TANGLED ROOTS by Maria Turtschaninoff published in English!

We are excited to let you know that the English edition of Maria Turtschaninoff‘s award-winning novel Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land)translated by Annie Prime, has been published by Pushkin Press!

Maria Turtschaninoff’s epic intergenerational novel tells multiple enchanting stories about short human lives on a small farmstead in the north of Finland with its golden cloudberries and mythical forest creatures. 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 in the woods they find shelter and a place to be themselves.

Tangled Roots has received numerous accolades. It has won four literary prizes in Finland (the Svenska Yle Literature Prize of 2022, the Thank You for the Book Award of 2022, the Young Aleksis Award of 2023, and the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize of 2024), the Czech edition is currently nominated for the Magnesia Litera Award of 2025, and the Dutch edition was nominated for the Europese Literatuurprijs of 2024!

International praise for Tangled Roots:

Maria Turtschaninoff, an outstanding storyteller, creates a wonderful lyrical novel following several generations from the Middle Ages to the present day. [—] You just have to taste this touching fresh breath of air.
– Thierry Boillot, L’Alsace, France

You have to read this book. It’s early in the year, but Tangled Roots could be the best book I am reviewing this year. [—] I am not giving 6 [stars out of 6] often, a 6 should have something timeless in it, it should be worth reading for generations after us. It’s hard to find a book more timeless than Tangled Roots.”
– Steinar Brandsled, Stavanger Aftenblad newspaper, Norway (6/6 stars)

Maria Turtschaninoff demonstrates the skill of both a fantasy author and an expert in the field of human ecology. For her, the interconnectedness between the human and natural worlds is not an obligatory ride, a romantic lightening of difficult stories or satisfaction with the current trend, but a natural way to present human destinies in their complexity.”
– Lubomir Jaško, medziknihami.sk, Slovakia

The novel Tangled Roots is a successful attempt to bring people and land back into contact with each other. Without lapsing into nature nostalgia, the story creates a movingly honest and earthy image that will stay with you for a long time.
– Leendert Torn, Nederlands Dagblad newspaper, Netherlands

Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories!
Rights are available in, e.g., Japan, Slovakia, Latvia, Greece, Korea, Lithuania, Spain…

Download materials for TANGLED ROOTS here!

Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land)

Maria Turtschaninoff

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

An old soldier carves a croft out of the Finnish forest and calls it home, but try as he might to tame the land, its wild magic endures. For centuries his descendants will work the farm, through days of plenty and famine, love and war, their fates entangled with the rhythms of the ancient wilderness, where mysterious shapes flit between the trees and danger lurks in the treacherous fen…

Like dragonflies darting over the marsh, their lives glimmer briefly and then are gone: a young girl entranced by the forest folk, a faithless fiancé who meets his match beneath the age-old branches, a farmhand with a strange obsession…

What endures is the wild, and the certainty that wherever we put down roots, the land will grow roots in us too.

TANGLED ROOTS
ARVEJORD
Förlaget, 2022, 371 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
Swedish manuscript
Finnish translation

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish), Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: Izida
CHINA: Rentian Ulus
CROATIA: Hena Com
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Alpha Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen
GERMANY: Rowohlt
HUNGARY: L’Harmattan
ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim Publishing House
ITALY: Bompiani
NETHERLANDS: Uitgeverij Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag
POLAND: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
TURKEY: Timas
UKRAINE: Old Lion 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, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Bibliography


2024, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Manticore

Maria Turtschaninoff


2022, Literary Fiction

Tangled Roots

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

AUFBAU pre-empts German rights and LINDHARDT OG RINGHOF Danish rights in 3-book-deals to VILLA HILDA series!

Exciting news!

We’ve sold the Danish and German rights for Michaela von Kügelgen’s Summer at Villa Hilda, the upcoming feel-good novel, and its two sequels, in pre-emptive three-book deals. . The Danish rights were acquired by Lindhardt og Ringhof, while in Germany the three books will be published by Aufbau Verlage .The deals were closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

These deals follow last weeks auction for the Estonian rights, which were acquired by Hea Lugu.

“I could literally feel the sun, smell the delicious food, and now I’m longing to try the perfect cinnamon buns that Louise bakes for her guests. The writing is so warm and beautiful that it feels as if you’ve been there yourself – a book like a perfect summer vacation.”
– Heide Kloth, Publisher, Aufbau Verlage, Germany

Pitched as Mamma Mia and Badehotellet vibes at the Swedish archipelagoSummer at Villa Hilda follows Louise, a former celebrity chef and Thomas, a journalist, as they both move to the island of Halsterö in the Stockholm archipelago and start working in the Villa Hilda guesthouse. Both have had their fair share of misfortunes on the mainland, so a summer on an idyllic island feels like a chance to start over. Although the villa isn’t going to treat them as easily as they’d expect, the island and its inhabitants eventually help them to find their way back to life.

“Summer at Villa Hilda is exactly the type of feel-good novel, we’ve been looking for. A great summer read with a cozy atmosphere and with a great gallery of characters, who come together at the island Halsterö for the summer. An uplifting story about second chances and finding the courage to make big changes in your life. An absolutely enjoyable read! But be careful: You might end up wanting to leave everything behind, open a guesthouse on a Swedish archipelago island, learn to bake ‘kanelbullar’, and quite possibly, fall in love.”

– Astrid Ellehammer Kristensen, editor, Lindhardt og Ringhof, Denmark

Summer at Villa Hilda is the first title in Michaela von Kügelgen’s series of feel-good novels set on the fictional Swedish island of Halsterö. Scheduled to be published by Schildts & Söderströms in June, and followed by book #2 in February 2026 and book #3 in September 2026. In addition to this feel-good series, Michaela, together with author Anne Hietanen, is working on a crime novel series that is set to debut in 2026 with book #1, The Last Word.

Download materials for SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA here!

Summer at Villa Hilda

Michaela von Kügelgen

Many people dream of a second chance in life, but how many dare to take it?

Far out in the Stockholm archipelago lies the island of Halsterö. Journalist Thomas and former celebrity chef Louise travel there to work at the Villa Hilda guesthouse. They are both broken after many setbacks and are hoping for a fresh start. But setting up a summer paradise is not as easy as one might think, not even on the idyllic Halsterö island.

One day Louise stumbles across a collection of old love letters. Who wrote them, and what stories does Villa Hilda hide in its dusty attic? And how will Thomas manage to take care of his dementia-stricken mother while setting up an archipelago guesthouse?

Summer at Villa Hilda is about how difficult it is to be human among other people, but also about how, with the help of others, one can find one’s way back to life.

This novel is the first part of the Villa Hilda series and will be published in June 2025. The following titles will concentrate on the people living on the picturesque Halsterö island and will tentatively be published in February 2026 and September 2026.

chaela, together with author Anne Hietanen, is working on a crime novel series that is set to debut in 2026 with book #1, The Last Word.

SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA
SOMMAR PÅ VILLA HILDA
Schildts & Söderströms, June 2025

READING MATERIALS
English sample
English synopsis
Swedish manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Schildts & Söderströms (orig. Finland-Swedish, Finnish)
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof Forlag
GERMANY: Aufbau Verlage
SWEDEN: Schildts & Söderströms

About author


Michaela von Kügelgen

Michaela "Kugge" von Kügelgen (1986) has three published titles under her belt. Her debut novel, Vad heter ångest på spanska?, was published in 2017. Her most recent work, Kickstarta ditt skrivande, is a non-fiction guide to writing. Since 2020, Kugge offers highly regarded online writing courses, which have attracted participants from both Sweden and Finland. Kugge has a master’s degree in communication and has been a freelance journalist for over 10 years. Her newsletters on writing and entrepreneurship have over 1,600 subscribers. In the newsletters she shares her journey, offering encouragement to others while candidly discussing her own challenges and triumphs. Together with author Anne Hietanen, Kugge is working on a crime novel series with book #1, The Last Word slated to be published in 2026.

In addition to her writing career, Kugge plays handball, has recently developed a passion for second-hand fashion, and slow travels to Berlin whenever she can — after having lived there for two years.

Bibliography


2026, Crime & Suspense

The Last Word

Michaela von Kügelgen


2025, Commercial/Upmarket, Romance

Summer at Villa Hilda

Michaela von Kügelgen

TANGLED ROOTS by Maria Turtschaninoff nominated for the Magnesia Litera Award in Czechia!

We are excited to let you know that Maria Turtschaninoff has been nominated for this year’s Magnesia Litera Award, the most important prize in the Czech literary scene, in the Best Translation category with her novel Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land), translated by Marie Voslářová and published by Argo via Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Warm congratulations to the author, translator, and publisher – and fingers crossed!

Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories that feature strong female protagonists. In addition to other awards and prizes, she has won the Svenska Yle Literary Prize 2023 and the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize 2024 for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Marie Voslářová has a long line of translations under her belt. Her translations have won both the Muriel Award and the Tomáš Hrách Prize.

Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories!
Rights are available in, e.g., Spain, Greece, Japan, Lithuania, Slovakia…

Download materials for TANGLED ROOTS here!

Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land)

Maria Turtschaninoff

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

An old soldier carves a croft out of the Finnish forest and calls it home, but try as he might to tame the land, its wild magic endures. For centuries his descendants will work the farm, through days of plenty and famine, love and war, their fates entangled with the rhythms of the ancient wilderness, where mysterious shapes flit between the trees and danger lurks in the treacherous fen…

Like dragonflies darting over the marsh, their lives glimmer briefly and then are gone: a young girl entranced by the forest folk, a faithless fiancé who meets his match beneath the age-old branches, a farmhand with a strange obsession…

What endures is the wild, and the certainty that wherever we put down roots, the land will grow roots in us too.

TANGLED ROOTS
Arvejord
Förlaget, 2022, 371 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
Swedish manuscript
Finnish translation

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish), Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: Izida
CHINA: Rentian Ulus
CROATIA: Hena Com
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Alpha Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen
GERMANY: Rowohlt
HUNGARY: L’Harmattan
ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim Publishing House
ITALY: Bompiani
NETHERLANDS: Uitgeverij Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag
POLAND: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
TURKEY: Timas
UKRAINE: Old Lion 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, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Bibliography


2024, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Manticore

Maria Turtschaninoff


2022, Literary Fiction

Tangled Roots

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

SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA by Michaela von Kügelgen sold to Estonia!

We are thrilled to let you know that the Estonian rights for Summer at Villa Hilda, the upcoming feel-good novel by Michaela von Kügelgen, have been acquired by Hea Lugu! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Pitched as Mamma Mia vibes at Swedish archipelago, Summer at Villa Hilda follows Louise, a former celebrity chef and Thomas, a journalist, as they both move to the island of Halsterö in the Stockholm archipelago and start working in the Villa Hilda guesthouse. Both have had their fair share of misfortunes on the mainland, so a summer on an idyllic island feels like a chance to start over. Although the villa isn’t going to treat them as easily as they’d expect, the island and its inhabitants eventually help them to find their way back to life.

Readers need good entertainment that incorporates lively interpersonal relationships, emotions, enjoyable atmosphere. This type of genre has been dubbed feel good literature. Hea Lugu publishing house has a series named “Suvitusromaan[‘Summer Vacation Novel’] just for this type of great commercial literature. We believe that Michaela von Kügelgen’s novel Summer at Villa Hilda is an excellent fit to the series.
– Meeli Müüripeal, editor/publisher, Hea Lugu, Estonia

Summer at Villa Hilda is the first title in Michaela von Kügelgen’s series of feel-good novels set on the fictional Swedish island of Halsterö. Scheduled to be published in June by Schildts & Söderströms, this is the first foreign sale for Summer at Villa Hilda! In addition to this feel-good series, Michaela, together with author Anne Hietanen, is working on a crime novel series that is set to debut in 2026 with book #1, The Last Word.

Download materials for SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA here!

Summer at Villa Hilda

Michaela von Kügelgen

Many people dream of a second chance in life, but how many dare to take it?

Far out in the Stockholm archipelago lies the island of Halsterö. Journalist Thomas and former celebrity chef Louise travel there to work at the Villa Hilda guesthouse. They are both broken after many setbacks and are hoping for a fresh start. But setting up a summer paradise is not as easy as one might think, not even on the idyllic Halsterö island.

One day Louise stumbles across a collection of old love letters. Who wrote them, and what stories does Villa Hilda hide in its dusty attic? And how will Thomas manage to take care of his dementia-stricken mother while setting up an archipelago guesthouse?

Summer at Villa Hilda is about how difficult it is to be human among other people, but also about how, with the help of others, one can find one’s way back to life.

This novel is the first part of the Villa Hilda series and will be published in June 2025. The following titles will concentrate on the people living on the picturesque Halsterö island and will tentatively be published in February 2026 and September 2026.

SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA
SOMMAR PÅ VILLA HILDA
Schildts & Söderströms, 2025

READING MATERIALS
English sample
English synopsis
Swedish manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Schildts & Söderströms (orig. Finland-Swedish, Finnish)
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
SWEDEN: Schildts & Söderströms

About author


Michaela von Kügelgen

Michaela "Kugge" von Kügelgen (1986) has three published titles under her belt. Her debut novel, Vad heter ångest på spanska?, was published in 2017. Her most recent work, Kickstarta ditt skrivande, is a non-fiction guide to writing. Since 2020, Kugge offers highly regarded online writing courses, which have attracted participants from both Sweden and Finland. Kugge has a master’s degree in communication and has been a freelance journalist for over 10 years. Her newsletters on writing and entrepreneurship have over 1,600 subscribers. In the newsletters she shares her journey, offering encouragement to others while candidly discussing her own challenges and triumphs. Together with author Anne Hietanen, Kugge is working on a crime novel series with book #1, The Last Word slated to be published in 2026.

In addition to her writing career, Kugge plays handball, has recently developed a passion for second-hand fashion, and slow travels to Berlin whenever she can — after having lived there for two years.

Bibliography


2026, Crime & Suspense

The Last Word

Michaela von Kügelgen


2025, Commercial/Upmarket, Romance

Summer at Villa Hilda

Michaela von Kügelgen

The Investigations of a Certain Cat by Katja Kettu wins the Lapland Literature Award

We are delighted to announce that Katja Kettu’s novel, The Investigations of a Certain Cat has been awarded the Lapland Literature Award, granted by Lapland’s libraries. The prize is worth 3,000 euros and it is awarded every two years to high-quality literature from the region. The nominated books were published in 2023-2024, with over 150 entries in total.

Katja Kettu expressed her gratitude for the honor:

This novel is deeply personal to me, and I am especially thrilled that it has been recognized in Lapland—a place so close to my heart. I have been spending extended periods there with my family while working on my next novel, and this award reaffirms my feeling that I am exactly where I am meant to be. It is also a great privilege to contribute to Lapland’s rich cultural heritage.

Sculptor Kirsi Kaulanen, who selected the winning book, explained her choice:

I chose a book that moved me. One that I truly enjoyed reading. It guided me deep, opened something within me. It led me through time and even into eternity. There was pain, but also lightness. Perhaps that was due to the furry witness. A spirit guide of sorts. The novel weaves together the stories of a great-great-grandmother who lived through the Finnish Civil War and a successful writer struggling with infertility, all carried by rich language and the resonant tones of the northern dialect.”

Katja has previously won awards such as the Tiiliskivi Prize, the Runeberg Prize, the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, and Thank You for the Book Medal. She has also received several international recognitions. Her previous novel, Rose on poissa (Rose is Gone), was shortlisted for the Finlandia Prize and became a favorite among readers.

The Investigations of a Certain Cat has been sold to 11 territories! Rights are still available for France, Netherlands, Japan, Greece, Spain, US, UK, etc!

Most recently, the book was published in Denmark and Germany, with upcoming releases in Czechia and Estonia next month.

Download materials for The Investigations of a Certain Cat here!

The Investigations of a Certain Cat

Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu’s stunning novel spins through ages whilst surrendering to the wilderness of nature and the deep yearning for offspring. 

Can one find solace and meaning in life from the past once the future no longer exists?

An Author has a miscarriage and loses their ability to speak and write. From the Investigative Bureau of Heavens, a Detective is sent to the scene, but something goes awry. Soon, in the corner of the room, there appears Cat who starts examining a mysterious diary that once belonged to the Author’s Great Grandmother.

When a new life has been lost, the Author turns their gaze to the past and to the age-old words of creation in the old Finnish outskirts. The one who knows them, Great Grandmother, has the power of healers. The Great Grandmother’s diary sheds light on birth and death, love towards children, and the strength of heritage in one’s blood.

Combining autofiction and elements of magical realism, Katja Kettu’s latest novel also sheds light on the history of the Finnish frontiers.

THE INVESTIGATIONS OF A CERTAIN CAT
ERÄÄN KISSAN TUTKIMUKSIA
Otava, 2023, 380 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish manuscript
German edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ESTONIA: Koolibri
GERMANY: Weissbooks
HUNGARY: Gondolat
ITALY: Mondadori
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
POLAND: Swit Ksiazki
ROMANIA: Humanitas Fiction
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag

About author


Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu is an acclaimed and award-winning writer with a strong, unique voice from Northern Finland. Originally from Rovaniemi, Lapland, she graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts in 2001 as an animation director and has also studied in the University of Tampere and in the National Film and Television School in the UK. She has worked as a columnist for numerous Finnish newspapers and magazines.

Her debut novel Surujenkerääjä (2005) was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and won the Tiiliskivi Prize, but her breakthrough came with The Midwife (orig. Kätilö, 2011), which won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Runeberg Prize and the Thank You for the Book Medal. The rights for the novel have been sold to 19 countries, it has sold more than 160,000 copies in Finland, and in 2015 it was adapted into a film.

To date, she has published five novels, written or edited two collections of short stories, authored a graphic novel, edited a fiction/non-fiction book on women’s experiences with sexual harassment and violence, and a biography of Ismo Alanko, a Finnish musician. In addition, she has collaborated with photographer Meeri Koutaniemi and documentarist Maria Seppälä on a book and a TV series about Finnish emigrants in North America and their relationships with the Ojibwe people. Outside of literature, Kettu has directed, written or helped produce 10 animations and been a singer in the punk band Confusa.

Kettu’s works have been characterized as “Laplandic magical realism”. Kettu is meticulous in the research for her works and she is interested in microhistory, especially the fates of women caught up in conflicts where individuals have a limited influence on their lives.

Her novel Rose on poissa was a Finlandia Prize 2018 nominee. Kettu's works have been translated into 23 languages.

Katja Kettu's literary works:

Surujenkerääjä, 2005 WSOY

Hitsaaja, 2008 WSOY

Kätilö, 2011 WSOY

Piippuhylly, novelleja, 2013 WSOY

Novelli palaa! Matkanovelleja, co-edited with Aki Salmela, 2013 WSOY

Yöperhonen, 2015 WSOY

Peräkammarin poika, illustrated by Jan Andersson, 2015 Otava

Rose on poissa, 2018 WSOY

Erään kissan tutkimuksia, 2023 Otava

Bibliography


2023, Literary Fiction

The Investigations of a Certain Cat

Katja Kettu

Introducing Ahlback Agency SPRING 2025 FICTION Catalogue!

We are thrilled to present our Fiction Catalogue for Spring 2025!

In literary fiction, we are thrilled to welcome Anna-Kaari Hakkarainen and her masterful, Finlandia Prize-nominated novel The Saprophile which explores themes such as power, desire, and the world of Ingmar Bergman.

In the romance and feel-good section of our Fiction Catalogue, we are excited to have on our list Michaela von Kügelgen‘s upcoming novel Summer at Villa Hilda, that takes the readers to the idyllic Stockholm archipelago. Additionally, we are glad to welcome Ulla Onerva and her debut novel Cotton Candy Dilemma, which intertwines romance and literature.

We are also happy to welcome two new crime and thriller authors to our Agency! Aamos Honka and his debut thriller Crimson Web take the readers to a frighteningly realistic and timely world of intelligence and hybrid warfare. Meanwhile, Anna Harju‘s psychologically perceptive crime novel Traces takes the readers to the trendy city of Tampere.

Lastly, we are glad to let you know that the English edition of Maria Turtschaninoff’s Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land) will be published on April 10th, 2025 by Pushkin Press.

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

View the Spring 2025 Fiction Catalogue here!

The Saprophile

Anna-Kaari Hakkarainen

A brilliant novel that dives deep into the human psyche, explores themes such as power, passion, and the world of Ingmar Bergman, and is a reflection on being human through art

  • Nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize in Fiction!
  • For readers of Donna Tartt, Ali Smith, Maggie Nelson, and Rachel Kushner!

An island.

An author. Two women.

Ingmar Bergman.

The main characters of a film who are planning to escape.

The Saprophile is a hypnotic treatise on power and writing. It is the autopsy of a novel, a hybrid that seeks to go where genres end. It is a novel about Ingmar Bergman’s films, about a desire that refuses to obey, about an island, about how easy it is to lose yourself in another person, and how difficult it is to find your way back.

Like a saprophile, an organism that lives and thrives on dead or decaying organic matter, The Saprophile is like a literary organism that eats away at age-old concepts and structures.

Summer at Villa Hilda

Michaela von Kügelgen

Many people dream of a second chance in life, but how many dare to take it?

  • For fans of experiencing romance and hardships through people of different ages, a story set in the beautiful Swedish archipelago, told with warmth and humor
  • Mamma Mia vibes on a remote Swedish island

Far out in the Stockholm archipelago lies the island of Halsterö. Journalist Thomas and former celebrity chef Louise travel there to work at the Villa Hilda guesthouse. They are both broken after many setbacks and are hoping for a fresh start. But setting up a summer paradise is not as easy as one might think, not even on the idyllic Halsterö island.

One day Louise stumbles across a collection of old love letters. Who wrote them, and what stories does Villa Hilda hide in its dusty attic? And how will Thomas manage to take care of his dementia-stricken mother while setting up an archipelago guesthouse?

Summer at Villa Hilda is about how difficult it is to be human among other people, but also about how, with the help of others, one can find one’s way back to life.

This novel is the first part of the Villa Hilda series and will be published in June 2025. The following titles will concentrate on the people living on the picturesque Halsterö island and will tentatively be published in February 2026 and September 2026.

Cotton Candy Dilemma

Ulla Onerva

Let the romantic rebellion begin!

  • A new, fresh feel-good series about romance and literature
  • For the fans of Emily Henry, Holly Bourne, and Ali Hazelwood

Emma’s first love has left her at the school dance and her feelings for her ex-boyfriend have not completely faded by the start of senior year. Instead of pining, Emma immerses herself in romance books, even though the rest of the world seems to despise her favourite genre.

When a morose writer publishes a seething critique of romance and feel-good literature in a magazine and the school curriculum does not include romantic titles, Emma revolts. She sets up the Club of Quirky Romantics, a group dedicated to improving the appreciation of romance literature and dispelling the stigma associated with reading romance. It’s no easy task, as the circle is fueled by hate and love alike, and Emma finds herself in a worse mess than the heroines of her favourite romance novels.

Ulla Onerva’s debut novel Cotton Candy Dilemma is the first title in the Quirky Romantics series, a humorous commercial trilogy that cleverly weaves the romantic classics of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë into the modern day. The trilogy is perfect for anyone who refuses to hide their love of romance books!

The Quirky Romantics Series will continue with book #2 in February 2026 and book #3 in February 2027 (on Valentine’s Day).

Crimson Web

Aamos Honka

A frighteningly topical debut thriller from an insider in the intelligence world, revealing the hidden heart of secrets ops and hybrid warfare.

  • Aamos Honka’s work with Finnish intelligence agencies gives him insider access to the world of national security and foreign intelligence
  • Already a critical success and an instant bestseller – 7000 copies sold in one month!

Crimson Web is an international espionage thriller that gets to the heart of hybrid influence, cyber threats and the geopolitical game. The story interweaves personal tragedies, global tensions and technological threats. Events intertwine in Helsinki, Wuhan, and London as different actors approach the crisis from their own perspectives.

The focus is on Janne Peura, a hybrid threat expert at the Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency, and Laura, a cyber specialist at Supo. They join forces to expose a large-scale international operation involving Chinese and Russian hybrid influence projects, as well as China’s AI-based influence efforts.

Once you read the book, the news headlines will never look the same to you.

The sequel to Crimson Web, book #2 in the Janne Peura series, is slated to be published in Finland in November 2025.

Traces

Anna Harju

Perfect suspense!” – Max Seeck, New York Times bestselling author
The opening of a gripping crime series set in trendy Tampere.

  • A fresh, psychologically perceptive crime novel
  • A gripping story that takes the readers from industrial Tampere to the German island of Fehmarn and finally to the fells of Northern Finland

There are secrets whose revelation will have fatal consequences. There is no escaping them, no matter how hard you try. Must one always pay for their mistakes?

A well-liked pharmacist is found murdered at his workplace. Suspicion falls on pharmacist Joanna Vihervuori, the last person to see her boss alive. Joanna insists she is innocent, but the case begins to twist around her in a strange way.

For Tampere Police Detective Inspector Taro Auramo, this murder investigation is the place to prove himself. The white dust on the dead pharmacist’s cheek raises doubts about whether his business is completely clean, and soon nothing will be as it seems.

Psychologically astute and utterly addictive, Traces is the first in the Taro Auramo crime series set in Tampere. Book #2 is slated to be published in 2026 and book #3 in 2027.

Milo

Max Seeck

Bodies with chess pieces in their mouth – Milo needs to understand the game of chess in order to catch a killer.

  • Solar Films adapts Milo to an international TV series for global distribution, with production slated to commence in 2026!
  • Rights sold to 8 territories! Over 45,000 copies sold in Finland!

The game has only just begun.

On a cold November evening, a body is discovered on the shore of Seurasaari. The victim’s skin is covered with a thick layer of white paint, and during the autopsy, a chess piece is found lodged in its throat.

The police are baffled. Why would the murderer go to such lengths to disguise the body? And why wasn’t there any attempt to hide it?

Milo Perho, an art gallery owner specializing in profiling killers, is called in to assist. What follows is a nerve-wracking game where every move costs a life, and no one wants it to end in checkmate.

Milo is the gripping debut of the Milo series by internationally acclaimed author Max Seeck. Even before its release, the book’s translation rights were sold to numerous countries, and a TV series adaptation is already in the works.

Book #2: the sequel to Milo (publication in September 2025, Tammi Publishers, Finland)

It’s early September in Helsinki, Finland. Ten months have passed since the events of the first book, and a lot has happened. Milo Perho, an art gallerist and a criminal profiler, has divorced and moved on with his life. While his marriage has fallen apart, he actually has gained some more confidence and is happier single. Milo has given up his dreams of becoming a father, and he tries to enjoy life as it is.

Meanwhile the Helsinki homicide unit detective (and Milo’s old friend) Minka Laine gets a phone call. A blonde woman has been stabbed to death in the middle of the city. While Minka investigates the surveillance camera tapes of the restaurant, she is shocked to see Milo on the record. She now knows that her old friend is somehow involved in the death of an unknown woman.

THE SAPROPHILE
MARRASELIÖ
Tammi, 2024, 672 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Author’s vision

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

 

SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA
SOMMAR PÅ VILLA HILDA
Schildts & Söderströms, 2025

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
Swedish manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Schildts & Söderströms (orig. Finland-Swedish, Finnish)
SWEDEN: Schildts & Söderströms

 

COTTON CANDY DILEMMA
HATTARADILEMMA
Tammi, 2025, 336 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

 

CRIMSON WEB
PUNAINEN VERKKO
Gummerus, 2025, 489 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Gummerus (orig.)

 

TRACES
JÄLJET
Tammi, 2025, 382 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

 

MILO
MERKITTY
Tammi, 2024, 400 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Longer English sample and synopsis
French edition
German manuscript
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Luebbe
ITALY: Piemme
JAPAN: Kodansha Ltd.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
RIGHTS FILM & TV: Solar Films