Young Adults

Two more Ahlback Agency titles nominated for Young Aleksis Award!

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Recently, we announced the good news that THE INVISIBLES by Sanna Isto was nominated for the Young Aleksis Award, and now we are pleased to report that ØRJA by Riikka Sandberg and A DISOBEDIENT GIRL by Sara Al Husaini have also been nominated!

The Young Aleksis Award jury is made up of young adults. So while these titles are literary fiction, we highly recommend them for young adult readers.

ØRJA is a fateful novel about friendship, passion and secrets buried in the sea from the end of the occupation of Norway till the 1970s.

1952. A gigantesque mail carrier lives on the island of Ørja with her boat-building father. His last boat is left unfinished, and the daughter takes on the task. The boat is sold to an island-dweller who is the subject of many chilling rumors.

1976. Tine arrives in Ørja to put up a traveling cinema. But what is even more interesting than the projector, is the wire recorder she finds in the shed. It talks of a tragic past that the island community has kept silent about.

A rebel. A spouse. A savior. A friend. A lover. How many lives can one person live? What happens when they collide?

Click here to access all reading materials for ØRJA!

 

A DISOBEDIENT GIRL is the winner of the BookBeat Newcomer of the Year Award, a novel that shakes the reader to their core.

A mother is escorting her daughter, trembling with fear, to the wedding suite door. This is what she’s been raised for ever since she was little, kept in wrapping paper like a precious sweet. This is the reason why she was brought back from Finland to Iraq.

A Disobedient Girl is an astonishingly honest and authentic story about the history of subjugating and silencing women, about abandoning one’s faith, honor violence, forced marriage, Islamic morality, the price of freedom, and the desperate desire for the right to self-determination.

Click here to access all reading materials for A DISOBEDIENT GIRL!

ØRJA

Publication Info:
Ørja, Otava 2023, 395 p.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig), SWEDEN: Norstedts

Rights to ØRJA still available in Germany, Norway, Denmark…

Reading Materials:
English sample and synopsis, Finnish and Swedish editions

 

A DISOBEDIENT GIRL

Publication Info:
Huono tyttö, Like 2023, 295 p.

Rights to A DISOBEDIENT GIRL still available in the US/UK, Poland, France

Reading Materials:
English sample, Finnish edition

About author


Riikka Sandberg

Riikka Sandberg (b. 1989) is a Finnish author who grew up in the midst of boatsheds and the sea breeze. She studied Finnish and creative writing at the University of Turku and currently teaches at the University of Helsinki. Sandberg’s debut book Ørja was published in February 2023 and has been described as a thoughtfully constructed novel in which the fjords and the churning sea set a grand stage.

Sandberg is inspired by the Nordic languages, history and nature, and the fictional isles in her debut novel Ørja were inspired by a small and rugged Norwegian island to where she retreated alone to write. Eventually she carried out research for her novel in Norway, the Faroe Islands and the Finnish Lapland and archipelago. Sandberg considers it important to write about women who are, for one reason or another, cast out or have themselves left the society or their community, and about those who have forgotten to live their own truth.

Read more

About author


Sara Al Husaini

Sara Al Husaini (1992) is a human rights activist, feminist, and linguist from Helsinki. She was born in a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia and moved to Finland as a child. She has studied English philology at the University of Helsinki and has worked, among others, as an intern at the European Parliament. She is currently a board member in Amnesty Finland and member of the steering group for UN Women Finland. In 2021, Al Husaini was chosen as the Refugee Woman of the Year by the Finnish Refugee Council.

Her debut novel A Disobedient Girl (orig. Huono tyttö) is a deeply personal story of experiences for which there haven’t been words before. Al Husaini's writing delves into the human psyche, weaving a tale that unravels the threads of cultural expectations and the resilience of those who defy them. Through her storytelling, Al Husaini seeks to provoke thought, challenge stereotypes, and ignite conversations that lead to meaningful societal shifts.

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Magdalena Hai, author of THE HORNED GOD, wins the Laivakello Prize!

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Continuing the good news this week is with a congratulations to Magdalena Hai for winning the Laivakello Prize!

The jury’s decision was based on her numerous quality works for children that have sold in 27 territories. They highlight her bestselling YA horror THE HORNED GOD, which won the prestigious Finlandia prize last year.

Jury praise for THE HORNED GOD:

“In this knotty story, the theme of death is accompanied by other themes, such as sex, everyday forms of racism, inconsolable longing, and rejoicing. The voters were also delighted that The Horned God can also be read in a simplified language version adapted by Tuija Takala and listened to as an audiobook. In this way, the Horned God offers an experience for a wide range of literary enthusiasts.”

If that piqued your curiosity, here is a bit about THE HORNED GOD:

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.

Rights to THE HORNED GOD are still available in France, Germany, Holland…

Click here to download all reading materials for THE HORNED GOD!

Publication Info:
Sarvijumala, Otava, 162p.

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Päike & Pilv
HUNGARY: Metropolis
NORWAY: Gursli Berg Forlag
POLAND: Greg
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Epix
UKRAINE: Bohdan

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 30 territories around the world. Among Hai's many accolades are winning the Finlandia Prize for children's and YA literature and the Finnish Literary Export Prize, and being nominated  the Nordic Council Children & Young People's Literature Prize.

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

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2023, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 4: The Crystal Skull

Magdalena Hai


2023, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Horned God

Magdalena Hai


2021, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Spell of Iset

Magdalena Hai


2021, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 3: Sticky the Horrible Snowman

Magdalena Hai


2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Miss Swift’s Weird and Wonderful House

Magdalena Hai


2019, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 2: The Mystery of the Missing Teeth

Magdalena Hai


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Third Sister

Magdalena Hai


2018, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 1: The Terrible Tickling Powder

Magdalena Hai


2017, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Grumblebelly Cat

Magdalena Hai


2012, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Beggar Princess

Magdalena Hai

Related news

Polish rights for THE HORNED GOD by Magdalena Hai acquired by GREG!

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We’re thrilled to announce that Polish rights for THE HORNED GOD by Magdalena Hai were acquired by Polish publisher GREG, in a deal closed by Martti Berner at the Ahlback Agency!

THE HORNED GOD quickly became a bestseller in Finland, with 6000 copies sold, and now this atmospheric YA horror is available in 9 different languages.

It won the Finlandia Prize for children’s and YA literature of 2023, and was nominated for the Topelius Prize of 2024, with this praise from the jury:

17-year-old Lauri wakes up in hospital after a car accident. His mother has deceased, and father is in a coma in hospital. The horror story beautifully links the descriptions of recovering from a big loss, the grueling presence of awful things, the guilt caused by mistakes and the act of letting go. The novel which influences the reader on many levels also describes in a lively matter the everyday life of teenagers, experiences of mental health struggles, and racism. Below the horror elements there is an undercurrent that ties people together. At times in a painful way.

We invite you to click here to download all reading materials for THE HORNED GOD

Rights still available in: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the US/UK…

Publication Info:
Sarvijumala, Otava, 162p.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: ABC Forlag
ESTONIA: Päike & Pilv
HUNGARY: Metropolis
NORWAY: Gursli Berg Forlag
POLAND: Greg
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Epix
UKRAINE: Bohdan

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 30 territories around the world. Among Hai's many accolades are winning the Finlandia Prize for children's and YA literature and the Finnish Literary Export Prize, and being nominated  the Nordic Council Children & Young People's Literature Prize.

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

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2023, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 4: The Crystal Skull

Magdalena Hai


2023, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Horned God

Magdalena Hai


2021, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Spell of Iset

Magdalena Hai


2021, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 3: Sticky the Horrible Snowman

Magdalena Hai


2020, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Miss Swift’s Weird and Wonderful House

Magdalena Hai


2019, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 2: The Mystery of the Missing Teeth

Magdalena Hai


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Third Sister

Magdalena Hai


2018, Chapter Books (6-9 Years)

Little Shop of Nightmares 1: The Terrible Tickling Powder

Magdalena Hai


2017, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

Grumblebelly Cat

Magdalena Hai


2012, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Beggar Princess

Magdalena Hai

Related news

Introducing Ahlback Agency FALL 2024 CHILDREN’S & YA Catalogue

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We are very happy to launch our Fall 2024 Children’s & YA Rights Guide today – and to present the hottest titles for you:

Check out the Ahlback Agency Fall 2024 Catalogue here!

The Manticore

Maria Turtschaninoff, illustrated by Peter Bergting
(orig. publication: Mantikoran, Raben &Sjögren/Förlaget, September 2024)

The Manticore is told from the perspective of a young girl called Li,  who starts suspecting that her stepmother is in fact a Manticore, an ancient monster intending on devouring the protagonist and her baby brother. She realizes that no one can help her because no one would believe her. So as the Manticore starts fattening up the children, the protagonist hunts for a way to defeat her. She soon realizes that the only way to kill a Manticore is with a mythical object: the horn of a unicorn. But where can she possibly find one?

 

Meet the Fox Family

Animal Family Series: Fun & Facts
Hannu Laakso
(orig. publication: Me kettuset, Into)

What does the fox family’s summer entail? Some quirky fun and playful lessons, for a start! Meet the Fox Family combines animal education with a fictional story to match. Readers will join these adorable foxes in their daily adventures, watching as the small pup grows up and becomes independent. At the same time, readers learn facts about foxes and their way of life. What do fox pups eat? What’s it like seeing the surrounding world through their eyes–literally? And why does a fox’s den smell?

This story presents the life of a seven-member fox family living on the outskirts of the city from spring to autumn. We see the joys and sometimes hardships, without forgetting the humor. Meet the Fox Family helps readers understand nature with an up-close view of these lovable foxes.

 

Little Mouse’s School Picture Day

Riikka Jäntti
(Orig. Publication: Hiiru. Karmea kuvauspäivä, Tammi, July 2024)

The little mouse boy Hiiru, known from the beloved picture books, is ready for grade school where he’ll take on new adventures in illustrated chapter book form! What kind of mischief can happen during a normal school day?

Hiru and his friends are dressed up to get their pictures, and the class photo, taken that afternoon. Will the outfits stay clean until the shoot even though the kids are playing soccer and eating lunch? And what will happen to Hiiru when his head gets stuck in a chair right before the shoot?

This easy-to-read chapter-book series with black-and-white illustrations is cheerful and bursting with gentle humor. Little mouse and his friends will discover that when a problem is big, help is always nearby!

 

Stop Secret Mysteries #2: The Mud Puddle Ghost

Ilona Ahti, illustrated by Miila Westin
(orig. publication: Stop Secret. Kuralätäkön kummitus, Tammi, June 2024)

In the second part of this entertaining middle grade series, a super-secret puddle mystery is solved. Hilla, Maisa and Roni-Toni’s stumble across a bottomless puddle of water, which swallows the friends’ football. The Stop Secret Crew is needed again, and Mitsi, the world-traveling grandma, and the incredibly funny sock monster Hikisukka Hirmunen also join to help. There are going to be wild twists, swinging dancing feet and a lot of twisting and turning before the puzzle is solved…