and the 2017 Prometheus Award, and was nominated for the Nebula Award in 2008, the Prix Escapades in 2012, and the Grand Prix de L’Imaginaire in 2017.

In 2022, Johanna Sinisalo was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal for services to Finnish literature! Founded in 1943, the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland is a distinction awarded by the President of Finland to artists and writers in recognition of their long meritorious work and exceptional services to Finnish art, drama, literature and music.

Bibliography


2021, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Storm Flute

Johanna Sinisalo


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Strangers Inside

Johanna Sinisalo


2018, Fantasy & Science Fiction

IRON SKY: RENATE'S STORY

Johanna Sinisalo


2013, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Core of The Sun

Johanna Sinisalo


2011, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Blood of Angels

Johanna Sinisalo


2010, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Möbius Twist

Johanna Sinisalo


2008, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Birdbrain

Johanna Sinisalo


2000, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Troll

Johanna Sinisalo

Introducing THE LOGBOOK OF LOVE – a novel about the universal power of love!

We are very happy to report that we have a new addition on our fiction hotlist! Just in time for London book fair, we have added THE LOGBOOK OF LOVE by award-winning author Elina Hirvonen to our spring 2023 catalogue. This novel about the universal power of love – perfect for fans of Rachel Cusk – will be published in Finland by Wsoy in August 2023.

What’s love all about? In The Logbook of Love, conversations about love form a sea of connections among people from wildly different backgrounds and places. A world where everyone continues to search for meaning, hope and joy. This touching novel has already received high praise pre-publication:

“From one of Finland’s most talented writers comes a beautiful, compelling and evocative novel about the universal power of love in its many diverse forms and voices, taking readers from Finland to Iraq, Malawi, Morocco, Spain, Zambia and points further afield.”

Katja Pantzar, author of The Finnish Way, TarcherPerigee, Penguin Random House

“An exquisite meditation on human fragility, connection, and our yearning to find love, even in a world on fire. Hirvonen weaves together impossibly disparate, intimate stories of her friends strewn across the globe, and reveals commonality in the most diverse of circumstances, from Finland to Syria to Afghanistan to Iraq to Zambia. These stories are told with such compassion and love that despite the bitter struggles, the reader is left with a sense of hope. In a time of global division, this book is an essential reminder of all that unites us.”
Anu Partanen, author of The Nordic Theory of Everything, HarperCollins

Join the conversation about love!

Download THE LOGBOOK OF LOVE here. 

Rakkauksien lokikirja /
The Logbook of Love
Wsoy, August 2023, 250pp

Reading material: English sample
Finnish ms. in May/June 2023

About author


Elina Hirvonen

Elina Hirvonen is an award-winning author of adults’ and children’s prose, a journalist and documentary filmmaker. She has written four highly acclaimed adults’ novels that are at the same time tragic and beautiful. She is also known for her picture book series Princess Rascal, and a middle-grade trilogy Julia & P.A.L. Her books have been translated to 15 languages.

Her new novel, The Logbook of Love, is published in Finland in August 2023. Hirvonen has received the Kalevi Jäntti Prize and the Nuori Aleksis Prize, and has been nominated for Finlandia Prize and Debut Prize.

Bibliography


2023, Literary Fiction

The Logbook of Love

Elina Hirvonen


2023, Chapter Books (3-6 Years)

The Rescuers Julia and Charlie

Elina Hirvonen


2021, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Charlie and the Wombat Warriors

Elina Hirvonen


2021, Chapter Books (3-6 Years)

Princess Rascal and the Quarrel Spell

Elina Hirvonen


2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Julia & P.A.L

Elina Hirvonen


2019, Chapter Books (3-6 Years)

Princess Rascal and The Potty Words

Elina Hirvonen


2019, Literary Fiction

Red Storm

Elina Hirvonen


2017, Chapter Books (3-6 Years)

Princess Rascal

Elina Hirvonen


2015, Literary Fiction

When Time Runs Out

Elina Hirvonen

STELLA by Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander sold to Germany

STELLA by Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander sold to Germany

STELLA is conquering the world, one bark at a time! We are happy to announce that the German rights for the lovely picture book by Finlandia Junior nominated author Ted Forsström and Aardman Animations director and illustrator Åsa Lucander have been sold to German publishing house Mixtvision! They are planning on making it their lead picture book title for fall 2024! The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Finnish media is also already raving about STELLA:

Ted Forsström wrote a funny and inventive picture book STELLA. A great goodnight story where the eyelids of the young reader become increasingly heavy the more detailed spreads illustrator Åsa Lucander creates. (…). This book has the potential to become a bedtime favourite.”
–  Lotta Green, Svenska YLE newspaper

Children’s books about bedtime are a classic theme, but Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander create something new by presenting STELLA from the dog’s perspective. (…) Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander create a nice variation of the durable theme by letting the chaos-at-bedtime-story be about something different than the expected parent-child fight. In STELLA (2023), it is in fact the dog Stella who creates troubles at bedtime.
– Maria Lassén-Seger, Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper (5 star review)

STELLA is a charming bedtime storybook – the key to a successful, quiet night! Rights are now sold to 5 languages – could yours be next?

We have a full English translation for you to read – be quick to add this gem to your list!

Download the materials for STELLA here!

Snälla Stella, sluta skälla!
Förlaget, March 2023, 44 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish), Etana Editions (Finnish)
SWEDEN: Förlaget
DENMARK: Gads Forlag
ESTONIA: Tammerraamat
GERMANY: Mixtvision

Reading materials:
English PDF
Finland-Swedish PDF

About author


Åsa Lucander

Åsa Lucander is a director and designer, working in illustration and animation both in the UK as well as Scandinavia.

Originally from Finland, she moved to London in 2001 where she was introduced to animation while studying illustration. After graduating she joined the animation studio 12foot6 where she stayed until 2014.

In 2015 she joined Aardman Animations in Bristol, where she is now based.

With multi-faceted strengths in storytelling, design and animation she loves exploring various creative styles, be it in 2d, stop motion or CGI. Åsa has a passion for hand rendered drawings and explores many different textures and mediums in all areas of her work. She loves mixing humour with melancholy and thrills in bringing characters of every shape and form to life with compelling scripts and inventive visions. She nimbly blends music, authentic dialogue, film segments, hand drawn characters and dolls in innovative ways.

Åsa has directed multiple shorts, including her award-winning film Lost Property, as well as many heart-warming commercial films for clients including Blue Peter, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Project Every- one and Childline, and a VR documentary film for BBC. Most recently she directed the music video for Coldplay’s track Daddy that has won numerous awards.

About author


Ted Forsström

Ted Forsström is a Finnish-Swedish media personality living in Ostrobothnia. He has worked as a comedian, actor, radio host and author, often as part of the duo Ted & Kaj. Today he works with children's programs on Svenska Yle and talks once a week in Finland’s biggest Swedish podcast, Ted & Kaj, together with Kaj Korkea-aho.

Estonian rights to the playful bedtime storybook STELLA sold! Now conquering the world!

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for STELLA (Snälla Stella, sluta skälla!) written by Ted Forsström and illustrated by Åsa Lucander have been acquired by Tammerraamat! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

STELLA is a charming bedtime storybook – the key to a successful, quiet night!
With the Danish rights sold to Gads Forlag last week, STELLA is gearing up to conquer the world!

Tammerraamat, founded in 2005, publishes titles on a wide range of subjects, including history, social and political issues, biographies, gift books, health, humour and children’s literature. Their children’s authors include Beatrix Potter, Julian Clary, Klaus Hagerup, Katherine Rundell, Corrinne Averiss, Chris Riddell, etc.

They praised the title for being a relatable and enjoyable read:
Every dog owner knows how annoying a barking dog can be. Why does the dog bark for no reason whatsoever? This book proves conclusively that no dog barks for nothing, there is always is a reason for it. Whether it is a snap, a crackle or a pop, a good friend is always alert and ready to make their existence known. In addition to its witty plot, the book also features delightful illustrations.
– Tiina Tammer, director, Tammerraamat, Estonia

Download the full English PDF of STELLA here!

Stella

Ted Forsström, illustrated by Åsa Lucander

An interactive and playful bedtime story for toddlers featuring a very loud dog with a big imagination!

“OFF! VOFF! GRR-VOFF!”

A father tries to put his child to bed, but keeps getting interrupted by Stella the dog, who starts barking hysterically. Something unexpected always happens, and the reader is treated to Stella’s lively imaginations: it may be a door opening or a car driving by, but Stella is strongly convinced it’s Grandma coming to give her food, or that squirrels have built a nest in the toaster.

Anyone who has ever tried to bring a child to bed knows how cozy yet fragile the situation is. It requires the right amount of patience and determination. The right bedtime story can be the key to a successful, quiet night.

There is a warm feeling, playful rhymes and an unusual mix of familiar ordinariness and fantastic antics. Clear recognition for anyone trying to combine cozy moments with a pet!

Stella is a book you can read again and again, night after night.

STELLA
SNÄLLA STELLA, SLUTA SKÄLLA!
Förlaget, 2023, 44 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF
Finland-Swedish PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Etana Editions (Finnish)
DENMARK: Gads Forlag
ESTONIA: Tammerraamat
SWEDEN: Förlaget

About author


Åsa Lucander

Åsa Lucander is a director and designer, working in illustration and animation both in the UK as well as Scandinavia.

Originally from Finland, she moved to London in 2001 where she was introduced to animation while studying illustration. After graduating she joined the animation studio 12foot6 where she stayed until 2014.

In 2015 she joined Aardman Animations in Bristol, where she is now based.

With multi-faceted strengths in storytelling, design and animation she loves exploring various creative styles, be it in 2d, stop motion or CGI. Åsa has a passion for hand rendered drawings and explores many different textures and mediums in all areas of her work. She loves mixing humour with melancholy and thrills in bringing characters of every shape and form to life with compelling scripts and inventive visions. She nimbly blends music, authentic dialogue, film segments, hand drawn characters and dolls in innovative ways.

Åsa has directed multiple shorts, including her award-winning film Lost Property, as well as many heart-warming commercial films for clients including Blue Peter, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Project Every- one and Childline, and a VR documentary film for BBC. Most recently she directed the music video for Coldplay’s track Daddy that has won numerous awards.

About author


Ted Forsström

Ted Forsström is a Finnish-Swedish media personality living in Ostrobothnia. He has worked as a comedian, actor, radio host and author, often as part of the duo Ted & Kaj. Today he works with children's programs on Svenska Yle and talks once a week in Finland’s biggest Swedish podcast, Ted & Kaj, together with Kaj Korkea-aho.

Little Mouse and Spring Leaves sold to France 

We are thrilled to announce more post-Bologna deals: Éditions Cambourakis has acquired the World French rights to Little Mouse and Spring Leaves, the 9th title of the internationally bestselling series Little Mouse by Riikka Jäntti. This is the first foreign sale for Little Mouse and Spring Leaves – with more news to follow!  The deal was closed by Mimi Matinpalo at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

“We’re thrilled to continue publishing the adventures of Little Mouse! Riikka Jäntti is a master in blending together tradition and modernity, and knows how to tackle tenderly day to day’s questions as well as more difficult situations.”
-Éditions Cambourakis

The Little Mouse series is sold in 21 territories! The rights are still available in the US, Norway, Israel, Netherlands, Czechia, Hungary, Thailand, Greece, World Arabic etc.

Download Little Mouse and Spring Leaves materials here!

Little Mouse and Spring Leaves

Riikka Jäntti

Spring is here and Little Mouse has a lot to wonder about!

The ninth Little Mouse-title tells about the miracles of spring.

It’s so light in the evenings that Little Mouse cannot sleep. It’s spring. In the park and walking in the forest Little Mouse observes all kinds of things: the first butterfly of spring and a lizard. The ants that live in the cracks of stairs prove to be the most interesting, though.

There are some little worries with spring too as Grandpa Mouse has to go to the hospital. Little Mouse and Mummy Mouse visit him and Little Mouse thinks it’s a bit scary. Will Grandpa be okay?

Easter gets closer and the Easter Bunny brings Little Mouse a chocolate egg which is great fun to hunt after Mummy hides it. Will Little Mouse find the egg?

 

Pikku Hiiri ja hiirenkorvat

Genre: Picture Books (0-3 Years)
Pages: 48
Part of a series: Little Mouse series

Series rights sold:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
AUSTRALIA: Scribble/Scribe
BULGARIA: Uniscorp
CHINA: Beijing Yuntu Tech
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Cambourakis
GERMANY: Cross Cult
ITALY: Sinnos
NEPAL: Kathalaya
NEW ZEALAND: Scribble/Scribe
POLAND: Filia
PORTUGAL: Harper Collins Iberica
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Strecoza
SLOVAKIA: Fortuna
SPAIN (Spanish): Harper Collins Iberica
SPAIN (Catalan): Harper Collins Iberica
SWEDEN: Epix Bokförlag AB
UK: Scribble/Scribe

 

About author


Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

Bibliography


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Welcomes Spring

Riikka Jäntti


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes to the Museum

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Fables

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse and the Birthday Present

Riikka Jäntti


2021, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes Camping

Riikka Jäntti


2020, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Summer

Riikka Jäntti


2019, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Winter

Riikka Jäntti


2018, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Holiday

Riikka Jäntti


2017, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Christmas

Riikka Jäntti


2016, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Helps Out

Riikka Jäntti


2015, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse

Riikka Jäntti

In the Dark I Can Be Yours sold to France in pre-empt

Acted Sud Jeunesse pre-empted Salla Simukka’s YA novel IN THE DARK I CAN BE YOURS!

We are thrilled to report more wonderful post-Bologna deals:  Actes Sud Jeunesse acquired in pre-empt the World French rights to the highly acclaimed YA novel IN THE DARK I CAN BE YOURS (Matalapaine/Korkeapaine, Tammi) by award-winning and internationally bestselling author Salla Simukka. This beautiful novel was published in Finland in 2021 to excellent reviews. This is the first foreign sale for In the Dark I Can Be Yours – with more news to follow!  The deal was closed by Mimi Matinpalo at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Warmest Congratulations, Salla Simukka and Actes Sud Jeunesse!

Full English manuscript is available, download it here: DOWNLOAD IN THE DARK I CAN BE YOURS 

Praise in Finnish media: 

“In The Dark I Can Be Yours is a book of summer, of life, which describes the relationship between the two girls intuitively and beautifully. [–] Simukka’s text is simultaneously strong and delicately descriptive.” –Sivupiiri, libraries’ blog for YA literature

“The narration is light, almost poetical, and so one reads it quick. Despite this, the book is not an easy read. For the covers hide truly big, impactful issues, told by two different protagonists. [–] -the book describes beautifully one’s awakening sexuality and the pondering on one’s own identity.”   –Kirjapöllön huhuiluja blog  

”A breath of summer love [–] The ending hangs in the air in a way that both makes you crave more and think that every word was right where it should’ve been. A beautiful work of art by Simukka.” –Siniset Helmet blog

Download full English for In the Dark I Can Be Yours here!

In the Dark I Can Be Yours

Salla Simukka

If your love can only be a secret, will it last?
Varpu and Saga are two sixteen-year-old girls that are forced to stay in their hometown for the summer. After just one drunken kiss, prejudice and identity are shattered and it’s revealed how, behind the facade, everyone hurts and loves the same. In The Dark I Can be Yours is a touching and beautiful title about great emotions in the summer.

The authentic characters are supported by Simukka’s light and airy narrative. Each side of the book tells one girl’s story, which effortlessly melts together into a summer of love, insecurities, and the exploration of two young people.

 

IN THE DARK I CAN BE YOURS
Matalapaine/Korkeapaine
Tammi 2021, 144 pp.
READING MATERIALS:
Full English translation
Finnish edition
RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
FRANCE: Actes Sud Jeunesse

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
FRANCE: Actes Sud Jeunesse

About author


Salla Simukka

Salla Simukka is the author of the international success story The Snow White Trilogy: rights are sold in 52 territories and in Hollywood. She has written several novels for young readers and her accolades include the Topelius Prize 2013 and the Finland Prize 2013.  Where It All Begin, published in 2022, is her first novel for adults

Previously Simukka has written book reviews for the newspapers, translated all kinds of texts into Finnish, worked an editor at a literary magazine and as a screenwriter for a popular TV show for young audiences.  She has written books for young adults and children, and now also for adults, and travels the world talking about them.

Bibliography


2022, Literary Fiction

Where It All Begins

Salla Simukka


2021, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

In the Dark I Can Be Yours

Salla Simukka


2020, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Detained

Salla Simukka


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Turn off the Lights! Turn on the Lights!

Salla Simukka


2016, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Sisterland

Salla Simukka


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

As Black as Ebony

Salla Simukka


2013, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

As Red as Blood

Salla Simukka


2013, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

As White as Snow

Salla Simukka


2012, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Elsewhere

Salla Simukka


2012, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Without a Trace

Salla Simukka

First foreign sale for MY UGLY DIARY by Mari Kujanpää – to Estonia!

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for MY UGLY DIARY (Rumuuspäiväkirja), the latest YA title by award-winning author Mari Kujanpää, have been acquired by Varrak! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Established in 1991, Varrak is one of the leading publishing houses in Estonia. Their authors include J. K. Rowling, Fredrik Backman, Olga Tokarczuk, Sofi Oksanen, Sally Rooney, Haruki Murakami, Lucinda Riley, Kazuo Ishiguro, Elena Ferrante, etc.

They praised the title for being a timely and captivating read:
MY UGLY DIARY speaks to and about the young people of today, but is a very useful read for adults as well! [It is] a book written in a lively and seamless way, [a book] where the bad ones get their due and the main character receives help.
– Reelika Rahu, editor, Varrak, Estonia

Download materials for MY UGLY DIARY here!

My Ugly Diary

Mari Kujanpää

A contemporary and touching YA novel about the courage to be yourself and finding your own people.

  • Mari Kujanpää won the Finlandia Prize in 2009
  • Deals with body image, bullying and the pressure on teenagers to always be Instagram-ready

“Everyone else has a purpose, and they always walk without looking at their surroundings. Someone’s waiting for them somewhere. I’m not going anywhere and I’m not expected anywhere. Yet my feet are moving me somewhere”.

Age 14, shoe size 42, height 175 centimetres, cup size AA and a hideously ugly face, that’s how Malva is defined. She knows she is ugly, and the other pupils remind her of it daily with words and looks. Malva escapes to art and nature. Then along comes Runo, who is passionate about the same things.

My Ugly Diary is a delicate story about how a bullied girl hating her own reflection slowly recovers from the anxiety of her looks. Everyone who has been insecure about their looks can relate to Malva’s experiences.

Finlandia award-winner Mari Kujanpää writes directly and sympathetically about subjects that touch young readers.

MY UGLY DIARY
RUMUUSPÄIVÄKIRJA
Otava, 2023, 160 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak

About author


Mari Kujanpää

Mari Kujanpää has studied forestry and library studies. During the days she works as a library manager in the Oripää library, and during the evenings she writes. She has authored multiple children’s novels, and her work Minä and Muro, dealing with school bullying, won the Finlandia Children’s & YA Prize in 2009. A play based on the novel was performed in the Finnish National Theatre 2013-2014.

Kujanpää enjoys the challenge of writing about topics often perceived as challenging in the lives of children, such as loneliness, bullying, and a grandparent’s memory disorder. In her best dreams, she spreads her arms and flies over ancient forests. In her nightmares, she is a teenager again and walks the gloomy corridors of secondary school.

Bibliography


2023, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

My Ugly Diary

Mari Kujanpää

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Bulgaria at auction! Now 36 territories!

We are thrilled to let you know that the Bulgarian rights for the internationally bestselling MONSTER NANNY trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen have been acquired by Robertino in a three-way auction! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Robertino is a Bulgarian publishing house focusing on children’s literature. They published their first book in late 2019 and by now they have more than one hundred titles in their portfolio. Robertino is well known for developing more than ten children’s series, such as “The Bad Guys” by Aaron Blabey, “Sherlock Holmes”, “Gerda” by the famous illustrator Adrian Macho, and many more.

With Bulgaria, the award-winning MONSTER NANNY trilogy has now been sold to 36 territories and a feature film, co-produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, is in development!

The rights for the series are still available in Japan, Iceland, Thailand, Israel, Indonesia…

Download the materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

The Hellman children must make do with a nanny while their mother is away at a spa. The only problem? Their nanny is a monster.

Grah is hairy, dusty, and doesn’t talk. When the siblings discover that other neighborhood kids have been left with similar creatures, they start to wonder where the monsters came from. With the parents away, the kids work together (between bickering) to figure out the mystery of the monsters.

Tolonen seamlessly intertwines contemporary life with a world full of strange creatures. Monster Nanny is at once a refreshing change of pace and a return to timeless adventure.

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Mimi, 6 years old, has snuck into the monsters’ underground world after her monster friend Grah. She travels in their tunnels, led by the odd Gatekeeper. Back at home, Koby and Halley put their heads together and manage to get in touch with Mimi. But who is the mysterious and frightening ruler of the monster world?

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

Hellman kids face new troubles. Mom and Dad want to move into a bigger home on the other side of the city. Mimi’s talking bathrobe feels strangely shrunk, and drops hints of leaving. Monstrologist Runar Kalli is starting to act his age without his rejuvenating root potion – and he’s 122. Something must be done. When Mimi finds crumpled leaves with strange markings in her room, they look like messages from underground, but who’s delivering them and why? And why does the Gatekeeper of the underground world appear in their bathroom?

MONSTER NANNY
MÖRKÖVAHTI
Tammi, 2015, 303 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
French edition
German edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC Publishers
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto / Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

FILM RIGHTS: SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS / Ridley Scott

 

MONSTER ROUTE
MÖRKÖREITTI
Tammi, 2016, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
French edition
German edition
Swedish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LITHUANIA: Nieko rimto
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthof
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SWEDEN: RABÉN & SJÖGREN
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

 

MONSTER MESSAGE
MÖRKÖVIESTI
Tammi, 2020, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
German edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
BULGARIA: Robertino
CHINA: Beijing Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
UKRAINE: School Publishing House

About author


Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

About author


Tuutikki Tolonen

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, a Finnish literary magazine for children. Her inspiration for the Monster Nanny trilogy sparked during a family breakfast. “My son Leo, then six, said: ‘I heard on the radio yesterday that all moms have to go on vacation and monsters will take their places,” she says.

Tolonen is currently writing the Agnes series, of which the first book "Agnes and the Garden of Dreams" was in 2021 nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award.

First foreign sale for BLACK MOON INN by Reetta Niemelä and Katri Kirkkopelto: Pre-empt in Estonia!

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for BLACK MOON INN (Mustan Kuun majatalo), the award-winning middle-grade title written by Reetta Niemelä and illustrated by Katri Kirkkopelto have been pre-empted by Varrak! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Established in 1991, Varrak is one of the leading publishing houses in Estonia. Their authors include J. K. Rowling, Fredrik Backman, Olga Tokarczuk, Sofi Oksanen, Sally Rooney, Haruki Murakami, Lucinda Riley, Kazuo Ishiguro, Elena Ferrante, etc.

Originally published by Lasten Keskus in 2021, BLACK MOON INN was one of the most critically acclaimed children’s titles last year – it won the Arvid Lydecken Prize, was nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize for children’s and YA literature, and was voted the audience favourite of the Finlandia Prizes!

Download the materials for BLACK MOON INN here!

Black Moon Inn

Reetta Niemelä, illustrated by Katri Kirkkopelto

Black Moon Inn starts a new magical middle-grade series irresistibly blending mythology and environmental protection!

  • Winner of the Arvid Lydecken Prize 2022!
  • Nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2022 – Audience favourite!

The animal-loving Saimi Salaper and her veterinarian father move to the city of Bluehill in order to set up a hospital for wild animals there. By coincidence, they buy an old inn, where one can hear weird noises behind closed doors, see rare butterflies fly past on the yard, and, at the rooftop, there seems to be… a perch for dragons.

Little by little, the house reveals its secrets to Saimi, and soon the Black Moon Inn is open for creatures of the secret folk who seek refuge there: the trolls, the fairies, and many more. But there’s a threat lurking just behind a corner, and the Inn takes both Saimi and the reader on an exciting adventure into the world of the secret folk.

Black Moon Lighthouse

Reetta Niemelä, illustrated by Katri Kirkkopelto

Black Moon Lighthouse continues the charming magical adventure of Saimi and her friends of the secret folk!

Something truly mysterious is happening in Bluehill! A group called “Bedtime’s Ugliest Fears Forgotten: Orcs Out at Night” aka B.U.F.F.O.O.N, which persecutes the secret folk, is circling the streets. Indeed, it seems that some folk have gone missing already! Saimi and her friends try to find out what it’s all about, but that is hard to do when adults are disturbing them. And if that wasn’t enough, a bunch of ghosts decide to celebrate the Kekri festival. Eventually the worst fears of Saimi and her friends come true: one of them disappears!

A dangerous operation begins, illuminated by the silver-coloured heartfires of dragons shining deep from within the ground. Is it possible that the ancient lighthouse would once more shine the beacons of the secret folk?

BLACK MOON INN
MUSTAN KUUN MAJATALO
Lasten Keskus, 2021, 310 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Lasten Keskus (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak

 

BLACK MOON LIGHTHOUSE
MUSTAN KUUN MAJAKKA
Lasten Keskus, 2023

READING MATERIALS
English synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Lasten Keskus (orig.)

About author


Katri Kirkkopelto

Katri Kirkkopelto is an award-winning artist, illustrator, and art teacher. She has illustrated multiple popular picturebooks and schoolbooks, and her children’s books have also been seen on the theatre stage.

In 2009 Kirkkopelto received the Kylli Koski award, and her works have been nominated for Finlandia Junior in 2016, 2020, and 2022 (Black Moon Inn, with Reetta Niemelä). In 2021 she won the Arvid Lydecken Award together with the writer Reetta Niemelä for Black Moon Inn. Kirkkopelto’s illustrations have been exhibited in Finland and also abroad, e.g. in the biennale in Bratislava.

About author


Reetta Niemelä

Reetta Niemelä is an award-winning children’s author. She has written poetry collections, picture books, nonfiction, study material and many beloved book series for children. For her work, she’s been awarded e.g. Kaarina Helakisa Award and for her nonfiction the Tietopöllö award.  Niemelä’s fantasy novel Black Moon Inn, illustrated by Katri Kirkkopelto, won the Arvid Lydecken Award, was nominated for Finlandia Junior and was selected as the audience favourite.

Topics related to nature and especially animals are recurring themes in Niemelä’s work. She wants to focus on how literature and language can give a voice to the silent ones.

Martta Kaukonen on the SPIEGEL BESTSELLER list!

We are thrilled to announce that just one week after its publication in Germany, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY aka THERAPIERT (Heyne Verlag) by Martta Kaukonen has entered the German bestsellers lists! Currently, it is on place 15 of the SPIEGEL BESTSELLER LIST for paperpacks – and German publisher Heyne have already ordered a second edition! What a start for the book on the German market!

Readers have been buzzing about the book as well:

Martta Kaukonen constructs a masterfully narrated psychological thriller, that doesn’t cease to amaze us as it gradually reveals more and more of its characters’ secrets. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is a somewhat different, very psychologically constructed thriller, that convinces with soft tones and big feelings. Exciting until the very last page.” – Silke Schröder on hallo-buch.de

Nothing is as it seems. The topic of therapy takes center stage and offers readers an exciting insight into the depths of the human psyche – a truly successful thriller!” – myautumnofbooks

The ending then even outdid all the previous twists. After finishing the book, I was left with a feeling of “Wow!”.” – JS Booklover

Congratulations to Martta Kaukonen and Heyne for this impressive achievement! 

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY has been a critical success and bestseller in Finland, and was nominated for the Savonia Prize. The rights were sold to to 14 territories and the book will be published in the UK and US next year by Pushkin Press. A sequel is coming out in November 2023.

We now have a full English manuscript for you to review. Rights are still available for France, Italy, World Spanish, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway and many more!

Download the full English text here! 

Terapiassa / Follow the Butterfly

Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne (2-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios (2-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal (2-book-deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is a film critic, whose reviews have been published in both Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and a popular women’s weekly magazine Me Naiset. Martta has a master’s degree in arts. She has interviewed the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Justin Bieber. Martta met her future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Taiwanese 4-book pre-empt deal for the LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES!

Pre-Bologna deals: We are thrilled to announce that the Complex Chinese rights for THE LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES series by Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani have been acquired by Morning Star in Taiwan in a 4-book pre-empt deal! Morning Star focus especially on series, and they have successfully published e.g. Erin Hunter and David Walliams. This is the 25th territory for the LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES!

The rights to the bestselling series are still available in UK, US, France, Japan, Portugal…

Download the materials for THE LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES here!

In addition, Morning Star has also acquired the rights to GRUMBLEBELLY CAT by Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani! The classic fairytale has already sold to 10 territories. 

Both deals were closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency in association with Grayhawk Agency.

The rights to GRUMBLEBELLY CAT are still available in e.g. UK, US, Norway, Latvia, the Netherlands…

Download the materials for GRUMBLEBELLY CAT here!

The Little Shop of Nightmares

Magdalena Hai, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

Nina is a clever, 9-year-old girl who goes to work in the Little Shop of Nightmares – a small shop where accidents and mysteries keep happening!
The Little Shop of Nightmares is a series full of fascinating and fun characters that make young readers both wonder and laugh!

#1 The Terrible Tickling Powder
When Nina, a 9-year-old, enters The Little Shop of Nightmares in hopes of getting a job, she is greeted by an odd sight: shopkeeper Mr. Kook is rolling on the floor, unable to stop laughing. With a little help from a ghost called Paddy, they start looking for the untickling powder to help him, but things are certainly not made any easier by Mr. Kook’s world-domination-planning pet octopus Squishy McGoo, who is a bit too quick about getting into trouble with rollerblades on its tentacles.

#2 The Mystery of the Missing Teeth
Nina goes to buy ice cream after her first work day at The Little Shop of Nightmares. But at the ice cream shop she discovers a vampire – without teeth! Nina decides to help the vampire, Lucas, find his teeth from Mr. Kook’s shop. But, for some reason, all the vampire teeth seem to have disappeared. It seems like somebody has hidden them on purpose…

#3 Sticky the Terrible Snowman
The Little Shop of Nightmares is getting buried in snow! Nina and Paddy are trying to find the cause of the snowstorm, but that’s easier said than done. A well-meaning but horribly clumsy snowman keeps getting in their way and thwarting their every effort to stop it from snowing inside.

#4 The Crystal Skull
The Little Shop of Nightmares crew finds out that a pirate sailing competition is coming to town! Competing to be the fastest pirate ship are the Ghosts, the Zombies, the Sirens and the Better Pirates – all of whom want the Crystal Skull that has been given to Mr. Kook for safekeeping at the Little Shop of Nightmares.
When the Crystal Skull suddenly goes missing from the shop, little Nina and her friends start their investigation – and the suspects are a-plenty!

 

Grumblebelly Cat

Magdalena Hai, illustrated by Teemu Juhani

In a barren land, when a little girl meets a gigantic cat that threatens to devour her, she makes it a smart offer. The girl leads the cat across the lands, looking for something to satiate its hunger before it eats her, but they encounter drought, destruction, and people who have nothing to eat except their dreams. When the cat gobbles up the girl, she finds something in its belly, something that has made it so hungry…

Grumblebelly Cat is a classic fairytale about a contemporary subject. The detailed, monochrome illustrations by Teemu Juhani add another layer to the story.

Painajaispuoti ja kamala kutituspulveri
WSOY, 2018, 60 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY(orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: Emas
CATALAN: La Galera
CZECH REPUBLIC: Euromedia
DENMARK: VILD MASKINE
ESTONIA: Postimees Kirjastus
GERMANY: HarperCollins Schneiderbuch
GREECE: Dioptra
HUNGARY: Cerkabella Konyvkiado
ITALY: Cart’ Armata Edizioni
KOREA: Gilbutschool
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Briedis
NETHERLANDS: De Vier Windstreken
NORWAY: Fontini
POLAND: Znak
ROMANIA: Univers Publishing House
RUSSIA: Kompass Guide
SERBIA:Odiseja
SLOVAKIA: Ikar
SWEDEN: Hegas
TAIWAN: Morning Star
TURKEY: Epsilon
WORLD SPANISH: La Galera

Reading materials:
English PDFs for Books 1-3
English text for Book 4

 

 

 

Kurnivamahainen kissa
Karisto, 2017, 46 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Karisto (orig.)
DENMARK: Vild Maskine
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
GERMANY: Dressler/Oetinger Verlag
ITALY: Terre di Mezzo Editore
NORTH MACEDONIA: Antolog
POLAND: Widnokrąg
SWEDEN: Epix Bokförlag AB
TAIWAN: Morning Star
TURKEY: Dogan Egmont

Reading materials:
English PDF

About author


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 over 20 territories around the World. Among Hai's many accolades are winning the Finnish Literary Export Prize, and being nominated for the Finlandia Prize for Children's and Youth Litetature and 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.

About author


Teemu Juhani

Teemu Juhani is a Finnish illustrator, comic artist and picture book author whose illustrations have been published in picture books and children's fiction in over 20 countries. In addition to children's books Teemu has illustrated magazines and educational material. Originally from the fields and woods of North Karelia, Teemu now lives, works and eats way too many cakes in Helsinki.

MONSTER NANNY by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen sold to Slovakia! Now 35 territories!

We are thrilled to let you know that the Slovak rights for MONSTER NANNY, book #1 in the internationally bestselling middle-grade trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen and Pasi Pitkänen, have been acquired by Arkus! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Arkus, founded in 1992, publishes both Slovak and international authors and two magazines for children. They focus on titles for children and young adults, but also publish crime and thrillers, non-fiction and leisure books. 

With Slovakia, the award-winning MONSTER NANNY trilogy has now been sold to 35 territories and a feature film, co-produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, is in development!

The rights for the series are still available in Bulgaria, Japan, Iceland, Thailand, Indonesia…

Download the materials for MONSTER NANNY here!

Mörkövahti
Tammi, 2015, 303 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Westprint
AUSTRALIA: Allen & Unwin
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Sahinpasic
BRAZIL: DarkSide Books
CATALAN: La Galera
CHINA: Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s. r. o.
DENMARK: Turbine forlaget
ESTONIA: Tiritamm
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
GERMANY: Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & CO. KG.
GREECE: Patakis Publishers
HUNGARY: Tessloff Babilon
ITALY: Salani
KOREA: Seosawon Co., Ltd.
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC Publishers
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto / Publishing House Nothing Serious
NETHERLANDS: Luitingh-Sijthoff
NEW ZEALAND: Allen & Unwin
NORWAY: Gyldendal
POLAND: Vesper
PORTUGAL: ASA Editions
ROMANIA: Editura Univers SRL
RUSSIA: Rosman
SERBIA: Laguna
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SLOVENIA: Mladinska Knjiga Zalozba
SPAIN: La Galera
SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren
TURKEY: SEV Publishing / Redhouse Kidz
UKRAINE: School Publishing House
UNITED STATES: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
VIETNAM: Nha Nam Publishing

FILM RIGHTS: SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS / Ridley Scott
Reading materials:
English edition

About author


Tuutikki Tolonen

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, a Finnish literary magazine for children. Her inspiration for the Monster Nanny trilogy sparked during a family breakfast. “My son Leo, then six, said: ‘I heard on the radio yesterday that all moms have to go on vacation and monsters will take their places,” she says.

Tolonen is currently writing the Agnes series, of which the first book "Agnes and the Garden of Dreams" was in 2021 nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award.

Bibliography


2022, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Shadow in the Window

Tuutikki Tolonen


2021, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Mysterious Manor

Tuutikki Tolonen


2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Message

Tuutikki Tolonen


2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams

Tuutikki Tolonen


2016, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Route

Tuutikki Tolonen


2015, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Monster Nanny

Tuutikki Tolonen

INHERITED LAND by Maria Turtschaninoff sold to Bulgaria! Now 20 territories!

We are thrilled to announce that the Bulgarian rights for INHERITED LAND (Arvejord) by internationally bestselling and award-winning author Maria Turtschaninoff have been acquired by Izida! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Izida is a Bulgarian publishing house whose list features classics, crime and thriller novels, popular science and children’s literature. Izida is also the Bulgarian publisher of Maria Turtschaninoff’s YA trilogy RED ABBEY CHRONICLES. Their authors include Jørgen Brekke, Don Juan Manuel, Torkil Damhaug, Jan Balabán, Lena Frölander-Ulf, Maria Parr, etc.

The international success story of INHERITED LAND continues, as the rights for the title have now been sold to 20 territories!

If you want to join the rapidly growing international publishing family for INHERITED LAND, we recommend you read quickly and get in touch with us! Rights are still available in Greece, Spain, Japan, China, Portugal, Latvia, Iceland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Turkey…

Download materials for INHERITED LAND here!

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff

Inherited Land is an episodic work of literary fiction depicting human relationships with nature across generations, following in the tradition of family sagas like One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.

The roots of man and forest are intertwined in the depths of the earth.

  • Winner of the Svenska YLE Literature Prize!

Inherited Land tells multiple enchanting stories about short human lives on a small farmstead in the north of Finland with its golden cloudberries and the mythical woodland animals. The hub of the narrative is a marsh close to the farmstead, and nature is the constant while humans are like dragonflies: here one day, gone the next. Across four centuries, the people face wars, epidemics, and heartbreaks, but from the woods they find shelter and a place to be themselves.

Inherited Land is a novel about the climate crisis without ever mentioning it by name. Instead, the novel explores what people have thought about their environment, how they have used it and why. The novel is a reminder of where we have come from, and what a relationship between humans and nature could look like in the future.

The book is beautiful like a piece of jewelry and rich like a forest.
– Freja Rudels, Åbo Underrättelser newspaper

INHERITED LAND
ARVEJORD
Förlaget, 2022, 371 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Swedish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: Izida
CROATIA: HENA COM
CZECH REPUBLIC: ARGO
DENMARK: Alpha Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen
GERMANY: Rowohlt
HUNGARY: L’Harmattan
ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim
ITALY: Bompiani
NETHERLANDS: Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag
POLAND: Poznańskie
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
SWEDEN: Förlaget
UNITED KINGDOM & COMMONWEALTH: Pushkin Press
UNITED STATES & CANADA: Pushkin Press
WORLD ALBANIAN: Shkupi Publishing House

About author


Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

INHERITED LAND, Maria Turtschaninoff's first adult fiction novel, has been awarded the prestigious Swedish YLE Literature Prize 2022! This award is annually given to the best Finnish-Swedish book of the year during Helsinki Book Fair and is regarded as one of the most important award for Finnish-Swedish authors.

Bibliography


2022, Literary Fiction

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi: Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff


2016, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff

Introducing Ahlback Agency NON-FICTION Spring 2023 Rights Guide!

We are thrilled to present our Non-Fiction Catalogue for Spring 2023!

Are you ready to learn the Finnish way of leadership as craftsmanship? Or learn more about why our efforts to halt the current ecological crisis are bound to fail? Or find out about the Finnish hot and cold contrast therapy that boosts your physical and mental health?

From our new catalogue, we’ve picked some of the hottest titles for you – take a look at them below!

View the Spring 2023 Non-Fiction Catalogue here!

Leadership as Mastery: The Finnish Way

Asko Känsälä

Lead like a Finn! The Finnish way of leadership combines art and craftsmanship, like the great Finnish master architect Alvar Aalto.

What does craftsmanship have to do with leadership? What makes a company beautiful?

Full English ms. in March 2023!

Leadership is often thought of as a quality of the individual, but in Asko Känsälä’s book LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY we learn it is more of an art form to be mastered.  We develop to be an exceptional leader through cycles of practice and reflection, just like the mastery of any other complex skill.”
– Jeffrey K. Liker, PhD, author of international bestseller The Toyota Way

Hot and Cold. From Sauna to Sea: The Finnish Way

Katja Pantzar and Carita Harju

Hot and cold contrast therapy is fast becoming the must-do wellness experience. This new book by two experts inspires readers with insights into the powerful Finnish method of alternating between a hot and cold environment to boost health and happiness and delves into how experiencing these contrasting extremes of temperature can change your outlook, your wellbeing and your life. The Finnish secret of happiness!

Yellow Kite Executive Publisher Liz Gough said, “I have been so struck by the growing interest in cold- water swimming and saunas and the powerful health impact of contrast bathing to help promote happy hormones, soothe away stress, build resilience and promote wellbeing and good mental health. When I started to explore this area more, what became clear was that the Finns have had the right idea all along! I am really excited about this acquisition and about helping Yellow Kite readers build some Finnish fortitude into their own lives to help them thrive.

Whale in a Glass Bowl

Maria Katajavuori

Join the journey of a whale and a woman and uncover the keys to sustainability – the Earth can be saved with tools of human behavioral biology.

Humans are like a whale in a glass bowl, trapped despite our big brains.

Finlandia Prize jury’s motivations for nomination:
An uncompromising statement about the current state and future of nature that brings even the most environmentally conscious reader to admit their responsibility in overconsumption. Willpower, intelligence, and any amount of research are not enough if they do not lead to political decisions and action in organized democracies. Information, emotion, and respectable literary activism.

Back to Nature Finland: Explore Nature, Myths, and Ancient Wisdom

Reetta Ranta and Antti Huttunen

BACK TO NATURE FINLAND is a calming, relaxing experience that takes you on a journey throughout Finnish nature, with a touch of ancient wisdom, mythology and local history. Based on the internationally acclaimed TV show!

Full English PDF available!

The book presents 24 beautiful travel locations in Finnish nature. It reveals stories about Finnish mythology related to those locations, and provides delicious local food tips to enjoy when visiting. Learn the secrets of the Archipelago Sea, discover Lohja’s groves and caves, and meet the most beautiful tree in Finland. Travel with us from the Åland Islands, across the Nordic archipelago’s seashores and dunes, to the mysteries of lake Saimaa. Join us as we follow the origins of the Finnish national epic, Kalevala; climb to the top of Pyhä-Nattanen, the Mountain of the Gods; and explore some of the many sacred sites of Finnish Lapland.

The 50 Most Dangerous Companies in the World

Hannu Sokala

They like to stay in the shadows. Who are the families that wield the most power in the world?

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.

How Finland Survived Stalin

Kimmo Rentola

A meticulously researched insight into critical points in the history of relations between Finland and the Soviet Union.

World English rights sold to Yale University Press!

How did Finland evade Joseph Stalin’s crosshairs three times? Did Stalin have a special relationship with Finland and the Finns? Why didn’t he continue the Soviet onslaught on Finland during the Winter War in 1940? The answers lie in the relations between Finland and Russia which remain highly timely to this day.

Yale University Press Editorial Director Julian Loose says: I am thrilled to be publishing Kimmo Rentola’s important work on Finland and Stalin. As the leading scholar on Soviet-Finnish relations, his intimate understanding of the intelligence history during this crucial period makes for a uniquely fascinating and revelatory read. And of course this story has huge resonance at the present time, with Finland joining NATO and the parallels between the Winter War and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yale University Press will be proud to publish Kimmo’s book in English in the spring of 2024.


Introducing Ahlback Agency FICTION Spring 2023 Rights Guide!

We are thrilled to present our Fiction Catalogue for Spring 2023!

Our Crime List is expanding with a new exciting author Erika Vik combining Nordic Noir and goth rock and fresh additions to three crime thriller series. International TV series based on Maria Kallio crime series brings Finland’s bestselling crime writer Leena Lehtolainen’s latest title in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the 3rd title in the Silk Sisters series will arrive to grace our Historical Fiction list.

From our new catalogue, we’ve picked some outstanding titles for you – take a look at them below!

View the Spring 2023 Catalogue here!

Forever With You

Erika Vik

Nordic Noir meets Goth rock in this dark psychological thriller.

Janne Kallamaa is a struggling musician at the lowest point of his popularity, a major Finnish rock star of the 90s who is rejected by his record company. Soon after, the CEO of said company is found dead. Is it suicide or murder?

Meanwhile, Janne is tormented by a faceless stalker whose threatening messages hide more than meets the eye. It’s as if the stalker knows everything about the former star’s life, even his darkest secrets.

This sinister debut thriller asks what we are willing to sacrifice for art.

A Crossing in the Darkness

Leena Lehtolainen

The newest, standalone crime novel in the ever-popular Maria Kallio series! German and Finnish publication in Fall 2023!

International TV series sold in 10 territories!

The City of Espoo is being menaced by the “Biris” gang that steals designer clothing, phones, and jewelry from other youth. One night, one of the members is stabbed to death, in a case which seems clear. Maria’s unit is investigating while being threatened by a cut in funding.

Maria’s home feels empty as her children have left the nest. An acquaintance contacts Maria regarding sexual harassment, and Maria tries to help – but her intervention seems to make things worse. And as a boy goes missing from a children’s home and Biris threatens with revenge, Maria has her hands full.

Mariam

Sara Medberg

Silk Sisters #3

The third installment of the internationally bestselling Silk Sisters series, a stunning romantic, feel-good adventure! Bridgerton meets Jane Austen’s Emma with Nordic heroines!

Mariam, the daughter of a highborn Persian lady and a Swedish tradesman, gets swept away in a breath-taking romantic adventure after she moves to Porvoo in the midst of Finnish War and becomes the talk of the whole city.

When her brother is arrested in Sweden, Mariam doesn’t hesitate in running to his aid. She’s read Jane Austen’s new novel Emma, whose independent heroine encourages Mariam to act. A mysterious baron promises to help her, but can she trust him? And why do his silvery eyes remind Mariam of something?

The Silk Sisters series has dazzled readers in Finland and abroad. Don a silk dress and let the story sweep you away!

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko

Ronja Vaara #2

The second title in the Ronja Vaara crime series from the rising star of Finnish crime literature takes the reader to the shadows of a pulsing summer night.

A late spring heat wave caresses the people of Lauttasaari, and Ronja Vaara is pleasantly busy with her new job at the local newspaper. When the body of a young woman is found on Käärmesaari (Serpent Island) near Helsinki, Ronja’s new boss senses an opportunity to make the newspaper the prime source for any information on the case. Reluctantly, Ronja contacts the chief investigator Anton Koivu, who is surprisingly willing to leak confidential information to Ronja – if she does him a favor in return.

Soon, another death shocks the people of Lauttasaari. Koivu and his team pick up the pace to solve the cases, but a surprising guest from the past throws them off balance.

The Mystery of the Wrestling Woman

Laura Andersson

Lili Flame Investigates #2

Unlikely investigator Lili Flame who’s charmed readers faces a new tricky puzzle!

In early 1947, Helsinki gets to see something exciting when an unusual troupe of female wrestlers from America performs in the city.

Lili and Riku Loimola, together with their friends, enjoy the performance, but, after the show, chaos erupts in the area. One of the star performers has been shot – and struck with a knife. Why two methods of killing? Could there be two murderers, too?

The Helsinki police are not particularly interested in investigating the foreign woman’s murder, but Lili and Riku won’t give up – the victim deserves justice. A terrific journey begins into the colorful and circus-filled past of Joy Johnson!


Introducing Ahlback Agency CHILDREN’S & YA Spring 2023 Rights Guide!

We are thrilled to present our Children’s & YA Catalogue for Spring 2023: award-nominated middle-grade novels, charming picture books with the cutest animals, creeping horror for the teenagers, and painfully relatable but hopeful stories about self-image..

We’ve picked some of the hottest titles from the catalogue for you – check them out below!

View the Spring 2023 Children’s Catalogue here!

 

The Fox and Silence

Reetta Niemelä, ill. Eri Shimatsuka

A charming picture book about a sensitive fox and the need for silence.

Once upon a time there was a fox the colour of a copper pot. It had very long and sensitive ears. Loud noises keep hurting the fox’s ears. It had to dig deeper and deeper into its den to rest its ears. Where does the fox find silence? How would the other creatures in the forest understand that the silence is like a hammock, where one can safely fall asleep?

This beautiful story discusses sensibility and the need for silence. The touching text by award-winning poet and children’s author Reetta Niemela is paired with charming illustrations by textile artist Eri Shimatsuka.

 

Stella

Ted Forsström, ill. Åsa Lucander

An interactive and playful bedtime story for toddlers featuring a very loud dog with a big imagination! 

A father tries to put his child to bed, but keeps getting interrupted by Stella the dog, who starts barking hysterically. Something unexpected always happens, and the reader is treated to Stella’s lively imaginations: it may be a door opening or a car driving by, but Stella is strongly convinced it’s Grandma coming to give her food, or that squirrels have built a nest in the toaster.

Anyone who has ever tried to bring a child to bed knows how cozy yet fragile the situation is. It requires the right amount of patience and determination. The right bedtime story can be the key to a successful, quiet night.

There is a warm feeling, playful rhymes and an unusual mix of familiar ordinariness and fantastic antics. Clear recognition for anyone trying to combine cozy moments with a pet!

 

Dadman and the Impossible Time Knot

Arttu Unkari, ill. Kai Vaalio

The quirkiest cop in town! The Dadman Series offers fast-paced adventures and humour for all ages – especially lower middle gradeFor fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants.

Dadman is a dad, and a policeman – but he also has a superpower! Too bad his superpower is one shared by almost all dads – an unwavering belief in himself and his own abilities. It follows that Dadman’s nine-year-old daughter Oona needs to solve all of the issues herself.

Oona and her friends find out that Dadman would never have gotten into police school without help – from them! How is that possible? The friends have no choice but to jump into a time machine and go back to Dadman’s police academy years to find out.

The four friends find themselves at the centre of a mysterious series of art theft. The case is being investigated by the police academy’s quirkiest cadets, including, of course, Dadman. Luckily, Oona and friends have a clue of their own. There is a criminal in the police school who they have already caught once.

 

Black Moon Inn

Reetta Niemelä, ill. Katri Kirkkopelto

Nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2022 – Audience favourite!
Winner of Arvid Lydecken Prize 2022. 

The animal-loving Saimi Salaper and her veterinarian father move to the city of Bluehill in order to set up a hospital for wild animals there. By coincidence, they buy an old inn, where one can hear weird noises behind closed doors, see rare butterflies fly past on the yard, and, at the rooftop, there seems to be… a perch for dragons.

Little by little, the house reveals its secrets to Saimi, and soon the Black Moon Inn is open for creatures of the secret folk who seek refuge there: the trolls, the fairies, and many more. But there’s a threat lurking just behind a corner, and the Inn takes both Saimi and the reader on an exciting adventure into the world of the secret folk.

 

Secrets of the Grimhill Sanatorium

Janne Malinen, ill. Teemu Juhani

The thoughtful and elaborate opening of a middle-grade trilogy opens the doors to the mysterious Grimhill sanatorium, where nothing is what it seems.

Oskar is a perfectly average boy living with his parents in the red brick house by the biggest market square in the city. Everything changes when he is diagnosed with a serious illness. His parents send him to the remote Grimhill sanatorium, which from the very first moments feels suspicious and off-putting – and the staff don’t make it better. It seems like they are hiding something. Together with his new friends Robin and Vilma, Oskar gets pulled into a compelling adventure as they try to find out what is behind the ominous voices in the night. And what is hiding within the cold forest which seems to enchant the children?

 

Diary of an Ugly Girl

Mari Kujanpää

A contemporary YA novel about the courage to be yourself and finding your own people from a Finlandia-winning author

Age 14, shoe size 42, height 175 centimetres, cup size AA and a hideously ugly face, that’s how Malva is defined. She knows she is ugly, and the other pupils remind her of it daily with words and looks. Malva escapes to art and nature. Then along comes Runo, who is passionate about the same things.

Diary of an Ugly Girl is a delicate story about how a bullied girl hating her own reflection slowly recovers from the anxiety of her looks. Everyone who has been insecure about their looks can relate to Malva’s experiences.

 

The Horned God

Magdalena Hai

Creeping horror for the YA audience from an internationally bestselling author!

When death touches your life, everything changes.

Lauri wakes up in the hospital after a fatal car crash and he doesn’t remember much about it. Mom is dead and now life has changed drastically.

When Lauri starts his slow recovery in a small town at his aunt’s house, he has an unpleasant feeling that everything is not right. The dead don’t stay dead and the beautiful neighbor Vilja-Maaria doesn’t want to live. When an ominous creature with antlers appears behind the window, Lauri begins to see nightmarish dreams that feel too real.


THE LAST GRUDGE by Max Seeck published in the US today!

We are so thrilled to celebrate the US publication of the third Jessica Niemi novel, THE LAST GRUDGE, written by our New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck and published by Berkley Penguin Random House!

The title has already gained positive praise from readers and critics:
“An intricate, beautifully written, character-driven page-turner with some shocking twists.”
– Kirkus Reviews

“I loved the intensity and suspense, including a few tense action scenes. The author kept me guessing until nearly the end of the book. Max Seeck’s characters were realistic and made the story dynamic. Overall, this twisty mystery kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.”
– Pam Guynn in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Max Seeck continues to be one of the bestselling authors in Finland – in 2022, his books sold over 100,000 copies across all formats in Finland! In addition, Max’s books have been sold to 40 countries and a Hollywood TV series is in development, based on THE WITCH HUNTER.

Download the materials for THE LAST GRUDGE here!

 

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck

Jessica Niemi #3

The third title in the NYT-bestselling series! 

A prominent business executive Eliel Zetterborg is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Zetterborg gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Zetterborg with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

PRAISE FOR THE LAST GRUDGE:
Det. Sgt. Yusuf  Pepple takes center stage in Seeck’s gripping third Ghosts of the Past mystery”
– Publishers Weekly

 

The Archipelago

Max Seeck

Jessica Niemi #4

The fourth title in the NYT-bestselling Jessica Niemi series!

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica Niemi is ordered on paid leave, and she decides to travel to a small island in the Åland archipelago to find some peace. A group of old people arrive on the same island, and Jessica learns that they are the remaining members of the Doves, the people who had to flee from Finland to Sweden during World War II and ended up living in an orphanage there.

Jessica hears a local legend about a girl who also inhabited the orphanage once. Every night at two o’clock, she put on her blue coat and went to stand on the pier, waiting for something that never showed up. One night she disappeared and was never found.

Soon, one of the remaining Doves dies, and Jessica finds out that two other people have previously faced the same fate on the same island. All three people seem to have something to do with the girl in the blue coat. Jessica is once again facing a scary mystery where the stakes are considerable. Whilst battling her own demons, uncertain what is real and what is not, she needs to find out the truth.

The fourth instalment of the Jessica Niemi series of detective novels is the best to date and proves Seeck’s mastery of the genre’s traditions.
-Helsingin Sanomat

 

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck

Standalone sequel to The New York Times bestseller, The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

 

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck

Detective Jessica Niemi is called to investigate a murder case that is out of ordinary. The wife of a famous writer, Roger Koponen, seems to have been killed in a bizarre ritual. As more ritual murders occur, it becomes obvious that Jessica is after a serial killer.

But the murders are not random – they follow a pattern taken from Roger’s bestselling trilogy. Has a fan gone mad, or is this case more personal? How can Jessica stop a criminal who knows every detail of the book even better than the author?

THE ARCHIPELAGO
LOUKKO
Tammi, 2022, 358 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE LAST GRUDGE
KAUNA
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó Kft.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE ICE COVEN
PAHAN VERKKO
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE WITCH HUNTER
USKOLLINEN LUKIJA
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: EMAS
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books/Steimatzky
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
RUSSIA: AST Publishers
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motyl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SOUTH KOREA: Cheongmirae
SPAIN & LATIN AMERICA: Maeva Ediciones
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
UK: Welbeck
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures


Breaking news! Yellow Kite, Hodder & Stoughton has acquired World English rights for HOT AND COLD by Katja Pantzar and Carita Harju!

We are now sharing our secret to how the world’s happiest nation, Finland, keeps calm and carries on – no matter what life throws at us. Now you too can learn our secrets, as we are sharing this brilliant news from the UK:

World English rights of the Finnish hot and cold method boosting happiness, a title called HOT AND COLD. From Sauna to Sea: The Finnish Way to a Happy, Healthy Life were today acquired by Liz Gough at Yellow Kite, Hodder & Stoughton for publication in 2024. The deal was negotiated by Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This definitive guide is written by two experts. Katja Pantzar is a Helsinki-based writer and journalist who swims in the Baltic Sea almost every day – all year round. Katja is the author of The Finnish Way, translated into 24 languages. Carita Harju is a Finnish sauna experience expert and marketing professional whose mission is to share the Finnish sauna’s positive health and wellness benefits with the world. Congratulations, Katja, Carita and Yellow Kite!

Yellow Kite Executive Publisher Liz Gough said:
I have been so struck by the growing interest in cold-water swimming and saunas and the powerful health impact of contrast bathing to help promote happy hormones, soothe away stress, build resilience and enhance wellbeing and encourage good mental health. When I started to explore this area more, what became clear was that the Finns have had the right idea all along! Alternating between hot and cold environments is a way of life in Finland and in Hot and Cold Katja Pantzar and Carita Harju will explain the science, give insights into their own experiences, and offer readers practical guidance so that they too can reap the benefits and improve their health. I am really excited about this acquisition and about helping Yellow Kite readers build some Finnish fortitude into their own lives to help them thrive.

Hot and cold contrast therapy is fast becoming the must-do wellness experience. Be among the first ones, forerunners of this trend, and acquire the rights to HOT AND COLD to boost wellness and happiness around the world!

Download the materials for HOT AND COLD here!

Hot and Cold. From Sauna to Sea: The Finnish Way to a Happy, Healthy Life

Katja Pantzar and Carita Harju

Hot and cold contrast therapy is fast becoming the must-do wellness experience. This new book inspires readers with insights into the powerful Finnish method of alternating between a hot and cold environment in order to boost health and happiness and delves into how experiencing these contrasting extremes of temperature can change your outlook, your wellbeing and your life.

  • Inspiration and practical tools for creating a wellness retreat at home using the Nordic contrast bathing method, wherever you are in the world.
  • The Finnish hot and cold method boosts happiness by increasing wellbeing and encouraging connection with nature

The sauna was recently ranked as the No. 1 global wellness trend by the Global Wellness Summit. Cold-water swimming is also a growing trend and is being proposed as a cure for all manner of things – from improving mental health to boosting immunity. But why is being hot good for you, and why is submerging into icy water good for you? And what about alternating between the two? What exactly is hot and cold therapy and why is it so vital for physical and mental health?

Dive into the unique world of hot and cold via Finland, where a good steam and an icy dip in a lake or the sea are the foundations of wellbeing for mind, body and soul.

HOT AND COLD. From Sauna to Sea: The Finnish Way to a Happy, Healthy Life
Yellow Kite / Hodder & Stoughton, 2024, approx. 45,000 words

READING MATERIALS
Book proposal
Sample chapters in Spring 2023
Full English manuscript in Fall 2023

RIGHTS SOLD:
WORLD ENGLISH: Yellow Kite / Hodder & Stoughton (orig.)

About author


Carita Harju

Carita Harju is a Finnish sauna experience expert and marketing professional whose mission is to share the Finnish sauna’s positive health and wellness benefits with the world. She is the founder and executive director of Sauna from Finland, which represents an international network of more than 200 sauna industry companies. The organization’s mission is to create the world’s best sauna experiences, and Harju loves her work, because it allows her to advance an idea that she is personally so passionate about. Carita Harju has always enjoyed saunas, goes to sauna with her family nearly every day and gives talks all over the world.

Her first illustrated guide, Sauna - The Way of Finnish Life (2016), has been published in four languages, including German and Chinese. Her second book, Soul of the Sauna, was released in Japanese and Hungarian, while her newest title Saunafulness (Hyvää oloa saunomalla/2021) was published in Finnish and will be published in Estonian in 2023.

About author


Katja Pantzar

Helsinki-based writer, editor and broadcast journalist Katja Pantzar was raised in Canada with stints in New Zealand and the UK. Pantzar’s The Finnish Way has been translated into 24 languages. She is the author of three guides to the Finnish capital city Helsinki: The Hip Guide to Helsinki, Helsinki by Light and 100 Things to Do in Helsinki. Pantzar’s writing has appeared in a wide range of media, from The Globe and Mail to Elle. Her work has been widely covered around the world, including in Le Figaro, Le Monde, El País, Vogue, Real Simple, and more.

MARESI RED MANTLE by Maria Turtschaninoff sold to Lithuania!

We are thrilled to announce that the Lithuanian rights for MARESI RED MANTLE (Breven från Maresi), book #3 in THE RED ABBEY CHRONICLES by internationally bestselling and award-winning author Maria Turtschaninoff have been acquired by Aukso pieva! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The Red Abbey Chronicles is a historically inspired feminist fantasy series which has been sold to 30 territories!

The rights for the series are still available in Czech Republic, Japan, Greece, Slovakia, Iceland, Portugal…

Download the materials for THE RED ABBEY CHRONICLES here!

Maresi Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff

The third book is an epistolary novel that follows Maresi after she leaves the Red Abbey to establish a school in her oppressed home province of Rovas. The return to her Northern home, and fitting in, is not easy even with all the knowledge she’s bringing with her, but she is determined to triumph over the difficulties. However, she does not need to make it alone, for life has yet another surprise in store: love.

PRAISE FOR MARESI RED MANTLE:

“Maresi: Red Mantle is a stirring epistolary novel that presents a young woman caught between two homes, cultures, and communities. It is the concluding title in the Red Abbey Chronicles trilogy, but we were very impressed with how beautifully it works as a stand-alone title.
Committee Chair Annette Y. Goldsmith, The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, Translated YA Book Prize 2020

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff

An independent prequel to Maresi, Naondel tells the story of the First Sisters – founders of the Red Abbey. Imprisoned in a harem by a dangerous man, with a dark magic that grants him power over life and death, the women must overcome their mistrust of each other in order to escape. But they can only do so at a great cost, both for those who leave and those left behind.

PRAISE FOR NAONDEL:

“…complex, multilayered, and wholly believable. […] Feminists of all ages will appreciate this positive portrayal of a matriarchy.”
– Booklist

A prequel that introduces the founding sisters of the all-female Red Abbey… their interwoven stories told with unflinching clarity, rise to a vengeful climax with the glow of the red moon, and will stay with the reader long after the book is closed.
The Guardian

“An unforgettable feminist epic, shot through with hypnotic dark charm.
– The Bookseller

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff

The Red Abbey is a refuge for women and girls, where everyone pursues their own areas of interest. Maresi prefers to spend her time reading and learning. Everything changes when the frightened Jai arrives on the island. She has seen her sister get buried alive for speaking to a young man, and her father and a crew of thugs are after her. Maresi and her friends have to fight to defend both Jai and their community.

PRAISE FOR MARESI:

Dark, powerful and original… it really stands out in a very crowded YA marketplace. Thrilling, suspenseful and gloriously feminist.
– The Bookseller

Beautifully written… Maresi has a touch of Katniss about her, and although the target market is different, female lovers of dystopian fantasy adventures will enjoy the journey.
– The School Librarian

It’s hard not to be impressed with Turtschaninoff’s magical world.
– The Times 

MARESI RED MANTLE
BREVEN FRÅN MARESI
Förlaget, 2018, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
Swedish edition
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish)
BRAZIL: Editora Morro Branco
BULGARIA: Izida
CANADA (English): Abrams
CHINA: Shanghai 99 Readers’ Culture
HUNGARY: Scolar Kiado
ITALY: Atmosphere Libri
KOREA: Gimm Young Publishers
LITHUANIA: Aukso pieva
NORWAY: Gursli Berg Forlag
POLAND: Sonia Draga
RUSSIA: Eksmo
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press
UNITED STATES: Abrams Children’s

 

NAONDEL
NAONDEL
Förlaget, 2016, 400 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
Swedish edition
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BELGIUM: Clavis Books
BRAZIL: Editora Morro Branco
BULGARIA: Izida
CANADA (English): Abrams
CHINA: Shanghai 99 Readers’ Culture
ESTONIA: Varrak Publishers
FRANCE: Rageot
HUNGARY: Scolar Kiado
ITALY: Atmosphere Libri
KOREA: Gimm Young Publishers
LATVIA: Izdevnieciba Petergailis SIA
LITHUANIA: Aukso pieva
NETHERLANDS: Clavis Books
NORWAY: Gursli Berg Forlag
POLAND: Sonia Draga
ROMANIA: Univers
RUSSIA: Eksmo
SWEDEN: Berghs
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press
UNITED STATES: Abrams Children’s

 

MARESI
MARESI
Schildts & Söderströms, 2014, 180 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
Swedish edition
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Schildts & Söderströms (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish)
ALBANIA: Dritan
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BELGIUM: Clavis Books
BRAZIL: Morro Branco
BULGARIA: Izida
CANADA (English): Abrams
CANADA (French): Editions de la Bagnole
CHINA: Shanghai 99 Readers’ Culture
CROATIA: Naklada Ljevak
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE: Rageot
GERMANY: Random House/Heyne
HUNGARY: Scolar Kiado
ITALY: Atmosphere Libri
LATVIA: Izdevnieciba Petergailis SIA
LITHUANIA: Aukso pieva
NETHERLANDS: Clavis Books
NORWAY: Gursli Berg Forlag
POLAND: Wydawnictwo Debit
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
RUSSIA: Eksmo
WORLD SPANISH: Penguin Random House/Alfaguara
SWEDEN: Berghs
TURKEY: Altın Kitaplar
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press
UNITED STATES: Abrams
FILM & TV RIGHTS: tba

About author


Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

INHERITED LAND, Maria Turtschaninoff's first adult fiction novel, has been awarded the prestigious Swedish YLE Literature Prize 2022! This award is annually given to the best Finnish-Swedish book of the year during Helsinki Book Fair and is regarded as one of the most important award for Finnish-Swedish authors.

Bibliography


2022, Literary Fiction

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi: Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff


2016, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff

THE ARCHIPELAGO by Max Seeck sold to Latvia!

We are happy to announce that the Latvian rights for THE ARCHIPELAGO (Loukko), the fourth title in the Jessica Niemi series by The New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck have been acquired by Latvijas Mediji! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

THE LAST GRUDGE, book #3 in the Jessica Niemi series, will be published in the US next week, February 7, 2023 by Berkley Penguin Random House. A Hollywood TV series, based on THE WITCH HUNTER, is in development.

Helsingin Sanomat, the leading newspaper in Finland, has praised THE ARCHIPELAGO, published in Finland in 2022, as Seeck’s finest to date:
Max Seeck’s earlier novels in the Jessica Niemi series have been impressive, but the series’ fourth book, THE ARCHIPELAGO, is the best to date. This is because it is a seamless and constrained whole that works superbly and also because in this work Seeck imbues his protagonist’s character with new, deeper sides.
– Pertti Avola, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland

Max Seeck continues to be one of the bestselling authors in Finland – in 2022, his books sold over 100,000 copies across all formats in Finland! In addition, Max’s books have been sold to 40 countries and a Hollywood TV series is in development, based on THE WITCH HUNTER.

Download the materials for THE ARCHIPELAGO here!

The Archipelago

Max Seeck

The fourth title in the NYT-bestselling Jessica Niemi series!

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica Niemi is ordered on paid leave after an altercation, and she decides to travel to a small island in the Åland archipelago to escape the attention and find some peace. Meanwhile, a group of old people arrive on the same island, and Jessica learns that they are the remaining members of the Doves, the people who had to flee from Finland to Sweden during World War II and ended up living in an orphanage on the very same island.

One evening, Jessica hears a local legend about a girl who also inhabited the orphanage once, but who was mentally ill. Every night at two o’clock, the girl put on her blue coat and went to stand on the pier, waiting for something that never showed up. One night she disappeared and was never found. That same night, one of the remaining Doves dies.

Jessica soon finds out that two other people have previously faced the same fate on the same island, and all three people seem to have something to do with the girl in the blue coat. A chain of events starts to escalate, and we don’t know whether we’re facing a killer or – just like the legend says – a ghost, the girl in the blue coat.

Jessica Niemi is once again facing a scary mystery where the stakes are considerable. Whilst battling her own demons, uncertain what is real and what is not, she needs to find out the truth.

 

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck

A prominent business executive Eliel Zetterborg is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Zetterborg gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Zetterborg with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

 

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck

Standalone sequel to The New York Times bestseller, The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

 

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck

Detective Jessica Niemi is called to investigate a murder case that is out of ordinary. The wife of a famous writer, Roger Koponen, seems to have been killed in a bizarre ritual. As more ritual murders occur, it becomes obvious that Jessica is after a serial killer.

But the murders are not random – they follow a pattern taken from Roger’s bestselling trilogy. Has a fan gone mad, or is this case more personal? How can Jessica stop a criminal who knows every detail of the book even better than the author?

THE ARCHIPELAGO
LOUKKO
Tammi, 2022, 358 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE LAST GRUDGE
KAUNA
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó Kft.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE ICE COVEN
PAHAN VERKKO
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE WITCH HUNTER
USKOLLINEN LUKIJA
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: EMAS
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books/Steimatzky
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
RUSSIA: AST Publishers
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motyl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SOUTH KOREA: Cheongmirae
SPAIN & LATIN AMERICA: Maeva Ediciones
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
UK: Welbeck
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

“Another star has been added to the firmament of thriller writers,” announced Iltalehti newspaper, when Max’s debut novel was published in 2016. Four years and 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 debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Celebrating today the US publication date of GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti!

Celebrating today the US publication date of GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti!

Warmest congratulations, Emilia Elisabet Lahti, for the US publication of GENTLE POWER by Sounds True! GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu is being released in the US today, January 24th.  You can join us in the celebrations by listening to Elisabet Lahti at The Courageous Life – Interview and Podcast where she wonderfully explains and talks about Gentle Power:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SKciXFvY0ml71mVtCSbAD

The book prompts readers to consider how they might develop their own compassionate power, urging them to be curious about what’s actually happening in a given conflict and to approach interactions with others without preconceived ideas. When we embody our sisu, Lahti says, we “open our eyes wide to whatever is at hand … with curiosity and courage that are soft around the edges.” – Spirituality & Health Magazine

Read the full review here:  https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/reviews/books/2022/12/28/book-review-gentle-power

Nobody has taught me more about sisu than Emilia Elisabet Lahti. In this beautiful book, Elisabet shows us how strength and toughness are not the same thing. A much-needed antidote to the myth of mind over matter, and a touching, honest story of one woman’s journey to discover the true origins of grit and fulfillment.” —Angela Duckworth, PhD, MacArthur Fellow, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

This captivating and heartfelt book invites readers on a compelling journey to their fullest expression of power and leadership.” —Emma Seppälä, PhD, Yale School of Management, author of The Happiness Track

A beautiful book written by one of the most important voices in positive psychology. Part balm and part rallying call, this book is a deep well for the weary positive champions who are searching for a way to transform the lives of others and to discover a more powerful path to an empowered, connected, and hopeful world.” —Shawn Achor, New York Times bestselling author of Big Potential and The Happiness Advantage

Gentle Power is a brilliant and refreshing idea. Lahti is a rare combination of real-life adventurer and scientist. With the warmth and authenticity typical to her writing, she outlines an inviting path toward our highest expression through the power of everyday relationships.” —Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, host of The Psychology Podcast and Founder and Director of the Center for Human Potential

Lahti examines how attachment styles can be employed to understand ourselves and others with more compassion and thereby assist us into evolved forms of leadership. Throughout Gentle Power, Lahti kindly nudges us toward bold self-inquiry and genuine, life-changing empowerment.” —Diane Poole Heller, PhD, author of Crash Course, The Power of Attachment, and Healing Your Attachment Wounds

Emilia Elisabet Lahti is a pioneering researcher and rising star in the new human potential movement. Gentle Power, her first book, is a bold invitation into what’s possible as a human being. Infused with a powerful combination of backbone, heart, and original research, Lahti gently but persuasively challenges readers to question perceived limitations and, ultimately, transform barriers into frontiers.” —Joshua Steinfeldt, host of The Courageous Life podcast, mindfulness teacher, and professional coach

Congratulations, Emilia Elisabet and Sounds True!

The rights of Gentle Power have also been sold to China and Thailand. Rights for all other languages are still available – join the gentle revolution!

Download the materials here!

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution In How We Think, Lead and Succeed Using The Finnish Art Of Sisu (Sounds True, Jan. 2023) 

By Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD
The Finnish philosophy of sisu shows us a new way to look at power—not as force and domination but as the harmonious expression of human character in everyday actions. Finnish-born Emilia Elisabet Lahti explores sisu, world traditions, and modern research to provide a new way to approach leadership, resilience, and our power to create change.

Power is fundamental in our lives—we express it in every conversation, relationship, and choice we make. All too often, we equate force and domination with power, while gentleness and compassion are considered “soft” or “weak.” The destructive nature of this skewed perspective has never been more obvious, yet there is reason to hope. With Gentle Power, Dr. Emilia Elisabet Lahti shares an illuminating guide to an emerging shift in the way we define true strength—an approach that balances resolve with reason, grit with compassion, and personal success with service to the collective good.

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu

Original publication: Sounds True, January 24, 2023, 194 pp.

Rights sold:

WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.),
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company,
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Illustrator Mari Ahokoivu wins the Puupäähattu Award! 

We are excited to share the news that our illustrator Mari Ahokoivu has won the Puupäähattu Award, given yearly to an established comic artist by the Finnish Comics Society!
The award has been given out since 1972, and past winners include e.g. Mauri Kunnas, Tom of Finland, and Tove and Lars Jansson! The name of the prize refers to the hat of Ola Fogelberg’s classic character Pekka Puupää.

Mari has illustrated e.g. multiple children’s nonfiction titles – the newest one is the lovely I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER, written by Tero Mielonen, and together with Laura Ertimo she’s worked on the WEIRD WEATHER series, sold to 17 territories! 
She has also illustrated the charming ANNI THE FRIEND TAMER series, written by Kaisa Paasto!

Congrats on the award Mari!

Reminder: The FILI translation grant application round is ongoing! FILI provides grants that can cover up to 70% of the costs of translating Finnish and Finland-Swedish titles to other languages. The deadline for the current application round is February 1st. You can find more information here: Translation and printing grants for publishers outside Finland – FILI

 

I’ll Become a Researcher

Tero Mielonen, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu

Anyone can become a researcher!

South American Kat used to examine the starry skies with her father and now her job is to search for new planets. Marjane loved hunting for treasures, and she became an archeologist who solves the mysteries of ancient cultures. Eduardo loved playing video games. He did not become a professional gamer, but now he creates climate models and ponders what our world will be like in a hundred years. All kinds of people do science, and anyone can become a scientist!

Download the materials for I’LL BECOME A RESEARCHER here!

 

Weird Weather

Laura Ertimo, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu

Answering children’s tough questions about climate change and explaining how we can all fight against it!

Two clever buddies, Lotta and Kasper, get tired of their parents’ evasive answers about weird weather. They decide to research what climate change is really about. Weird Weather! is an accurate but hopeful children’s nonfiction title that explains how humans are responsible for climate change and what we can do to ensure a brighter future. It also gives tips on how everyone can make better choices and practice climate-positive skills every day.

The independent sequel, Where Did the Animals Go which helps to understand the biodiversity crisis, was awarded the Tietopöllö Award for best children’s nonfiction in 2022!

Download the materials for WEIRD WEATHER here!

 

Anni the Friend Tamer series

Kaisa Paasto, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu

Shy people of the world, unite!

Anni is a 10-year-old girl. When her friend Miisa moves abroad, Anni has a chilling realization: she has never had to find a new friend. Is it too late to learn how to make friends? Obviously, no one can learn a skill this big when they’re 10, can they? Anni also has another problem. Her new pet pig only wants to stay in his safe place, under the table. Good thing Anni’s brother has just had a back operation, as this means he has lots of time to lie in bed and dole out advice. Anni’s parents are alright as far as parents go, even if they laugh a bit too much at their own jokes.

So it’s not all bad – Anni just needs to become a ‘friend tamer’!

Download the materials for the ANNI THE FRIEND TAMER series here!

I’ll Become a researcher
Maailman Tutkijat
URSA, 2021, 53 pp.
Rights sold: FINLAND: Ursa (orig.), BULGARIA: Enthusiast, LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
Reading materials: Full English sample

 

Weird Weather! 
Ihme Ilmat – miksi ilmasto muuttuu
Into Kustannus, 2019, 48pp
Rights sold: FINLAND: Into Kustannus (orig.), DENMARK: Staarup & Co., ESTONIA: Avita, GERMANY: Cross Cult, HUNGARY: Ciceró Könyvstúdió, ITALY: Mondadori/Edizioni Piemme, LATVIA: Jumava, LITHUANIA: Obuolys, MEXICO: (Latin American Spanish rights): Ordinal Books, NORTH MACEDONIA: Feniks, NORWAY: Aschehoug, POLAND: Amber, SERBIA: Odiseja, SLOVAKIA: Ikar, SPAIN: Astronave, SWEDEN: Rabén & Sjögren, TURKEY: Kolektif, UNITED STATES (North America): Skyhorse Publishing/Sky Pony Press
Reading materials: Full English PDF

 

Anni the Friend Tamer
Anni Kaverinkesyttäjä
Tammi, March 2020, 128 pp.
Rights sold: FINLAND: Tammi (orig.), ALBANIA: Muza (books 1-2), GERMANY: Loewe Verlag (books 1-3)
Reading materials: Finnish edition, English sample and synopsis

About author


Mari Ahokoivu

Mari Ahokoivu is a Finnish illustrator and a comics artist. She’s been drawing professionally for over 10 years, mainly drawing graphic novels and comics for children, including Sanni & Joonas and Lola Olifante. Ahokoivu loves everything cute and scary. She lives and works in Copenhagen. Mari Ahokoivu has illustrated WHERE DID THE ANIMALS GO which was nominated for the 2021 Finlandia Award and has also won the Tieto-Lauri award!


LAND OF SERPENTS by Eeva Louko sold to Estonia!

We are happy to announce that the Estonian rights for LAND OF SERPENTS (Käärmeiden maa), the second title in the Ronja Vaara crime novel series by Eeva Louko, published in Finland in January 2023 by Otava, have been acquired by Hea Lugu! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

In the second book of the series, a woman is found dead on Serpent Isle, just next to Isle of Bliss, poisoned by strychnine. Just a few days later, a similar murder takes place at a wedding on Isle of Bliss, leading the residents of the island to suspect that a serial killer is terrorizing their neighborhood. Police detective Anton Koivu starts to investigate, as does Ronja Vaara, now living on Isle of Bliss and working at a local newspaper.

LAND OF SERPENTS has also received its very first praises, such as the following:
“[—] the resolution of the events remained well-hidden until the very last meters. The reader is shown only small, indefinite puzzle pieces at a time. Sometimes, wrong pieces are flashed and then retracted. [—] The plot was suitably twisty and, in many places, surprising. [—] This was a fine crime novel with a plot that gripped and carried well all the way to the end. The setting was relatable, yet not too detailed. The narration was clear and thrilling. The array of characters was appropriately varied and one could set oneself quite deep in their shoes.
– Aarne Pohjois-Koivisto, Mesta.net

Eeva Louko’s debut novel MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS, published in Finland in January 2022, has been a critical and commercial success, with more than 15,000 copies sold!
The rights for the title have already been sold to 5 territories (Finland, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Poland) and are available in all other territories.

Download the English materials for MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS and LAND OF SERPENTS here!

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko

Death by poison and the possibility of a serial killer shake the community and the personal relationships within

A woman’s body is found on a small island near the Isle of Bliss. A few days later, another woman collapses and dies at a high-society wedding on the isle. Anton Koivu begins to investigate the cases with his partner Oona Laine. Is there a serial killer on the loose, or why do these murders resemble each other so much?

Ronja tries to get accustomed to being back in Finland and starts as a journalist at the local newspaper whilst also searching for her secret sibling. Ronja learns of the recent deaths and gets irrevocably mixed up with the police investigations. Ghosts of the past begin to appear… How is Anton’s long-lost sister Aurora related to the investigation? And what happened to her on a heated summer’s night twenty years ago?

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

Father found dead by the shore. A community where everyone knows everyone. Secrets of the past. Will the answers be found before it is too late?

After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home on Isle of Bliss, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends whom it’s both comforting and painful to see again, and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly.

Unsatisfied with the police, Ronja decides to start investigating the background of her distant father. In the process she uncovers the old secrets of the community that have been kept under wraps until now, and puts her own life on the line. When everyone knows everyone, each person becomes a suspect.

LAND OF SERPENTS
KÄÄRMEIDEN MAA
Otava, January 2023, 364 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English synopsis
English sample in February 2023

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu

 

MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS
ONNELLISTEN SAARI
Otava, January 2022, 396 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne
ITALY: Newton Compton
POLAND: Czwarta Strona

About author


Eeva Louko

Eeva Louko (b. 1982) is a reporter and communications professional who loves literature, music and all things creative. Becoming an author has been Eeva’s dream since she learned how to read, and she is especially drawn to crime fiction and horror. Eeva plays the saxophone and piano and always drinks her coffee from the biggest cup possible in her garden surrounded by vines.

Murder on the Isle of Bliss (Otava, 2022) is Louko’s debut novel which was published to rave reviews. Eeva’s dream is to find readers globally and create a long-lasting crime fiction series.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko


2022, Crime & Suspense

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

INHERITED LAND by Maria Turtschaninoff sold to Hungary! Now 19 territories!

We are thrilled to announce that the Hungarian rights for INHERITED LAND (Arvejord) by internationally bestselling and award-winning author Maria Turtschaninoff have been acquired by L’Harmattan Publishing House! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

L’Harmattan Publishing House, established in 1999 and part of the French Groupe L’Harmattan, is a publishing house with a mission to encourage reader immersion. Their titles range from the latest gems of world literature to scientific progressivity. Not only is L’Harmattan the leading science publisher in Hungary, but it also features two series of literary fiction titles from authors all over the world. Their authors include Dag Solstad, Olga Tokarczuk, Jean Rouad, Muriel Spark, Kjell Westö, Miguel de Unamuno, W. B. Yeats, etc.

The international success story of INHERITED LAND continues, as the rights for the title have now been sold to 19 territories!

If you want to join the rapidly growing international publishing family for INHERITED LAND, we recommend you read quickly and get in touch with us! Rights are still available in Greece, Spain, Japan, China, Portugal, Latvia, Iceland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Turkey…

Download the materials for INHERITED LAND here!

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff

The roots of man and forest are intertwined in the depths of the earth.

Inherited Land tells multiple enchanting stories about short human lives on a small farmstead in the north of Finland with its golden cloudberries and the mythical woodland animals. The hub of the narrative is a marsh close to the farmstead, and nature is the constant while humans are like dragonflies: here one day, gone the next. Across four centuries, the people face wars, epidemics, and heartbreaks, but from the woods they find shelter and a place to be themselves.

Inherited Land is a novel about the climate crisis without ever mentioning it by name. Instead, the novel explores what people have thought about their environment, how they have used it and why. The novel is a reminder of where we have come from, and what a relationship between humans and nature could look like in the future.

INHERITED LAND
ARVEJORD
Förlaget, 2022, 371 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Swedish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
CROATIA: HENA COM
CZECH REPUBLIC: ARGO
DENMARK: Alpha Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen
GERMANY: Rowohlt
HUNGARY: L’Harmattan
ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim
ITALY: Bompiani
NETHERLANDS: Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag
POLAND: Poznańskie
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
SWEDEN: Förlaget
WORLD ALBANIAN: Shkupi Publishing House
WORLD ENGLISH: Pushkin Press

About author


Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

INHERITED LAND, Maria Turtschaninoff's first adult fiction novel, has been awarded the prestigious Swedish YLE Literature Prize 2022! This award is annually given to the best Finnish-Swedish book of the year during Helsinki Book Fair and is regarded as one of the most important award for Finnish-Swedish authors.

Bibliography


2022, Literary Fiction

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi: Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff


2016, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff

MOONDAY LETTERS by Emmi Itäranta nominated for the BSFA Awards!

We are thrilled to share the news that THE MOONDAY LETTERS by Emmi Itäranta has been nominated for the British Science Fiction Association Awards!

The BSFA awards have been presented yearly since 1970, and the winner will be presented in April 2023.

THE MOONDAY LETTERS is the newest novel by Emmi Itäranta, a love story with elements of clifi and suspense woven into the sotry. The English edition was published by Titan in summer 2022, and has been widely praised:

“Itäranta accomplishes an impressive amount of worldbuilding in Lumi’s letters and makes her longing for her soulmate palpable. The result is a quietly powerful meditation on the human need to share life and love with others.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
“[A] melancholy, lovely, and alarming tale about humanity in crisis”
-Foreword reviews

Rights to the title have been sold in Czechia, Hungary, and World English – all other rights are still available!

Download the materials for THE MOONDAY LETTERS here!
Reminder: The FILI translation grant application round is ongoing! FILI provides grants that can cover up to 70% of the costs of translating Finnish and Finland-Swedish titles to other languages. The deadline for the current application round is February 1st. You can find more information here: Translation and printing grants for publishers outside Finland – FILI

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
Emmi Itäranta
A  love story that bends space, time, myth and science

Lumi is an Earth-born healer whose Mars-born spouse Sol disappears unexpectedly on a work trip. As Lumi begins her quest to find Sol, she delves gradually deeper into Sol’s secrets – and her own.

While recalling her own path to becoming a healer, Lumi discovers an underground environmental group called Stoneturners, which may have something to do with Sol’s disappearance. Lumi’s search takes her from the wealthy colonies of Mars to Earth that has been left a shadow of its former self due to vast environmental destruction. Gradually, she begins to understand that Sol’s fate may have been connected to her own for much longer than she thought.

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
Teos, 2020, 300pp

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
CZECHIA: Albatros Media
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group
WORLD ENGLISH (print, e-book): Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio): Recorded Books

Reading material: English edition

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015. Her latest novel The Moonday Letters was published in September 2020.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award). 

Itäranta’s cv is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Bibliography


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by Tuutikki Tolonen and Kati Vuorento sold to Estonia!

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW by internationally bestselling children’s author Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrator Kati Vuorento have been acquired by Eesti Raamat! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW is the 3rd part in the AGNES series. In this book, Agnes and her mother have offered rooms in their manor house to be used for children’s summer classes. However, new mysteries continue to pop up in the manor and Agnes decides to investigate, uncovering even more previously unknown stories about the past of her family.

Written by award-winning and internationally bestselling children’s author Tuutikki Tolonen and beautifully illustrated by Kati Vuorento, the AGNES series has so far been sold to 8 territories!

Rights are still available in Sweden, Norway, Poland, UK, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, France, Turkey, Lithuania, Slovakia, etc.

Download the materials for the AGNES series here!

Reminder: The FILI translation grant application round is ongoing! FILI provides grants that can cover up to 70% of the costs of translating Finnish and Finland-Swedish titles to other languages. The deadline for the current application round is February 1st. You can find more information here: Translation and printing grants for publishers outside Finland – FILI

Agnes and the Shadow in the Window (#3)

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Third title in the Arvid Lydecken and Runeberg Junior nominated series!

Agnes and her mother have moved into their mysterious manor where summer camps are held. Suddenly, drawings that no one claims to have drawn appear during an arts summer camp. A strange shadow is captured by Agnes’s camera, as if someone is standing next to the window in the empty room. Does the manor have more secrets to share?

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams (#1)

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Moving to a new city is frightening enough for 11-year-old Agnes. But when she makes an exciting discovery at the local cemetery, the summer isn’t the same anymore!

Everything began on that one summer day when Agnes walked through the cemetery gate. She had just moved to a boring new town and left behind her old home and friends. But then something strange happened and her life became more exciting than ever!

She finds a tombstone that has the name Agnes on it – and the same birthday as hers! From that day on, Agnes keeps having dreams of a girl who hides a key in a beautiful garden. When Agnes stumbles upon the same garden, she knows she must find the key. But what will it open?

Agnes and the Mysterious Manor (#2)

Tuutikki Tolonen, illustrated by Kati Vuorento

Agnes’ adventures continue in this sequel that is both a ghost story and a family mystery

Agnes and her mother have inherited a beautiful old villa, but there seems to be something strange about it. There is a lovely scent of flowers in the air, even though there aren’t any flowers in the houses. Every morning, the lid of an old piano is found open even though no one has been playing it. More importantly, why can they hear steps on the staircase to the attic?

AGNES AND THE SHADOW IN THE WINDOW (#3)
AGNES JA VARJO IKKUNASSA
WSOY, 2022, 168 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat

 

AGNES AND THE GARDEN OF DREAMS (#1)
AGNES JA UNIEN AVAIN
WSOY, 2020, 200 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s.r.o.
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Carlsen Verlag
HUNGARY: Cerkabella
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45
RUSSIA: Rosman

 

AGNES AND THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR (#2)
AGNES JA HUVILAN SALAISUUS
WSOY, 2021, 180 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Portál, s.r.o.
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45

About author


Kati Vuorento

Kati Vuorento is an illustrator living and working in Espoo, Finland: ”In small details there is an infinite magic. I want my illustrations to stir emotion in the audience. Empathizing is important to me. In my illustrations, I always include approachable characteristics to even the most hardened anti-hero. This is how I mold the characters into personalities with depth and dimension.”

She is the illustrator of middle-grade Agnes Series by Tuutikki Tolonen that in 2021 was nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award!


About author


Tuutikki Tolonen

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, a Finnish literary magazine for children. Her inspiration for the Monster Nanny trilogy sparked during a family breakfast. “My son Leo, then six, said: ‘I heard on the radio yesterday that all moms have to go on vacation and monsters will take their places,” she says.

Tolonen is currently writing the Agnes series, of which the first book "Agnes and the Garden of Dreams" was in 2021 nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award.

World English rights to “WINTER WARRIORS: How Finland Survived Stalin” sold to Yale University Press

Breaking news for the new year 2023!

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS has acquired World English rights to Professor Kimmo Rentola’s award-winning non-fiction book “WINTER WARRIORS: How Finland Survived Stalin” (working title)  (“Stalin ja Suomen kohtalo, Otava, 2016). WINTER WARRIORS will be published in Spring 2024 simultaneously in the UK YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS UK  and in the US  YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS US. The deal was closed by Elina Ahlback at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Editorial Director Julian Loose adds:

‘I am thrilled to be publishing Kimmo Rentola’s important work on Finland and Stalin. As the leading scholar on Soviet-Finnish relations, his intimate understanding of the intelligence history during this crucial period makes for a uniquely fascinating and revelatory read. And of course this story has huge resonance at the present time, with Finland joining NATO and the parallels between the Winter War and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yale University Press will be proud to publish Kimmo’s book in English in the spring of 2024.’ 
– Julian Loose, Editorial Director Trade & Academic, Yale University Press London

Download the materials for WINTER WARRIORS: How Finland Survived Stalin HERE!

WINTER WARRIORS: How Finland Survived Stalin (working title)
orig. publication: Stalin ja Suomen kohtalo
orig. publisher Otava, October 2016, 240 pp.

Rights sold:
Finland: Otava (orig.)
World English: Yale University Press
Estonia: Äripäev

Reading material:
Finnish edition
English manuscript

About author


Kimmo Rentola

Kimmo Rentola (b. 1953), PhD, is a historian and professor emeritus of political history, at the University of Turku from 2006 to 2014 and at the University of Helsinki since 2014. In his research, Rentola has specialized in the history of the Cold War, the relationships between Finland and the Soviet Union, and both Finnish and Nordic communism. His other research areas are the youth movements of the 1960s and the history of intelligence agencies.

His latest title, WINTER WARRIORS: How Finland Survived Stalin, won the Lauri Jäntti Award for non-fiction literature in 2017, while his previous book Vallankumouksen aave (‘The Ghost of the Revolution’) won the Scholarly Book of the Year Award in Finland in 2007.

Bibliography

Italian rights to THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO sold to Salani!

We are happy to announce that Salani in Italy has now acquired th rights to THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO, written by Aaltos’ grandson Heikki Aalto-Alanen. We are truly happy for an Italian deal, as Italy was an important country for both Aaltos, who spent a great deal of time there – Italy was also the destination for their honeymoon! The deal was closed by Elina Ahlbäck and Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This beautiful title, based on unpublished correspondence of Aino and Alvar Aalto, has now been sold to 7 territories, having previously acquired by Európa Könyvkiadó in Hungary, Phaidon for World English market and for French marketSoshisha in Japan and Postimees in Estonia! 

The title was published in Estonia in April 2022 to great reception, the Japanese edition will be pubished by Soshisha in Summer 2023, and the Phaidon English and French editions are planned for publication in Fall 2023!

“When we think about great minds, we tend to see more of the result of their work than the people behind it. Aino and Alvar Aalto’s work in the field of design and architecture has had a great impact worldwide, representing beauty, harmony, and comfort. There are books and studies which can tell us many things about it, but I believe that none of them can ever be as personal and intimate as their own love story – written by their grandson. One can only imagine how much their creativity was nourished by their personal relationship. It will be extremely exciting to read their story and to get to know both of them almost as close as they knew each other. The fact that their creations have proven to be timeless since the day they were born is proof in itself of extraordinary, unbreakable love.”
– Piret Veigel, Senior Editor at Postimees Publishing House, Estonia

The rights are still available in e.g. Germany, Sweden, World Spanish, Poland, etc.

Request the materials here!

 

THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO 

By Heikki Aalto-Alanen

The love story of the world-famous, pioneering design couple Aino and Alvar Aalto, written by the Aaltos’ grandson

Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino are internationally celebrated for their architecture, furniture, glassware, and other interior design, but their personal lives have been relatively unknown – until now. This book, written by the Aaltos’ grandson, stands apart from countless other works on the Aalto’s lives and careers. It contains photos, sketches, and personal letters between Aino and Alvar, beautifully illustrating how inseparable this couple was both in work and love, and bringing a deeply human element to their story.

“Countless books have been written about Alvar Aalto’s architecture and other works. Recently, Aino Marsio-Aalto has also received the recognition she deserves in her own right as well as in her role as the partner of Alvar Aalto in his rise as one of the leading architects of the 20th century,” says Heikki Aalto-Alanen. “The voice in this book is personal. I want to tell the story of Aino’s and Alvar’s unique partnership, relationship, and their joint life work from the perspective of a family member. I also want their own voices to be heard.”

In addition to the photographs from the family archive, the book is illustrated with Aino’s and Alvar’s drawings of each other and of their children, along with architectural drawings and photographs.

Rakastan sinussa ihmistä
Otava, August 2021, pp. 460

Reading Material:
Full English MS

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Postimees
HUNGARY: Európa Könyvkiadó
FRANCE: Phaidon Press
ITALY: Salani
JAPAN: Soshisha
WORLD ENGLISH: Phaidon Press

About author


Heikki Aalto-Alanen

Heikki Aalto-Alanen is the grandson of architects Aino and Alvar Aalto, who has previously served as vice chairman of the Alvar Aalto Foundation, been a member of Artek’s Board of Directors, member of the Alvar Aalto Academy Board, and held other positions maintaining Aino and Alvar Aalto’s artistic work and heritage. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Alvar and Aino Aalto Estate Ltd. Heikki Aalto-Alanen is a lawyer by profession and has worked in the nordic financial market.

His book tells the story of Aino and Alvar Aalto, depicted through their previously unpublished correspondence from 1921-1949, photographs and drawings.

Bibliography


2021, General Nonfiction, Memories & Biographies

The Story of Aino and Alvar Aalto

Heikki Aalto-Alanen

Turkish and Danish deals for SANG!

We are thrilled to let you know that the first TWO deals for SANG by Elina Pitkäkangas have been closed!

The YA fantasy title was sold this week to Indigo Kitap in Turkey and in a two-book pre-empt deal to Straarup & Co in Denmark! The deals were closed by Elsa Lindström and Anna Kappauf respectively, both at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This news follows the recent nomination of SANG for the Topelius Award, the jury of which praised the book:

“The dystopian novel upholds a beautiful and dark atmosphere in the state of Fusang. Sang is an epic story about a youngster trying to fight against the impossible circumstances of a totalitarian state. Kong Dawei joins the rebels, and breathtaking events follow one another. Pitkäkangas’ skill to conjure with believable details a whole world is enchanting. Our choices create a chain which not only joins us together, but also in the end defines who and what we are. Sang is a story about love, but above all it is a story about morale: all the things we are ready to do for one another.”

Download the materials for SANG here!

 

Elina Pitkäkangas introduces SANG

SANG

Elina Pitkäkangas

When a person’s value is determined by money and one’s happiness by family, what will be left when both are ripped away?

The state of Fusang is recovering from a war that ravaged the world. 16-year-old Kong Dawei, an earnest young man, is living in a poor mountain village and tries to pay his adopted siblings’ citizen dues by transporting contraband goods at night.

After a series of unfortunate events, Dawei ends up in the southern capital which is ruled by the cruel matriarch of the White Tiger Clan. When there is nothing else to lose, Dawei has only one goal: to get back to his loved ones – whatever it takes.

Sang is an addictive fantasy novel that travels through cold mountains and humid cities, noisy bazaars and opulent halls, and the world after the Black Rain, in which one’s value is measured in money.

The sequel Naraka is coming out in Finland autumn 2023, continuing Dawei’s story!

Sang
WSOY, September 2022, 496pp
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig. 2-book deal)
DENMARK: Straarup (2-book-deal)
TURKEY: Indigo Kitap

About author


Elina Pitkäkangas

Elina Pitkäkangas is an author from Nokia, Finland, and an active advocate of YA literature. She has studied creative writing and did her master's degree in the University of Helsinki majoring in literature. Her works seamlessly combine elements of fantasy, social criticism and moral questions. Pitkäkangas has written five novels and produces book-related videos to TikTok and Instagram on her channel @elinapitkakangas.

Bibliography


2023, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naraka

Elina Pitkäkangas


2022, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Sang

Elina Pitkäkangas

Topelius Award nomination for SANG and Arvid Lydecken Award nomination for BENJAMIN BATEMAN!

We are so happy to announce that two of our Children’s & YA titles have been nominated for prestigious prizes in Finland!

SANG, the epic YA story by Elina Pitkäkangas, has been nominated for the Topelius Award 2023! The award is given yearly to a YA title of high quality, and the jury praised the book as follows:

“The dystopian novel upholds a beautiful and dark atmosphere in the state of Fusang. Sang is an epic story about a youngster trying to fight against the impossible circumstances of a totalitarian state. Kong Dawei joins the rebels, and breathtaking events follow one another. Pitkäkangas’ skill to conjure with believable details a whole world is enchanting. Our choices create a chain which not only joins us together, but also in the end defines who and what we are. Sang is a story about love, but above all it is a story about morale: all the things we are ready to do for one another.”
Download the materials for SANG here!

 

And BENJAMIN BATEMAN – SUPER EMBARRASSED SUPERHERO, the middle-grade title written by Hannele Lampela and illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen, has been nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award 2023! Given yearly to an meritorious children’s book, the jury said:

“Every kid wants to be a superhero. Benjamin Bateman finds out that he is a superhero from Martinlaakso, but the superpowers are missing every now and then. Is it possible there’s been a mistake after all? A very everyday story gets wings when Benjamin understands that he truly is of a superhero family. The narration is breathtaking, but not tiring. The plot really hooks one in, and it is hard to set the book down. The different time periods create ellipsis in the story, and the vivacity of it is awe-inspiring. As a superhero, Benjamin is humane and human-sized, which makes the story very relatable.”

Download the materials for BENJAMIN BATEMAN here!

Massive congrats to Elina, Hannele, and Pasi! The winners will be announced in January.

SANG

Elina Pitkäkangas

When a person’s value is determined by money and one’s happiness by family, what will be left when both are ripped away?

The state of Fusang is recovering from a war that ravaged the world. 16-year-old Kong Dawei, an earnest young man, is living in a poor mountain village and tries to pay his adopted siblings’ citizen dues by transporting contraband goods at night.

After a series of unfortunate events, Dawei ends up in the southern capital which is ruled by the cruel matriarch of the White Tiger Clan. When there is nothing else to lose, Dawei has only one goal: to get back to his loved ones – whatever it takes.

Sang is an addictive fantasy novel that travels through cold mountains and humid cities, noisy bazaars and opulent halls, and the world after the Black Rain, in which one’s value is measured in money.

 

BENJAMIN BATEMAN – SUPER EMBARRASSED SUPERHERO

Hannele Lampela, ill. Pasi Pasi Pitkänen

What if your superhero costume looked like a butterfly? And your only superpowers would be having a good heart and an imagination? Welcome to the embarrassing life of Benjamin Bateman!

The wholly hilarious and thrilling adventures of a super embarrassing superhero for middle-graders!

Benjamin Bateman is stunned when he finds out that he is part of a family of superheroes. Who would’ve believed that about poor Benjamin?

Benjamin’s superhero costume is quite embarrassing though – a butterfly. And his superpower is even more mortifying – a good heart and imagination! But when Benjamin must battle the terrifying Mortem, a deep imagination will come in handy.

The story is enriched by the colorful illustrations of Pasi Pitkänen. A movie is being planned based on the title.

 

Sang
WSOY 2022, 496pp.
Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY

 

Paavali Pattinen: Supernolo supersankari
Otava 2022, 120 pp.
Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava, DENMARK: Bogoo

About author


Elina Pitkäkangas

Elina Pitkäkangas is an author from Nokia, Finland, and an active advocate of YA literature. She has studied creative writing and did her master's degree in the University of Helsinki majoring in literature. Her works seamlessly combine elements of fantasy, social criticism and moral questions. Pitkäkangas has written five novels and produces book-related videos to TikTok and Instagram on her channel @elinapitkakangas.

About author


Hannele Lampela

Hannele Lampela's lovable works have been praised above all for their rich humor and ability to truly show the world from a child's perspective. She has the ability to enchant her readers, and that is why both children and adults love her stories. Lampela's works have been dramatized for example by the Finnish National Theater, Kuopio City Theater and YLE's radio plays. She has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her work and she has been nominated for Runeberg Junior award in 2019 and for Storytel Award, and Arvid Lydecken Award in 2020.

In addition to her fictional works, Lampela has written and created  a world of stories for the next national ABC book of Finnish schools. First graders across the country will learn to read through Hannele’s texts. Lampela lives in a small wooden house in the middle of apple trees with her family, and spends her days not only writing, but also pampering herself and others on a regular basis.

About author


Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

LITTLE MOUSE’S FABLES by Riikka Jäntti sold to Estonia!

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for LITTLE MOUSE’S FABLES by internationally bestselling children’s author Riikka Jäntti have been acquired by Rahva Raamat! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

LITTLE MOUSE’S FABLES is the latest, 9th title in the internationally successful LITTLE MOUSE series and a delightful reimagination and reinterpretation of a selection of classic fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. Set in the ‘Little Mouse world’ and accompanied by Riikka Jäntti’s gorgeous illustrations, LITTLE MOUSE’S FABLES is guaranteed to be a wonderful storytime reading for children and adults alike!

LITTLE MOUSE’S FABLES has so far been sold to 3 territories, while the LITTLE MOUSE series has been sold to 20 territories!

Download the materials for LITTLE MOUSE’S FABLES here!

 

Little Mouse’s Fables

Riikka Jäntti

Little Mouse and Mommy Mouse dive together into the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and discuss them. A charming and cheerful book for small readers and all Little Mouse’s friends!

Little Mouse loves storytime. Together with Mommy Mouse, they read the Grimm classics: Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Three Wishes, Sweet Porridge, Jack and the Beanstalk, and more! Riikka Jäntti’s lovely illustrations depict the mouseified adventures in these classic tales.

Pikku hiiren satulipas
Tammi, October 2022, 80 pp.
Rights sold: FINLAND: Tammi (orig.), ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat, FRANCE: Cambourakis
Reading materials: Finnish edition, English sample

About author


Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

Bibliography


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Welcomes Spring

Riikka Jäntti


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes to the Museum

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Fables

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse and the Birthday Present

Riikka Jäntti


2021, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes Camping

Riikka Jäntti


2020, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Summer

Riikka Jäntti


2019, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Winter

Riikka Jäntti


2018, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Holiday

Riikka Jäntti


2017, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Christmas

Riikka Jäntti


2016, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Helps Out

Riikka Jäntti


2015, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse

Riikka Jäntti

INHERITED LAND by Maria Turtschaninoff sold to Estonia! Now 18 territories!

We are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for INHERITED LAND (Arvejord) by internationally bestselling and award-winning author Maria Turtschaninoff have been acquired by Rahva Raamat! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Rahva Raamat is the biggest bookstore chain in Estonia and their bookstore in Viru Keskus shopping centre in Tallinn was chosen by the 2022 London Book Fair International Excellence Awards as the best bookstore in the world. The mission of Rahva Raamat publishing house is to provide readers with a diverse range of books that would enrichen their worldview and heighten their joy of reading. They have published works from authors such as Delia Owens, Aldous Huxley, Bernardine Evaristo, Richard Osman, Chris Whitaker, Jojo Moyes, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, etc.

INHERITED LAND continues to conquer the world – the rights for the title have now been sold to 18 territories!

If you want to join the rapidly growing international publishing family for INHERITED LAND, we recommend you read quickly and get in touch with us! Rights are still available in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Japan, China, Iceland, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, Turkey…

Download materials for INHERITED LAND here!

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff

The roots of man and forest are intertwined in the depths of the earth.

Inherited Land tells multiple enchanting stories about short human lives on a small farmstead in the north of Finland with its golden cloudberries and the mythical woodland animals. The hub of the narrative is a marsh close to the farmstead, and nature is the constant while humans are like dragonflies: here one day, gone the next. Across four centuries, the people face wars, epidemics, and heartbreaks, but from the woods they find shelter and a place to be themselves.

Inherited Land is a novel about the climate crisis without ever mentioning it by name. Instead, the novel explores what people have thought about their environment, how they have used it and why. The novel is a reminder of where we have come from, and what a relationship between humans and nature could look like in the future.

INHERITED LAND
ARVEJORD
Förlaget, 2022, 371 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Swedish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
CROATIA: HENA COM
CZECH REPUBLIC: ARGO
DENMARK: Alpha Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen
GERMANY: Rowohlt
ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim
ITALY: Bompiani
NETHERLANDS: Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag
POLAND: Poznańskie
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
SWEDEN: Förlaget
WORLD ALBANIAN: Shkupi Publishing House
WORLD ENGLISH: Pushkin Press

About author


Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

INHERITED LAND, Maria Turtschaninoff's first adult fiction novel, has been awarded the prestigious Swedish YLE Literature Prize 2022! This award is annually given to the best Finnish-Swedish book of the year during Helsinki Book Fair and is regarded as one of the most important award for Finnish-Swedish authors.

Bibliography


2022, Literary Fiction

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi: Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff


2016, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff

THE NIGHT OF ANCIENT LIGHTS by Hanna Meretoja sold in a pre-empt to Germany!

We are thrilled to announce that the German rights for Hanna Meretoja‘s impressive debut novel THE NIGHT OF ANCIENT LIGHTS have been acquired in a pre-empt by German publisher mareverlag! The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency.

mareverlag is one of the most important independent literary publishers in the German-speaking world and its publications focus on the sea – as a habitat, as an economic and cultural space, making it the perfect publisher for the setting of Hanna Meretoja’s novel. But it wasn’t just the setting that convinced the publisher of the book:

We were fascinated by how clever and nuanced the author handled the topic of dealing with a potentially deadly disease. It is rare to find books that talk both so openly and with lots of sensitivity about this topic, but also about the other topics that are subjects of this novel (like birth trauma and involuntary childlessness). The beautiful setting, the skillful set-up of the characters’ relations and psychology, and the aptly chosen literary references make this novel a very enjoyable read, even though it talks about not so easy topics”.
 Judith Weber, Editorial Director at mareverlag

THE NIGHT OF ANCIENT LIGHTS is a very atmospheric, intimate novel that fits well in any upmarket and literary list and would also work great for bookclubs. If you would like to add this outstanding title to your list, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Download the materials for THE NIGHT OF ANCIENT LIGHTS here!

The Night of Ancient Lights

Hanna Meretoja

Close friends come together on the night of Ancient Lights to watch the chain of bonfires blaze across the archipelago and talk through their pasts and futures as the proximity of death ignites an intense passion for life.

Elea has just heard that she is seriously ill and wants to share with friends the sense of urgency that shakes her to her core. The push-and-pull of hope and despair permeates the narration that flows in the rhythm of the sea, in dialogue with Virginia Woolf’s Waves and Tove Jansson’s Summer Book. It captures the soul of the Finnish archipelago – the world’s largest island labyrinth.

Intellectual force is braided with subtle drama as personal emergency is woven into the fabric of global crises: the pandemic and climate change. Time is disrupted, but illuminated moments gleam in the dark. This intellectually fierce and passionate one-evening novel threads philosophical reflections into deeply intimate perceptions in a way that readers of Rachel Cusk and Maggie Nelson will recognize.

The novel has received glowing reviews – it has been praised for its lyrical language, wisdom and boldness, complex philosophical reflection on illness, precise narration, and passion for life, love and nature.

THE NIGHT OF ANCIENT LIGHTS
ELOTULET
WSOY, 2022, 462 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
GERMANY: mareverlag

About author


Hanna Meretoja

Hanna Meretoja is an internationally renowned literary scholar, a professor of comparative literature, and narrative theorist whose work has been published by prestigious academic publishers. Her monographs include The Ethics of Storytelling: Narrative Hermeneutics, History, and the Possible (2018, Oxford University Press). Her work is mainly in the fields of narrative studies, cultural memory studies, and trauma studies. As a novelist, Meretoja has a unique lyrical voice that seamlessly threads cultural theory and philosophy into a poetic, ruptured narrative with an acute sense of lived experience.

Bibliography


2022, Literary Fiction

The Night of Ancient Lights

Hanna Meretoja

Helsingin Sanomat recommends INHERITED LAND as one of the best books of the year 2022!

Helsingin Sanomat recommends INHERITED LAND as one of the best books of the year 2022!

Finland’s biggest daily Helsingin Sanomat and editor Arla Kanerva recommends INHERITED LAND: 

“A great novel follows the construction of a relationship with nature” and she adds: “Swamp, hoe and – the spirit of the forest. Maria Turtschaninoff’s first adult novel INHERITED LAND is definitely at the top of my “best book of the year” -list. The story, set in Ostrobothnia, follows one house and estate that is being built and then slowly collapses from the 17th century all the way to the 21st century. With its people, but also other living beings.”
The Helsingin Sanomat article and review highlight also the huge international success for INHERITED LAND – now sold in 17 languages and counting. Would you like to join this international success story? Please let us know your interest as soon as possible!

The article explains well this exceptional title: “The original name of the novel, Arvejord, INHERITED LAND, seemingly focuses the attention on the way the estate in the middle of the forest is passed on generation after generation, but inheritance has many meanings. The connections are not only between humans, but also with animals, plants, forest and its spirits – the land itself.
As a result of the climate crisis, the connection between humans and other living creatures is a constant topic of attention. Turtschaninoff builds a multilayered and kind image around the thought, one where everything is connected, death is part of life. And every now and then, someone makes a contract at the edge of the marsh.”

Download the materials for INHERITED LAND here!

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff

The roots of man and forest are intertwined in the depths of the earth.

Inherited Land tells multiple enchanting stories about short human lives on a small farmstead in the north of Finland with its golden cloudberries and the mythical woodland animals. The hub of the narrative is a marsh close to the farmstead, and nature is the constant while humans are like dragonflies: here one day, gone the next. Across four centuries, the people face wars, epidemics, and heartbreaks, but from the woods they find shelter and a place to be themselves

Inherited Land is a novel about the climate crisis without ever mentioning it by name. Instead, the novel explores what people have thought about their environment, how they have used it and why. The novel is a reminder of where we have come from, and what a relationship between humans and nature could look like in the future.

 

Arvejord
Förlaget, August 2022, 371 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish), FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish), AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran, CROATIA: HENA COM, CZECH REPUBLIC: ARGO, DENMARK: Alpha Forlag, FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen, GERMANY: Rowohlt, ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim, ITALY: Bompiani, NETHERLANDS: Atlas Contact,  NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag, POLAND: Poznańskie, ROMANIA: Editura Univers, SWEDEN: Förlaget, WORLD ALBANIAN: Shkupi Publishing House, WORLD ENGLISH: Pushkin Press
Reading materials: Swedish edition, English sample and synopsis

About author


Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

INHERITED LAND, Maria Turtschaninoff's first adult fiction novel, has been awarded the prestigious Swedish YLE Literature Prize 2022! This award is annually given to the best Finnish-Swedish book of the year during Helsinki Book Fair and is regarded as one of the most important award for Finnish-Swedish authors.

Bibliography


2022, Literary Fiction

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi: Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff


2016, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff