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Johtajasta mestariksi / Leadership as Mastery: The Finnish Way
Tammi, January 2023, 174 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Ühinenud Ajakirjad
Reading materials:
Full English manuscript
GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu
Sounds True, January 2023, 194 pp.
Rights sold:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing
Reading materials:
English edition
HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN: FROM WINTER WAR TO COLD WAR, 1939-1950
STALIN JA SUOMEN KOHTALO
Otava, 2016, 240 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Äripäev
GREECE: Papadopoulos Publishers
POLAND: REBIS
WORLD ENGLISH: Yale University Press
Reading materials:
English manuscript
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Snälla Stella, sluta skälla!
Förlaget, March 2023, 44 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish), Etana Editions (Finnish)
SWEDEN: Förlaget
DENMARK: Gads Forlag
ESTONIA: Tammerraamat
GERMANY: Mixtvision
Reading materials:
English PDF
Finland-Swedish PDF
It’s (almost) Easter and we at Ahlback Agency are inspired by a great Norwegian tradition: påskekrim – Easter Crime! Yes, Easter season means crime novel release season in Norway and what better way to celebrate this occasion than with our Ahlback Agency spring 2023 crime highlight title: FOREVER WITH YOU by Erika Vik.
We now have a book trailer for this exciting psychological thriller debut in which Nordic Noir meets Goth Rock:
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FOREVER WITH YOU will be published in Finland next week, on April 14th. We have an English sample and synopsis available.
Praise:
“A dark, skillfully written rock thriller in which the author knows the world, and the details of which will linger in the reader’s mind.”
– Otava Crime Novel Competition, Honorary Award
We are happy to inform you that the FILI Spring 2023 grant application period opened on April 1st and will last until May 1st. Now is the right time to acquire your next Finnish title and author, and apply for the FILI translation grant!
FILI offers grants to support the translation of Finnish literature. These grants are intended for publishers outside Finland and are to be applied towards the translator’s fee. Grants are awarded for translating works of fiction and general non-fiction, children’s and young adult (YA) books, and comics and graphic novels from the Finnish, Finland-Swedish and Sámi languages. Grants are awarded to cover part of the translation cost, on average, 50 to 70 per cent. Grants are also available for printing costs for comics and graphic novels and for children’s picture books. Read more here: APPLY FOR THE FILI GRANTS
In the previous application period of Winter 2023, 80 projects received the FILI grant with over 125,000 EUR awarded in total! See the latest awarded projects here.
This is a perfect time to acquire exciting new Finnish titles – see some of our Spring highlights below, and download materials here: Ahlback Agency Spring 2023 Catalogue
A fast-paced and intensive psychological thriller that takes a deep dive into the brutal world of the music industry.
“A dark, skillfully written rock thriller in which the author knows the world, and the details of which will linger in the reader’s mind.”
– Otava Crime Novel Competition, Honorary Award
Download materials for FOREVER WITH YOU here!
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 named Hartola. It sounds like a perfect opportunity to take it easy and recover. But when Saana begins to dig into the case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, peace in the small town is shaken.
Meanwhile, in Helsinki, a fire-marked body is found at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, and crime investigator Jan Leino and his team have a new case on their hands. However, the investigation isn’t going anywhere, and Jan fears that the murder at King’s Gate is just the beginning…
“Author Elina Backman’s debut and first instalment of the Saana Havas series puts a clear exclamation mark behind cottage core thrillers with Finnish flair.”
– Nils Heuner on kulturnews.de – segment “crime novel of the week”
Download materials for ALL THE KING’S MEN here!
A Spiegel bestseller!
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?
“It’s exciting how the author succeeded in her novel to present the events as present, but the characters spoke to you as if they were reflecting on the events with us in a Netflix series. That was definitely the icing on the cake for me! [–] FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY [was] a real page turner. Every twist hits you cold and every solution you come up with is destroyed by the author in one sentence. A thriller that will take your breath away. You can no longer trust your own thoughts and the individual characters. Recommended reading for psychological thriller fans!”
– Lisa Albrecht on academicworld.net, Germany
Download materials for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY here!
A fateful novel about friendship, passion and secrets buried in the sea from the end of the occupation of Norway till the 1970s.
”The novel is filled with fantastic nature descriptions. The author has written it with such detail, that the reader can sense the rippling of waves on the pier and the stormy swelling of the sea against the harsh rocks. [–] The colourful nature descriptions accompany the bleak human destinies which the reader follows with excitement until the end.”
– Jari Olavi Hiltunen in Satakunnan Kansa newspaper
Download materials for ØRJA here!
Inherited Land tells multiple enchanting stories about short human lives on a small farmstead in the north of Finland with its golden cloudberries and the mythical woodland animals. The hub of the narrative is a marsh close to the farmstead, and nature is the constant while humans are like dragonflies: here one day, gone the next. Across four centuries, the people face wars, epidemics, and heartbreaks, but from the woods they find shelter and a place to be themselves.
Inherited Land is a novel about the climate crisis without ever mentioning it by name. Instead, the novel explores what people have thought about their environment, how they have used it and why. The novel is a reminder of where we have come from, and what a relationship between humans and nature could look like in the future.
The book is beautiful like a piece of jewelry and rich like a forest.
– Freja Rudels, Åbo Underrättelser newspaper
Download materials for INHERITED LAND here!
This shiningly beautiful novel is an autopsy of girlhood and power
Philippa Laakso, aged seventeen, is found dead in her yard at home. Nothing suggests a crime, and everyone who knew her is certain she wasn’t suicidal. On the other hand, all who knew her seem to hold a differing view of her. The investigation sees them being interviewed, but behind every view and story is Philippa’s influence. She still has the people around her in a sharp grip: her friend, ex-boyfriend, teacher, neighbors.
“Pulkkinen is an incredibly skillful, clever, deep author with a clear voice of her own, and she’s again managed to capture a great image on the pages with almost magical skills.”
– Heidi Heinonen in Kaleva newspaper
Download materials for THE ENCHANTMENT here!
“Leadership is often thought of as a quality of the individual, but in this LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY we learn it is more of an art form to be mastered. We develop to be an exceptional leader through cycles of practice and reflection, just like the mastery of any other complex skill.”
– Jeffrey K. Liker, PhD, author of international bestseller The Toyota Way
Download materials for LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY here!
They like to stay in the shadows. Who are the families that wield the most power in the world?
Very few of us know the Lees, the al-Nahyans, the Quandts, or the Wertheimers. We all know, however, their companies Samsung, Manchester City, BMW, and Chanel. Many of the world’s most influential companies are still family businesses, and many of them go back many generations. Many of them operate around the world, and some are worth tens of billions of dollars. Still, we know astonishingly little about these families.
Download materials for THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS FAMILIES IN THE WORLD here!
An epic novel about love and power in a fictional East Asia of the future!
The state of Fusang is recovering from a war that ravaged the world. 16-year-old Kong Dawei is living in a poor mountain village and tries to pay his adopted siblings’ citizen dues by transporting contraband goods at night. After a series of unfortunate events, Dawei ends up in the southern capital which is ruled by the cruel matriarch of the White Tiger Clan. When there is nothing else to lose, Dawei has only one goal: to get back to his loved ones, his brother Ren and his friend and love interest Dray– whatever it takes.
“SANG is an incredible fantasy epic, where the twists and turns are so harrowing one has to hold on to their armchair tightly. [–] One simply has to live fully within the world of SANG with all their heart, and the book stayed with me for a long time.”
– Kotiliesi magazine
Download materials for SANG here!
An interactive and playful bedtime story for toddlers featuring a very loud dog with a big imagination!
“OFF! VOFF! GRR-VOFF!”
A father tries to put his child to bed, but keeps getting interrupted by Stella the dog, who starts barking hysterically. Something unexpected always happens, and the reader is treated to Stella’s lively imaginations: it may be a door opening or a car driving by, but Stella is strongly convinced it’s Grandma coming to give her food, or that squirrels have built a nest in the toaster.
Anyone who has ever tried to bring a child to bed knows how cozy yet fragile the situation is. It requires the right amount of patience and determination. The right bedtime story can be the key to a successful, quiet night.
Download materials for STELLA here!
“The novel, which refreshes the tradition of fairytales, speaks for environmental protection, animal rights and imagination. Just as important as it is to take care of nature and animals, it is to care for the world of magic, miracles, and imaginary creatures. The characters, customs and living areas of the trolls and fairies have been illustrated beautifully and with attention to detail. One wants to stop to appreciate each image, but also feels a strong need to carry on reading the story.”
– Finlandia Jury 2022
We are very happy to announce representation of two exciting new authors for our spring 2023 fiction list!
Please join us in welcoming the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2023 nominated Emma Puikkonen and critical acclaimed debut author Riikka Sandberg to Ahlback Agency!
You can read more about Emma and Riikka’s works below and we are looking forward to discussing their books with you in London and virtual meetings!
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.
Ørja (Ørja, Otava, February 2023) – Upmarket fiction
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?
Reading material: English sample + synopsis
Emma Puikkonen (b. 1974) is one of Finland’s foremost contemporary prose writers. Her works explore highly topical themes and phenomena, of which climate change has recently become the most important. She is a trained drama instructor who also teaches the literary arts and theatre.
Her work Eurooppalaiset unet (2016) was nominated for the Finlandia and Export Prizes, and an earlier novel, Lupaus (2019), met with critical acclaim. Her novel Musta peili (2021) (“The Black Mirror”, not published in English) was nominated for the Runeberg Prize and has been nominated for the 2023 Nordic Council Literature Prize.
The Black Mirror (Musta peili, WSOY, September 2021) – Literary Fiction
Nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2023!
Three women, three epochs and three destinies
The Black Mirror is a magically beautiful novel about a world ran by oil. And about the humankind who must take a look at the looking glass.
When Ida Tarbell is a child, black gold is springing from the ground in her hometown of Rouseville in the 1860s. When Lotte Teer is a child in 1973, people gather around on a picnic on an Amsterdam highway. Astrid Fuglesang has always dreamed of oil rigs and lands on one in the year 2028.
For millions of years, black liquid has hibernated beneath the earth and the ocean. When it is awoken, the humankind can no longer live without it. Ida, Lotte and Astrid are driven women whose fates are swayed by oil. Each of them takes control of it, in a way.
Reading material: Swedish manuscript available, English sample + synopsis: April 2023
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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ALBANIA: Dritan
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gyldendal
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE/ World French: HarperCollins France
GERMANY: Piper Verlag
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
LITHUANIA: BALTO
NETHERLANDS: De Bezige Bij/Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
ROMANIA: Lebada Neagra
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov, Ferber
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Aurora Studios
We are excited to announce that Martta Kaukonen’s international success crime novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is now out in German, published by Heyne this week! And we love their cover!
THERAPIERT has already been praised by German bloggers:
“The thriller was able to surprise me with many plot twists, fool me and was simply a great read, because especially the frequent changes between the different perspectives made me incredibly curious again and again and everything came together bit by bit and yet in suspenseful manner (…) Ultimately, in my opinion, a successful debut by the author and I am already incredibly excited to see what I can read from her next!” – Gedankenlabor blog
“It’s exciting how the author succeeded in her novel to present the events as present, but the characters spoke to you as if they were reflecting on the events with us in a Netflix series. That was definitely the icing on the cake for me! (…) FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY [was] a real page turner. Every twist hits you cold and every solution you come up with is destroyed by the author in one sentence. A thriller that will take your breath away. You can no longer trust your own thoughts and the individual characters. Recommended reading for psychological thriller fans!” – Lisa Albrecht on academicworld.net
“Kaukonen’s debut novel is in its structure and narrative style reminiscent of thrillers by Gillian Flynn (amongst others “Gone Girl”), Paula Hawkins (“Girl on the train”) or A. J. Finn (“The woman in the window”). The novel really toys with the reader. (…) A clever game of confusion that draws its subtle tension from the constant changes in perspective and the numerous twists and turns. The special narrative style makes Kaukonen’s novel so worth reading. A psychological thriller that really gets under your skin and subliminally, but sometimes ironically, also criticizes the media and psychotherapy.” – Thomas Gisbertz on Krimicouch.de
Congratulations to Heyne and Martta Kaukonen!
FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY has been a critical success and bestseller in Finland, and was nominated for the Savonia Prize. The rights were sold to to 14 territories and the book will be published in the UK and US next year by Pushkin Press. A sequel is coming out in November 2023.
We now have a full English manuscript for you to review. Rights are still available for France, Italy, World Spanish, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, …
Terapiassa / Follow the Butterfly
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne (2-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios (2-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal (2-book-deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible
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2022 has been another busy and great year for our agency and authors. We therefore wanted to take a moment to review our year in books with you and once again celebrate the highlights that made us proud and kept us going. We also want to share our personal books of the year with you – maybe one of them will end up being your holiday read!
We would also like to take this chance to wish you all happy holidays and a good start into the new year – we are excited to talk more about books with you in 2023 and can’t wait to share our spring list with you soon! But first, enjoy your well deserved break and time with friends and loved ones!
All the best from us at Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency,
Elina, Elsa, Sten-Erik, Linda, Mimi, Anna
We were thrilled that so many of our agency’s authors got chosen for literary awards this year! A big round of congratulations to all award winners and nominees!
Award winners:
Award nominees:
We were thrilled to see that our authors had a successful year in sales in Finland and abroad! Here is a selection of sales that we would like to highlight:
2022 was a good year for film news – and watch this space for new exciting announcements in early 2023!
We were happy to see that so many of our authors’ books received great reviews in Finnish and international media. Here are just some highlights:
Review for INHERITED LAND by Maria Turtschaninoff:
“Turtschaninoff has written the perfect novel to give as a Christmas gift. [–] Maria Turtschaninoff’s novel is an allegory for Finland and offers enchanting praise to the land of marshes. Maria Turtschaninoff digs deep into the Finnish relationship with nature, into the mundane and mystical bogholes of the marshlands. The topic is universal: the rights to the novel have already been sold to 18 countries.” – Anni Valtonen in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, starred review
Review for THE ENCHANTMENT by Riikka Pulkkinen:
“The seventh novel by Riikka pulkkinen is an aesthetic ensemble of the endless creative power of language. [–] The language of The Enchantment breathes in a sleek rhythm of its own, and forms into a deliberate, aesthetic composition. [—] One of the most powerful aspects of the novel is how girl talk, and through it the whole of what we call being a girl, is recycled in a new, experimental way. The protagonist Philippa takes the conventional girl discourse fully as her own. [—] Side by side with the heavy topics, the novel is pierced by the mutual endorsement of the characters, which lives on as one of the most beautiful features of The Enchantment.” – Joel Suontama in Turun Sanomat newspaper
Review for MISS STEIN’S COOK BY Leena Parkkinen:
“Miss Stein’s Cook is a thrilling and tensive, multi-sided and multi-layered, thematically rich novel with a strong sensual power. [–] The answer to the ‘What really happened there?’ mystery is skillfully avoided for so long that on one hand, the reader feels impatient, and on the other hastens their reading to find the answer. The unbearableness and loveliness of reading were real at least for me.” – Kaisa Kurikka, Turun Sanomat newspaper
Review for ARCHIPELAGO by Max Seeck:
“The fourth instalment of the Jessica Niemi series of detective novels is the best to date and proves Seeck’s mastery of the genre’s traditions.” – pertti Avolain in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, starred review
Review for THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST by Aki Ollikainen:
“Aki Ollikainen continues to write shining novels. [–] The nearly 160-paged novel is a beautiful book. [–] Ollikainen’s omniscient narrator does not explain the narration or the events which in the context of a historical novel cross the lines of realism into that of magical.”– Arttu Seppänen in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
Review for PUTIN’S TROLLS by Jessikka Aro:
“Aro’s book is a superb work of journalism“ – Joshua C. Huminski in Diplomatic Courier
Review for ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY by Tiina Raevaara:
“Faith in humanity is being tested at the moment. It is comforting to remember that we’re not alone on Earth. During the last years, the ability of humans to communicate with other animals has been explored a lot in literature: how we talk to animals and with them, how do we confront other beings, what do they mean to us. Biologist and writer Tiina Raevaara’s ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY starts with a personal experience, familiar from the works of Helen Macdonald. When Raevaara has a burnout, even close people feel burdensome, but a dog – never, despite how much care and attention a dog requires. From the friendship of the writer and a dog, and interesting survey of the history, causes, and consequences of the co-existence of species branches.” – Arla Kanerva, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
Review for SANG by Elina Pitkäkangas:
“In the dystopian world recovering from a brutal war the different societal classes are miles apart, and the distance grows with a citizenship debt to be paid yearly. [–] Pitkäkangas describes the inequality and abuse of power skillfully. Warmth and balance is brought by the love between the brothers, but also romantic love and sexual desire. The object of the feelings is a friend, another boy, and the queer theme fits Sang without a fault.” – Arla Kanerva in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
Elina’s pick: INHERITED LAND by Maria Turtschaninoff: “The perfect book for Christmas and a future classic. We can already see that one main trend for 2023 in international translation and publication sales is the demand and the need for classic, epic, unique stories set in the Nordic countries, in atmospheric settings and landscapes. In the tradition of family sagas like One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez this episodic novel depicts human relationships with nature across centuries and generations, and tells multiple enchanting stories.”
Elsa’s pick: SANG by Elina Pitkäkangas: “I’ve read plenty of fantasy, but rarely have I come across world-building like this: done with such passion and care. Add to this a gripping plot and humane, fleshed-out and complex characters, and you have a rare gem in your hands. Pitkäkangas is insanely talented, and I cannot wait for the sequel Naraka!”
Sten-Erik’s pick: THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO by Heikki Aalto-Alanen: “The Story of Aino and Alvar Aalto is not only an informative, but an emotional and moving title. Instead of focusing solely on Aino and Alvar’s works in architecture and design, it highlights their personas, their love, their life with all of its ups and downs. Furthermore, the book shows that far from being just her husband’s co-worker, Aino Aalto played an essential role in Alvar’s work and, most importantly, was an award-winning and renowned architect and designer on her own right.”
Linda’s pick: LILI FLAME INVESTIGATES: MURDER AT THE MANSION by Laura Andersson: “Glamour, charm and intrigue in Helsinki on the cusp of a new era”
Mimi’s pick: ELLA – HELENE SCHJERFBECK by Mari Tossavainen: ”A charming book about one of the most famous artists in Finland. When reading Ella, you can feel the inspiring moments and the people who made a great impact in Helene Schjerfbeck’s life”
Anna’s pick: ITTY BITTY PRINCESS AND THE TRUTH ABOUT BABIES by Hannele Lampela & Ninka Reittu: “A warm and funny take on “where to babies come from/new sibling” books – the humour is on the side of the children, poking fun at the ridiculousness of adults trying everything to avoid giving a straight answer. But don’t worry, determined Itty Bitty won’t rest until she has some hard facts to share with her sandbox crew!”
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