Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY now acquired in Denmark!

Martta Kaukonen’s amazing thriller of this season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY, continues conquering the World!

We couldn’t be happier to announce Danish rights sale for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY! The happy publisher is Falco – a brand new Danish publisher, launched in 2021!
Falco has high ambitions, taking on literature that can be placed in the intersection of pop and art. They publish top-tier commercial fiction and nonfiction that reaches a broad audience while also challenging the status quo.

DANISH PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

I’m beyond thrilled that Falco got the Danish rights for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY. The novel is a perfect combination of timely themes, a horrifying thrill, and a good narrative. I think it’s refreshing with a female lead, and that we get to see which traumas create that person. Also, Martta writes with such ease, and I like all the references to the modern culture that surrounds us. That makes the novel not only a page-turner but also a contemporary piece of art.
– Ditte Haugstrup, Editor, Forlaget Falco

In the last 3 months, the rights have been sold to the UK and US (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava), Lithuania (Obuolys), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal).

Rights are still available in France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands etc.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ida becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.

PRAISE:

“Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut, and are excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s ‘Follow The Butterfly.´”
– Adam Freudenheim, Publisher and Managing Director, Pushkin Press

“Kaukonen’s debut is such a skillfully constructed psychological thriller and it holds the reader in its grip offering her surprises until the very last line. The gruesome plot speeds forward seemingly lightly in short paragraphs. The perspectives change swiftly between the characters and the ambiance intensifies with the ending that flips the tables completely.”
– Savonia Prize Jury, Finland

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine

“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaper

“Martta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

”I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.” – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”– Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.– Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa, WSOY, 2021, 407 pp.

Rights sold:

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

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as 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 husband at a second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Czech rights sold for THIS TRANSPARENT HEART by Katja Kallio!

Katja Kallio is a critically acclaimed bestselling author and screenwriter from Finland. Her new, much-anticipated novel THIS TRANSPARENT HEART, tells the forbidden love story of a young Finnish woman and a Soviet POW during WW2.

We are happy to announce that the first international rights for the book have now been sold to Kniha Zlin, imprint of Albatros in the Czech Republic!

Download the English sample and synopsis for THIS TRANSPARENT HEART here

Kniha Zlin is the Czech publisher for of Ingmar Bergman, Truman Capote, Zelda Fitzgerald, JK Rowling, Stanisław Lem, Robert Galbraith, Boris Akunin etc, and an imprint of Albatros Media

CZECH PRAISE:

Katja Kallio is a strong voice of Finnish woman writing and I am happy to have her included in the portfolio of Kniha Zlin. The story of The Transparent Heart captures reader’s attention immediately with its deep insight into a humand mind, riveting plot of forbidden love and expressive poetic language.

– Jitka Hanušová, Kniha Zlin, Albatros Media, Czech Republic

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Young Beata returns home to war-torn Hanko in the winter of 1942. When she accidentally encounters a prisoner of war who sees directly into her innermost being, life changes irreversibly. Forbidden love puts Beata and Ivan at risk for their lives, but they can’t stay apart. In the moment of reckoning, Beata has to ask herself whether one can ever truly know their beloved – or even themselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katja Kallio is a critically acclaimed bestselling author and screenwriter. Since her striking debut on the Finnish literature scene in 2000, she has described the life and faith of misfit women at odds with the community,  in modern and past times, with her distinctive voice and thoroughly visual style. Her new, much anticipated novel This Transparent Heart, publisher in Finnish in August 2021, tells the forbidden love story of a young Finnish woman and a Soviet POW during WW2. Her previous novel, Amanda of the Night, inspired by true events in a mental institution island for women, was received with unanimous praise. Her books have sold more than 180,000 copies.

Kallio is praised for her accurate portrayals of the human mind. In her six novels she revisits themes such as the constant push-and-pull between distance and intimacy in a person’s life and the meaning of passion as a barrier-breaking force.

She has written box office movie adaptations of her own novels, and been a candidate for national literary and motion picture awards, including the prestigious Jussi Award for the Best Screenplay. An ardent cinema lover, she has written about movies in the iconic Image magazine for more than fifteen years.

Before writing she worked as a publishing editor, and translated fiction from Italian, Spanish and English. She hosts her own live literary salon, speaks fluent Italian with a Roman accent, and dedicates her free time to classical ballet.

THIS TRANSPARENT HEART

Tämä läpinäkyvä sydän
Otava, August 2021, 267 pp

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Kniha Zlin/Albatros

About author


Katja Kallio

Katja Kallio is a critically acclaimed bestselling author and screenwriter. Since her striking debut on the Finnish literature scene in 2000, she has described the life and faith of misfit women at odds with the community,  in modern and past times, with her distinctive voice and thoroughly visual style. Her new, much anticipated novel This Transparent Heart, available in Finnish in August 2021, tells the forbidden love story of a young Finnish woman and a Soviet POW during WW2. Her previous novel, Tell Everyone, inspired by true events in a mental institution island for women, was received with unanimous praise. She has written the screenplay of the feature film based on her novel Tell Everyone, directed by Alli Haapasalo, Finland's Oscar entry director for Girl Picture, and presenting an all-stars Finnish Female cast. The movie will have its international premiere in Göteborg Film Festival in January 2026. She is currently writing the screenplay of This Transparent Heart, a feature film in development.

Kallio is praised for her accurate portrayals of the human mind. In her six novels she revisits themes such as the constant push-and-pull between distance and intimacy and the meaning of passion as a barrier-breaking force.

She has written box office movie adaptations of her own novels, and been a candidate for national literary and motion picture awards, including the prestigious Jussi Award for the Best Screenplay. An ardent cinema lover, she has written about movies in the iconic Image magazine for more than fifteen years. Her books have sold more than 180,000 copies.

Before writing she worked as a publishing editor, and translated fiction from Italian, Spanish and English. She hosts her own live literary salon, speaks fluent Italian with a Roman accent, and dedicates her free time to classical ballet.

Bibliography


2021, Literary Fiction, Romance

This Transparent Heart

Katja Kallio


2017, Literary Fiction

Tell Everyone

Katja Kallio

Hungarian rights for STORMSEYE by Meri Luttinen sold to Európa Könyvkiadó!

We are really happy to let you know that the award-winning YA fantasy debut STORMSEYE by Meri Luttinen has found its publisher in Hungary!

The happy new publisher is Európa Könyvkiadó, the Hungarian publisher for Christopher Paolini, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Kazuo Ishiguro, Stephen King, Milan Kundera, etc.

STORMSEYE is an adventure set in the ancient Finnish fantasy world and a touching story about a young woman finding her own place in society.
It won the coveted Topelius prize and was nominated for  Finlandia Prize for Children’s & YA literature 2020 and also Kuvastaja Award!

Download English sample and synopsis for STORMSEYE here!

Just recently the Russian rights were sold to one of the TOP40 publishers in the World –  Eksmo!

“We are glad to bring joy to our readers with such a wonderful book as Stormseye (Myrskynsilmä) by Meri Luttinen. It is an inspiring story that will certainly adorn our publishing portfolio. This is a book about a young girl looking for the place she belongs – exactly what we have been looking for a long time!”
– Alexey Smirnov, Foreign Rights Manager, Eksmo, Russia


STORMSEYE
by Meri Luttinen
A beautiful fantasy adventure set in the ancient Finnish fantasy world where a young woman finds her own place in the society

On a long midsummer night, when the sun never really sets, sixteen-year-old Kainu stands at the edge of a series of red circles drawn in ochre on the ground.

All young girls in her village discover what their future role in life is going to be by taking part in this ancient and traditional “rite of the circles”. Girls usually find that they end up in one of the more common circles that points them in the direction of roles such as matrons, mothers, or craftswomen. No one even dreams about the five most unique and select innermost circles, usually reserved for shamans and sages. Not one single girl has ever found themselves directed to one of the special circles for hundreds of years.

However, when Kainu enters the very middle circle which is that of a Great Sage, heavy responsibilities fall on her, and she has to go on a long journey to find out who she really is.

Praise for the award-winning STORMSEYE:

Set in an ancient Finnish fantasy world, the debut novel is a great story of a young woman growing up, it deals with difference, loneliness and overcoming one’s own fears.
– Topelius Prize Jury

Meri Luttinen is a skillful writer, her debut novel Myrskynsilmä is a masterful story that progresses effortlessly.
– 
Kirjavinkit blog, Finland

“he language of the book is highly nuanced, and the narrative flows like a gushy stream. Despite its volume, the novel is a real page-turner.
– 
Lastenkirjahylly Blog, FInland

The Finlandia Prize Nominee YA book Stormseye expands on the subject of being seen and being seen in the right way. — The story haunted me.
– Kangasalan Sanomat newspaper, Finland

STORMSEYE
(Myrskynsilmä)
WSOY, 2020, 397 pp.
Age group: 13 or 14+

READING MATERIALS:
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY

HUNGARY: Európa Könyvkiadó
RUSSIA: Eksmo

About author


Meri Luttinen

Meri Luttinen is an award-winning Finnish debut writer from Tampere. Her debut Stormseye won the Topelius prize and was nominated for both Kuvastaja Award and Finlandia Prize for Children's & YA literature in 2020.

She has a Master's degree in Finnish language and literature and has worked teaching Finnish and creating study materials. Luttinen is fascinated by everyday life in different eras and wants to transport readers to other worlds with her texts.

Bibliography


2020, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Stormseye

Meri Luttinen

Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY now sold in the US! Nomination for the coveted Savonia Literary Prize announced!

Martta Kaukonen’s amazing thriller of this season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY, continues its World Conquest!

We couldn’t be happier to announce World English rights sale:  the US rights for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY have been acquired by Pushkin Press!

US PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut, and are excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s Follow The Butterfly.
Adam Freudenheim, Publisher and Managing Director,  Pushkin Press

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

We are also really happy to let you know that FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY has now been shortlisted for the prestigious Finnish Savonia Literary Prize!

The prize is 12 000€ and this time out of the 103 participants, 6 titles were shortlisted. The winner will be announced on 9th of December.

In the last 3 months, the rights have been sold to the UK and US (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava), Lithuania (Obuolys), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal).

Rights are still available in France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands etc.
US PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut, and are excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s Follow The Butterfly.
– Adam Freudenheim |Publisher and Managing Director,  Pushkin Press

SAVONIA PRIZE JURY PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Kaukonen’s debut is such a skillfully constructed psychological thriller and it holds the reader in its grip offering her surprises until the very last line. The gruesome plot speeds forward seemingly lightly in short paragraphs. The perspectives change swiftly between the characters and the ambiance intensifies with the ending that flips the tables completely.


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ida becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.

PRAISE:

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaperMartta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa
WSOY, March 2021, 407pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press(two-book deal)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as 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 husband at a second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Czech rights sold for THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER

We are super excited to announce that the Czech rights to Mia Kankimäki’s THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER have now been acquired by Motto, imprint of Albatros.
Mia Kankimäki’s debut biography/travelogue was originally published in 2013, but now has sold to Estonia, Italy and recently to Japan and Germany, where it was just published this year with excellent reviews!

Download the English sample and synopsis for THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER here

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author Mia Kankimäki travels to Japan to fulfill her long-time dream to do research about the court lady and poet Sei Shonagon, whose 1000-years-old writings had enchanted Mia’s heart.

She is fascinated by Sei Shinagon’s The Pillow Book and will travel to Japan to walk in her footsteps and compare her life with her own, finding surprisingly, that a lot of things have remained the same a millennia later.

In Kyoto Mia is faced with all things beautiful and strange. Cherry blossoms, bath houses, temples and incredible food, but on the other hand experiences a culture shock and language-barrier makes her research slow down. In her witty and humorous way she describes her three months in Kyoto, and the reader will learn a great deal about the modern day Japan, get great travel tips, and learn all there is to know about mysterious Sei Shonagon.
The book contains excerpts from the Pillow Book and describes Mia’s travels in today’s Kyoto and Tokyo as well as London and briefly escaping from the deadly 2011 tsunami to Phuket, Thailand.
Praise for THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER

“Thank you very much for allowing us to introduce such an intriguing book to Japanese readers. Finland on the northern edge of the Eurasian continent and Japan, an island country in the Far East, may be as far apart as possible, but we do seem to share some characteristic traits, such as being naturally shy. (Aren’t we!?) I am pleasantly surprised that Mia Kankimäki, the author born in Finland took an interest in a female Japanese author from 1,000 years ago and decided to travel all the way to this country. Readers here will be more than excited to discover how Japan appeared in her eyes.”
 Hiroshi Fujita, Chief Editor, Soshisha

“It is always the most delightful experience to find something new and valuable in unexpected places. Mia Kankimäki’s book is one of those things. Kankimäki imitates Sei Shonagon’s style of making lists and succeeds in conveying a message that human life is not a chronological story, but a collection of moments that carry different meanings.”
-Suvi Ahola, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

”Mia’s fascinating books will definitely make your heart beat faster: A beautiful, exceptional style, fancy ideas, honesty, bravery and wittiness – an exciting new voice.
– Madlen Reimer, Editor, btb Verlag, Verlagsgruppe Random House


More about the book:

Who was Sei Shonagon? A sharp-tongued courtesan, a brilliant poet and forgotten genius or something completely different? What is actually known about this Heian era writer who has always been living in the shadow of her famous rival, Murasaki Shikibu?

In this book the author Mia Kankimäki quits her job and travels to Japan to fulfill her long-time dream to do research about the court lady and poet Sei Shonagon, whose 1000-years-old writings had enchanted Mia’s heart.

Perfect for those who love travelling and making lists!

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC:Motto
ESTONIA: Varrak
ITALY: Edizioni Piemme
JAPAN: Soshisha
GERMANY: btb Verlag/Random House

 

Reading material:

English sample & synopsis

About author


Mia Kankimäki

Mia Kankimäki is the author of two best-selling books which blend travelogue, memoir, biography, and women’s history. After taking a master’s degree in comparative literature at the University of Helsinki and working diligently in Finnish publishing, in 2010 she left her job and traveled to Japan to write her first book. Her books have received several literary awards, for example the Best Travel Book of the Year 2013, the HelMet Award 2015, and Otava Book Foundation’s Non-Fiction Award 2020. She currently lives in Helsinki, Finland, whenever she’s not traveling for her next book project.

Mia has been enthusiastic about Japanese culture for years and is a qualified ikebana teacher of the Sogetsu school. Her first book Things That Make One’s Hear Beat Faster took her to Kyoto where she has spent long periods of writing and making research ever since. Kankimäki’s second book The Women I Think About at Night has sold over 55,000 copies in Finland and the translation rights have been sold to 21 territories, including USA and China.

Mia's both books have been aqcuired by Japanese publisher Soshisha:

"I am delighted to share that Mia Kankimäki’s debut title, THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER, is embraced and loved by many Japanese readers. A cross between an autobiography and a travelogue, the author finds an emotional connection with a woman geographically far apart and from a different era and tries to discover who she really was. I believe this style is reflected in THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT as well. Though some of the female figures in this second book might not be well-known locally, I am looking forward to seeing how our readers will react to their lifestyles." - Daisuke Watanabe, Editor, Soshisha

Bibliography


2018, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

The Women I Think About At Night

Mia Kankimäki


2013, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Things That Make One's Heart Beat Faster

Mia Kankimäki

Lithuanian rights pre-empted for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY! Now 11 territories for this debut thriller!

We are so happy to announce another deal for the amazing thriller of this season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY!

Lithuanian rights for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY have been acquired by Obuolys. Obuolys is the Lithuanian publisher for Stieg Larsson, Jussi-Adler Olsen, Lars Kepler etc.

In the last 3 months, the rights have been sold to the UK (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava) Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal). Lithuania is already the 11th territory for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY.

Rights still available in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Romania, Turkey, France, Netherlands etc.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ida becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.

FINNISH PRAISE:

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaperMartta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

PUBLISHERS’ PRAISE:

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa
WSOY, March 2021, 407pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as 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 husband at a second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Latvian rights acquired for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY – 10 territories sold!

We are so happy to announce another deal for the hot thriller of the season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY!

Latvian rights for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY are acquired by Jumava. Jumava is the Latvian publisher for Camilla Läckberg, Salman Rushdie, Sofi Oksanen, Catherine Hagen, Timothy Schneider, Michael Talbot, and Joanna Ralbot.

In the last 2 months, the rights have been sold to the UK (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal). Latvia is already the 10th territory for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY.

Rights still available in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, US, Norway, Lithuania, Iceland, Romania, Turkey, France, Netherlands etc.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine

“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaper

Martta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ida becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.


PUBLISHERS’ PRAISE:

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa
WSOY, March 2021, 407pp

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: SIA Jumava
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as 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 husband at a second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Russian rights for STORMSEYE by Meri Luttinen sold to Eksmo!

We are really happy to let you know that the award-winning historical debut STORMSEYE has found its first international publisher. Russian rights have been pre-empted by Eksmo –  the biggest publishing house in Russia. Among Eksmo’s authors who write books for the youth market are Naomi Novik, Terry Pratchett, Soman Chainani, Dan Poblocki, Jonathan Stroud, Julie Berry, as well as many notable Russian authors. Moreover, it is one of the leaders in the modern Russian book market.

“We are glad to bring joy to our readers with such a wonderful book as Stormseye (Myrskynsilmä) by Meri Luttinen. It is an inspiring story that will certainly adorn our publishing portfolio. This is a book about a young girl looking for the place she belongs – exactly what we have been looking for a long time!”
– Alexey Smirnov, Foreign Rights Manager, Eksmo, Russia

Download English sample and synopsis here!


Topelius Prize Winner 2020! Nominated for both Kuvastaja Award and Finlandia Prize for Children’s & YA literature 2020.

A beautiful historical fantasy adventure set in the ancient Finnish fantasy world where a young woman finds her own place in the society

On a long midsummer night, when the sun never really sets, sixteen year-old Kainu stands at the edge of a series of red circles drawn in ochre on the ground.

All young girls in her village discover what their future role in life is going to be by taking part in this ancient and traditional “rite of the circles”. Girls usually find that they end up in one of the more common circles that points them in the direction of roles such as matrons, mothers, or craftswomen. No one even dreams about the five most unique and select innermost circles, usually reserved for shamans and sages. Not one single girl has ever found themselves directed to one of the special circles for hundreds of years.

However, when Kainu enters the very middle circle which is that of a Great Sage, heavy responsibilities fall on her, and she has to go on a long journey to find out who she really is.

Praise:

“Set in an ancient Finnish fantasy world, the debut novel is a great story of a young woman growing up, it deals with difference, loneliness and overcoming one’s own fears.” – Topelius Prize Jury

“Meri Luttinen is a skillful writer, her debut novel Myrskynsilmä is a masterful story that progresses effortlessly.” – Kirjavinkit blog

“The language of the book is highly nuanced, and the narrative flows like a gushy stream. Despite its volume, the novel is a real page-turner.” – Lastenkirjahylly Blog

“The Finlandia Prize Nominee YA book Stormseye expands on the subject of being seen and being seen in the right way. — The story haunted me.” – Kangasalan Sanomat newspaper

STORMSEYE
Myrskynsilmä
WSOY, 2020, 397 pp.

 

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
RUSSIA: Eksmo

About author


Meri Luttinen

Meri Luttinen is an award-winning Finnish debut writer from Tampere. Her debut Stormseye won the Topelius prize and was nominated for both Kuvastaja Award and Finlandia Prize for Children's & YA literature in 2020.

She has a Master's degree in Finnish language and literature and has worked teaching Finnish and creating study materials. Luttinen is fascinated by everyday life in different eras and wants to transport readers to other worlds with her texts.

Bibliography


2020, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Stormseye

Meri Luttinen

Greek rights pre-empted for Minna Lindgren’s SUNSET GROVE TRILOGY! 15 rights sold!

We are extremely happy to announce a new deal for Minna Lindgren’s  SUNSET GROVE cozy crime trilogy!
Enalios in Greece has now pre-empted all 3 titles in the series!

Just in a few weeks, the Hungarian publisher Kossuth, Lithuanian publisher Obuolys, Latvian publisher Petergailis and Yedioth Books from Israel acquired titles in the series. The FILM & TV RIGHTS have been sold to Aurora Studios.

The translation rights have now been sold in 15 territories, but are still available in  Russia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Netherlands, Albania, Korea, Bulgaria, etc.

Download the full English pdfs for THE SUNSET GROVE TRILOGY by clicking here


PRAISE FOR THE SERIES

Death in Sunset Grove is Finnish Miss Marple
– 
Independent, United Kingdom

Lindgren perfectly captures the universal confusions (Siiri and Irma attend the funeral of the wrong person) and uncertainties of old age (how many of their friends will still be alive in a week to attend a reunion luncheon?) in the service of a captivating plot. Readers will eagerly await the sequel.
– 
Publishers Weekly, United States

Death in Sunset Grove is a feel-good novel that makes you think. Lindgren writes about serious matters, like the care of the elderly, using satirical humour to great effect and in Death in Sunset Grove she manages to produce a very funny detective story starring two elderly ladies with the combined age of about 180 and Miss Marple-esque tendency to solve crimes.
– Dublin Literary Award longlist, Ireland


 

#1 Death in Sunset Grove
Kuolema ehtoolehdossa, Teos 2013, 305pp

Imagine the Sunset Grove retirement home – filled mostly with bored residents, with empty time filled with never-ending arts and crafts sessions, gym classes, accordion evenings and glasses of red wine.
When two 90-year-old inhabitants – Irma and Siiri – decide to take upon them an investigation of a suspicious death of the retirement home cook, all that is about to change!
#2 Escape from Sunset Grove
Ehtoolehdon pakolaiset, Teos 2014, 256pp

Sunset Grove retirement home turns into a kind of hell when it is taken over by foreign construction workers cursing fluently in Finnish. The noise is deafening, a hole appears in the wall, things disappear and residents have to use a portable toilet.

Residents Siiri, Irma and Anna-Liisa, all older than 90, decide to move into a shared apartment in the exotic neighborhood of Hakaniemi. All three have their own habits and quirks, and life together isn’t entirely free of friction. The women also learn about the sad differences in quality with at-home assistance, and are forced to become familiar with terminal care and questions surrounding euthanasia.
#3 The End of Sunset Grove
Ehtoolehdon tuho, Teos 2015, 289pp

The final part of the trilogy marks a return to the retirement community. But the place no longer feels like home and has turned into a state-funded, technology-driven pilot project in elderly care. The conclusion brings together characters lost along the way, and murky details are brought to light. Legal justice is also served – in unexpected ways. A natural, long-awaited death finally collects some, but still not all, of our main characters.

 

PS! Don’t forget about FILI grants!

Do you have a perfect Finnish literature project in mind but would need some support for the translation costs?

We are happy to let you know that FILI translation grant application period is still ongoing all week and will end on 1st of November! The grant can cover up to 70% of your Finnish/Finland-Swedish translation project.

Last period, over 100 projects were awarded a grant! Read more from: https://fili.fi/…/finnish-literature-into-other-languages/

DEATH IN SUNSET GROVE
Kuolema ehtoolehdossa
Teos 2013, 305pp

ESCAPE FROM SUNSET GROVE
Ehtoolehdon pakolaiset
Teos 2014, 256pp

THE END OF SUNSET GROVE
Ehtoolehdon tuho
Teos 2015, 289pp

Rights sold for the series:

FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: XYZ
DENMARK: Jensen & Dalgaard
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE: Calmann-Lévy
GERMANY: Kiepenheuer & Witsch
GREECE: Enalios
HUNGARY: Kossuth
ISRAEL: Yedioth Books
ITALY: Marsilio
LATVIA: Pētergailis
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
SLOVAKIA: Albatros Media Slovakia s.r.o.
SPAIN: Santillana
SWEDEN: Norstedts
WORLD ENGLISH: Pan Macmillan

FILM & TV RIGHTS: Aurora Studios

About author


Minna Lindgren

Minna Lindgren (b. 1963) is a freelance journalist and columnist known for her whimsical writing style and fearless approach to topics as strange as opera and death. In addition to novels, she has authored nonfiction books on classical music. In 2009, Lindgren won the Bonnier Journalism Prize for her article entitled “Father’s Death” (“Isän kuolema”).

Lindgren is best known for the Sunset Grove trilogy, which has been sold to 18 territories, and the final part, The End of Sunset Grove, was nominated for the International Dublin Literature Award in 2019. She has also written four standalone novels and a non-fiction book about the history of opera.

Minna Lindgren’s books have been critical and commercial successes, in Finland and internationally.

Bibliography


2020, Literary Fiction, Humor

Hope Never Dies

Minna Lindgren


2019, Literary Fiction, Humor

A Far, Far Love

Minna Lindgren


2018, Literary Fiction, Humor

Angry Widow

Minna Lindgren


2015, Literary Fiction, Humor

The End of Sunset Grove

Minna Lindgren


2014, Literary Fiction, Humor

Escape from Sunset Grove

Minna Lindgren


2013, Literary Fiction, Humor

Death in Sunset Grove

Minna Lindgren

Another deal for Minna Lindgren’s SUNSET GROVE TRILOGY! Now 4 deals in a row!

We are extremely happy to announce a new deal for Minna Lindgren’s  SUNSET GROVE cozy crime trilogy!

Just in a few weeks, the Hungarian publisher Kossuth, Lithuanian publisher Obuolys and Latvian publisher Petergailis acquired the rights, now Yedioth Books from Israel has also acquired the first title in the series DEATH IN SUNSET GROVE.

The FILM & TV RIGHTS have been sold to Aurora Studios.

The translation rights have now been sold in 14 territories, but are still available in Greece, Russia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Netherlands, Albania, Korea, Italy, Bulgaria, etc.

Download the full English pdfs for THE SUNSET GROVE TRILOGY by clicking here


PRAISE FOR THE SERIES

Death in Sunset Grove is Finnish Miss Marple
– 
Independent, United Kingdom

Lindgren perfectly captures the universal confusions (Siiri and Irma attend the funeral of the wrong person) and uncertainties of old age (how many of their friends will still be alive in a week to attend a reunion luncheon?) in the service of a captivating plot. Readers will eagerly await the sequel.
– 
Publishers Weekly, United States

Death in Sunset Grove is a feel-good novel that makes you think. Lindgren writes about serious matters, like the care of the elderly, using satirical humour to great effect and in Death in Sunset Grove she manages to produce a very funny detective story starring two elderly ladies with the combined age of about 180 and Miss Marple-esque tendency to solve crimes.
– Dublin Literary Award longlist, Ireland


 

#1 Death in Sunset Grove
Kuolema ehtoolehdossa, Teos 2013, 305pp

Imagine the Sunset Grove retirement home – filled mostly with bored residents, with empty time filled with never-ending arts and crafts sessions, gym classes, accordion evenings and glasses of red wine.
When two 90-year-old inhabitants – Irma and Siiri – decide to take upon them an investigation of a suspicious death of the retirement home cook, all that is about to change!
#2 Escape from Sunset Grove
Ehtoolehdon pakolaiset, Teos 2014, 256pp

Sunset Grove retirement home turns into a kind of hell when it is taken over by foreign construction workers cursing fluently in Finnish. The noise is deafening, a hole appears in the wall, things disappear and residents have to use a portable toilet.

Residents Siiri, Irma and Anna-Liisa, all older than 90, decide to move into a shared apartment in the exotic neighborhood of Hakaniemi. All three have their own habits and quirks, and life together isn’t entirely free of friction. The women also learn about the sad differences in quality with at-home assistance, and are forced to become familiar with terminal care and questions surrounding euthanasia.
#3 The End of Sunset Grove
Ehtoolehdon tuho, Teos 2015, 289pp

The final part of the trilogy marks a return to the retirement community. But the place no longer feels like home and has turned into a state-funded, technology-driven pilot project in elderly care. The conclusion brings together characters lost along the way, and murky details are brought to light. Legal justice is also served – in unexpected ways. A natural, long-awaited death finally collects some, but still not all, of our main characters.

 

 

 

DEATH IN SUNSET GROVE
Kuolema ehtoolehdossa
Teos 2013, 305pp

ESCAPE FROM SUNSET GROVE
Ehtoolehdon pakolaiset
Teos 2014, 256pp

THE END OF SUNSET GROVE
Ehtoolehdon tuho
Teos 2015, 289pp

Rights sold for the series:

FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: XYZ
DENMARK: Jensen & Dalgaard
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE: Calmann-Lévy
GERMANY: Kiepenheuer & Witsch
HUNGARY: Kossuth
ISRAEL: Yedioth Books
ITALY: Marsilio
LATVIA: Pētergailis
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
SLOVAKIA: Albatros Media Slovakia s.r.o.
SPAIN: Santillana
SWEDEN: Norstedts
WORLD ENGLISH: Pan Macmillan

FILM & TV RIGHTS: Aurora Studios

 

 

 

PS! Don’t forget about FILI grants!

Do you have a perfect Finnish literature project in mind but would need some support for the translation costs?

We are happy to let you know that FILI translation grant application period is still ongoing all week and will end on 1st of November! The grant can cover up to 70% of your Finnish/Finland-Swedish translation project.

Last period, over 100 projects were awarded a grant! Read more from: https://fili.fi/…/finnish-literature-into-other-languages/

About author


Minna Lindgren

Minna Lindgren (b. 1963) is a freelance journalist and columnist known for her whimsical writing style and fearless approach to topics as strange as opera and death. In addition to novels, she has authored nonfiction books on classical music. In 2009, Lindgren won the Bonnier Journalism Prize for her article entitled “Father’s Death” (“Isän kuolema”).

Lindgren is best known for the Sunset Grove trilogy, which has been sold to 18 territories, and the final part, The End of Sunset Grove, was nominated for the International Dublin Literature Award in 2019. She has also written four standalone novels and a non-fiction book about the history of opera.

Minna Lindgren’s books have been critical and commercial successes, in Finland and internationally.

Bibliography


2020, Literary Fiction, Humor

Hope Never Dies

Minna Lindgren


2019, Literary Fiction, Humor

A Far, Far Love

Minna Lindgren


2018, Literary Fiction, Humor

Angry Widow

Minna Lindgren


2015, Literary Fiction, Humor

The End of Sunset Grove

Minna Lindgren


2014, Literary Fiction, Humor

Escape from Sunset Grove

Minna Lindgren


2013, Literary Fiction, Humor

Death in Sunset Grove

Minna Lindgren

19th territory for Mia Kankimäki’s THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT!

We are very happy to announce that Hungarian publisher Kossuth has now acquired rights to Mia Kankimäki’s internationally bestselling travelogue/biography THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT. 

Mia Kankimäki’s second book THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT has sold over 45 000 copies in all formats in Finland and the translation rights have been sold to 19 territories, including USA and China. The book was recently published in France, Sweden and Italy and has had an excellent critical reception worldwide.

 Download the Full English manuscript

THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT was named as one of The Independent’s ”Best Travel Books of Year 2021″:

“Packed with emotions, this book is like reading a travelogue, feminist’s manifesto and a self-help guide in one.”

THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT
by Mia Kankimäki

Mia Kankimäki leaves her job, sells her apartment and travels to Africa to see where Karen Blixen – the Danish author, baroness and coffee farmer – lived in the 1920s. She goes to Japan in search of a cure for her depression, and to research Yayoi Kusama, the world-renowned artist, and around the world in the footsteps of 19th century women explorers. In Italy, she spends days looking for forgotten Renaissance women painters of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. If these women could make it in the world hundreds of years ago, why couldn’t she?

The Women I Think About At Night is part travelogue and part biography: in clear prose Kankimäki writes about the lost women adventurers of history – perfect reading for adult fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, and anyone who’s ever wanted to travel to all the places they’ve ever read about.

PRAISE:

“Enlightening…A patchwork study of the many hurdles women artists faced—and still face.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The stories are complicated and inspiring, and Kankimäki’s experience unwinding each one to help understand her own life reminds us of the power of using travel for self-discovery.” —Travel + Leisure

“Complicated and engaging … Through each chapter, you’ll learn about women who went against the grain and set out on personal adventures to unapologetically live their lives with passion and fervor. You’ll read about a woman who ran a coffee plantation in Kenya; a travel writer who suffered from depression until she took the advice of a doctor to explore the high seas; a Buddhist nun who became the first white woman to enter Lhasa, a forbidden city in the mid 1920’s; an inventor who traveled around the world with just a handbag; and many more. —Forbes

“Astute, entertaining….This insightful book will appeal to adventure enthusiasts and be an inspiration for those with an eye on hitting their stride later in life.” —Publishers Weekly

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ALBANIA: Muza
CHINA: Winshare Books Co., Ltd.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media / Motto
DENMARK: Bilgrav
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE: Editions Leduc
GERMANY: btb Verlag/Random House
HUNGARY: Kossuth
ITALY: Neri Pozza Editore
JAPAN: Soshisha
LATVIA: Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Gelmes Publishing
NETHERLANDS: Orlando
NORWAY: Gursli Berg Forlag
RUSSIA: Eksmo
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Wahlström & Widstrand
USA: Simon & Schuster (World English)

About author


Mia Kankimäki

Mia Kankimäki is the author of two best-selling books which blend travelogue, memoir, biography, and women’s history. After taking a master’s degree in comparative literature at the University of Helsinki and working diligently in Finnish publishing, in 2010 she left her job and traveled to Japan to write her first book. Her books have received several literary awards, for example the Best Travel Book of the Year 2013, the HelMet Award 2015, and Otava Book Foundation’s Non-Fiction Award 2020. She currently lives in Helsinki, Finland, whenever she’s not traveling for her next book project.

Mia has been enthusiastic about Japanese culture for years and is a qualified ikebana teacher of the Sogetsu school. Her first book Things That Make One’s Hear Beat Faster took her to Kyoto where she has spent long periods of writing and making research ever since. Kankimäki’s second book The Women I Think About at Night has sold over 55,000 copies in Finland and the translation rights have been sold to 21 territories, including USA and China.

Mia's both books have been aqcuired by Japanese publisher Soshisha:

"I am delighted to share that Mia Kankimäki’s debut title, THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER, is embraced and loved by many Japanese readers. A cross between an autobiography and a travelogue, the author finds an emotional connection with a woman geographically far apart and from a different era and tries to discover who she really was. I believe this style is reflected in THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT as well. Though some of the female figures in this second book might not be well-known locally, I am looking forward to seeing how our readers will react to their lifestyles." - Daisuke Watanabe, Editor, Soshisha

Bibliography


2018, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

The Women I Think About At Night

Mia Kankimäki


2013, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Things That Make One's Heart Beat Faster

Mia Kankimäki

Hungarian rights pre-empted for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and the sequel!

We are so happy to announce another pre-empt for the thriller of this Frankfurt season:

Partvonal pre-empted the Hungarian rights of Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel!

Partvonal is the Hungarian publisher for Agatha Christie, Tom Clancy, Mattias Edvardsson, Roberto Saviano etc.

In the last 2 months, the rights have been already sold to the UK (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca) Hungary is already the 9th territory for the series!

Rights still available in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, US, Norway, Lithuania, Romania, Turkey, France, Netherlands etc.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine

“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaper

Martta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ida becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.

 

PUBLISHERS’ PRAISE:

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa
WSOY, March 2021, 407pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as 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 husband at a second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

TOP 8 Bestselling Nordic Fiction titles this Frankfurt Season!

As the Frankfurt Book Fair is now in progress, it’s a great possibility to take a look at our bestselling Fiction titles in this season – see if you have missed something!


TOP 8 Fiction titles:

1. Martta Kaukonen – FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
8 rights sold since August!

Ida, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Rights still available in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, US, Norway, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Turkey, France, Netherlands etc.

Read more here.


2.-3.  Emmi Itäranta – MOONDAY LETTERS
4 rights sold since August!

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.

Rights still available in Estonia, Russia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Latvia, France, Netherlands etc.

Read more here.


 

2.-3 Martta Kaukonen – Sequel to FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
4 rights sold since August!

Rights still available in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, US, Norway, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Turkey, France, Netherlands etc.


4.-5. Elina Backman – STILL WATERS RUN DEEP 
3 rights sold since August!

Three young men are making a documentary film about a mystical hermit, living in the Isle of Sheep in Helsinki. First one of them disappears, then another one. When one of them is found dead in the nearby nature reserve, the police becomes involved.

Rights still available in Denmark, US, Turkey, France, Latvia, Korea, Iceland, Bulgaria, UK, Spain, Japan, Greece, Serbia etc.

Read more here.


4.-5. Minna Lindgren  – DEATH IN SUNSET GROVE 
3 rights sold since August!
Who could imagine that anything illegal – whether it be suspicious deaths, thefts or the covert trading of medications – could happen in Sunset Grove retirement home? Its 90-year-old residents Siiri and Irma certainly can’t.

Rights still available in Russia, Norway, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Korea etc.
Read more here.


6.-8 Elina Backman – ALL THE KING’S MEN 
2 rights sold since August!
Saana has been fired from her job as a click-bait journalist, so she decides to spend a summer with her aunt in a small-town Hartola. It sounds like a perfect opportunity to take it easy and recover. But when Saana begins to dig into a case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, the peace of the small town is shaken.

Rights still available in Denmark, US, Turkey, France, Latvia, Korea, Iceland, Bulgaria, UK, Spain, Japan, Greece, Serbia etc.
Read more here.


6.-8 Ann-Luise Bertell – HOMESTEAD
2 rights sold since August!

When Elof is ten years old, his father dies, leaving him and his little brother Ivar alone at the mercy of their relatives. Fear becomes their companion throughout life – a companion who can only be disciplined by the joy of storytelling, alcohol and women.
This intense family chronicle asks the question; what is the price you have to pay, if you never get to be yourself?

Rights still available in Russia, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Turkey etc.

Read more here.


6.-8 Johanna Sinisalo – THE STORM FLUTE
2 rights sold since August!

A merchant named Jonah, living in Assyria 600 years before the common era, gets caught in a storm. Is the storm a curse from God, or is it his own doing? In Finland in the 2010’s, Leena Lind loves her job as a meteorologist, but the activities of an aggressive finance company have her wasting her expertise at menial tasks. When her daughter Leia plays a game that involves making a video of a thunderstorm, Leena’s life is blown irretrievably off track and soon no one is safe anymore.

Rights still available in Estonia, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Turkey, Netherlands etc.

Read more here.

PS! Don’t forget about FILI grants!

Do you have a perfect Finnish literature project in mind but would need some support for the translation costs?

We are happy to let you know that FILI translation grant application period started on October 1st and ends on November 1st! The grant can cover up to 70% of your Finnish/Finland-Swedish translation project.

Last period, over 100 projects were awarded a grant! Read more from: https://fili.fi/…/finnish-literature-into-other-languages/