LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES by Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani sold to France! Now 30 territories!

We are thrilled to announce that THE LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES series by Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani is now sold into 30 languagesÉditions Milan have acquired the French rights in the series in a two-book deal closed by Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Éditions Milan are the publisher of authors such as Leigh Bardugo, Amanda Foodie & C.L.Herman, Jason Reynolds, and Malorie Blackman. They are excited to start publishing the series in 2025:

We are delighted to be welcoming Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani in our list! Everyone at Milan is really smitten with these charming adventures. It’s the perfect mix of scary, fun and witty. We hope children will curl up with their book under the cover and shiver with joy at the idea of entering the Little Shop of Nightmares… as we do!” – Noémie Coutant, Editor – Fiction, Èditions Milan, France

THE LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES series features spooky mystery paired with laugh-out-loud humour for young readers from 5 years and up and is also perfect for reluctant readers. The 4th book in the series will publish in Finland in 2024.

Bestselling author Magdalena Hai is currently nominated for the Finlandia Prize 2023 for her YA novel HORNED GOD. Her texts are perfectly accompanied by Teemu Juhani’s humorous illustrations full of funny details, which make the series a irresistible package!

Congratulations to Magdalena Hai and Teemu Juhani for reaching 30 languages sold!

Will yours be next? We have full English texts for books 1-3 for you to read! Rights to the bestselling series are still available in UK, US, China, Iceland, Israel…

Download the materials for LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES series here!

Painajaispuoti ja kamala kutituspulveri
WSOY, 2018, 60 pp.

Rights sold: LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES SERIES
FINLAND: WSOY(orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: Emas
CATALAN: La Galera
CZECH REPUBLIC: Euromedia
DENMARK: Vild Maskine
ESTONIA: Postimees Kirjastus
FRANCE: Éditions Milan
GERMANY: HarperCollins Schneiderbuch
GREECE: Dioptra
HUNGARY: Cerkabella Konyvkiado
ITALY: Cart’ Armata Edizioni
JAPAN: Holp Publishing
KOREA: Gilbutschool
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Briedis
NETHERLANDS: De Vier Windstreken
NORWAY: Fontini
POLAND: Znak
PORTUGAL: PRH Portugal
ROMANIA: Univers Publishing House
RUSSIA: Kompass Guide
SERBIA: Odiseja
SLOVAKIA: Ikar
SWEDEN: Hegas
TAIWAN: Morning Star
TURKEY: Epsilon
UKRAINE: The Old Lion Publishing House
WORLD SPANISH: La Galera

Reading materials:
English PDFs for books #1-#3
English text for book #4

About author


Magdalena Hai

Magdalena Hai is an award-winning author, lover of cross-genre fiction and all things strange. Her fiction often combines elements of sci-fi, fantasy and horror.

Her Little Shop of Nightmares series has been sold to 30 territories around the world. Among Hai's many accolades are winning the Finlandia Prize for children's and YA literature and the Finnish Literary Export Prize, and being nominated for the Finlandia Prize for Children's and Youth Literature and the Nordic Council Children & Young People's Literature Prize.

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

About author


Teemu Juhani

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

LITTLE MOUSE #8 and #9 sold to Romania! Estonian award for LITTLE MOUSE HELPS OUT!

We are thrilled to announce that the Romanian publisher Editura Paralela 45 has acquired the rights to two more LITTLE MOUSE titles by Riikka Jäntti: LITTLE MOUSE AND THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT (book #8 in the series) and LITTLE MOUSE WELCOMES SPRING (book #9 in the series)! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

We are also delighted to let you know that the second title in the LITTLE MOUSE series, LITTLE MOUSE HELPS OUT, has won the annual Aasta Raamat (‘Book of the Year’) award in Estonia! More specifically, LITTLE MOUSE HELPS OUT was selected as the best translated children’s and YA title for 2023. The Aasta Raamat prizes are awarded by Rahva Raamat, the oldest book store chain in Estonia.

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

Download the English PDFs for the LITTLE MOUSE series here!

Little Mouse and the Birthday Present

Riikka Jäntti

Little Mouse series – Book #8

At last, DING DONG! Little Mouse opens the front door for the birthday guests. Little Mouse receives delightful presents from his friends and then it is time to feast: the birthday cake and other desserts are to everyone’s taste. Games and quizzes are also a part of Little Mouse’s birthday.

The next morning Little Mouse gets a present from his mother, but ends up causing a surprising amount of trouble, especially to Mom!

 

Little Mouse Welcomes Spring

Riikka Jäntti

Little Mouse series – Book #9

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

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

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

LITTLE MOUSE AND THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT
PIKKU HIIRI JA SYNTYMÄPÄIVÄLAHJA
Tammi, 2022, 48 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDF
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
FRANCE: Cambourakis
GERMANY: Cross Cult
POLAND: FILIA
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45

 

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

READING MATERIALS
English PDF
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
FRANCE: Cambourakis
POLAND: FILIA
ROMANIA: Editura Paralela 45

 

LITTLE MOUSE SERIES
PIKKU HIIRI
Tammi, 2015-, 48 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English PDFs
Finnish editions

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

About author


Riikka Jäntti

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

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

Bibliography


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Welcomes Spring

Riikka Jäntti


2023, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes to the Museum

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Fables

Riikka Jäntti


2022, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse and the Birthday Present

Riikka Jäntti


2021, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Goes Camping

Riikka Jäntti


2020, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Summer

Riikka Jäntti


2019, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Winter

Riikka Jäntti


2018, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Holiday

Riikka Jäntti


2017, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse's Christmas

Riikka Jäntti


2016, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse Helps Out

Riikka Jäntti


2015, Picture Books (0-3 Years)

Little Mouse

Riikka Jäntti

Finnish rights to STOP CHASING HAPPINESS by Frank Martela sold to Gummerus in an auction!

We are thrilled to announce that the Finnish rights for STOP CHASING HAPPINESS: Counterintuitive Life Advice From the World’s Happiest Country have been acquired by Gummerus in an auction! The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Gummerus has already published Frank Martela’s previous book A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence and are excited to publish STOP CHASING HAPPINESS as a lead title on their non-fiction list:

I have been waiting for a new book by Frank Martela since I finished reading Elämän tarkoitus (A Wonderful Life). Frank simply helps me to think better and live better. And I am not alone so we cannot wait to publish his anticipated book and bring it to the hands of the impatient Finnish readers. We might be the happiest nation on Earth but we too need gentle guidance to happiness–or to understanding to avoid chasing it, to be precise. And who would be a more perfect thinker to deliver this message to us than Frank who has a phenomenal ability to present complex ideas in a comprehensible and thought-provoking way. We are honoured and inspired to continue to be his Finnish publisher.” Johanna Laitinen, Publisher at Gummerus

STOP CHASING HAPPINESS is a no-nonsense guide to a happier life by Finland’s leading happiness researcher Frank Martela. The book will be originally written in English and then translated to Finnish by the author himself. Rights to Frank Martela’s previous works have been sold to 30 territories.

There is already interest from other territories and we expect this to be one of our hot titles for Frankfurt book fair – now is the time to acquire the rights!

Download the English materials for STOP CHASING HAPPINESS here!

STOP CHASING HAPPINESS. Counterintuitive Life Advice From the World’s Happiest Country

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Gummerus (orig.)

Reading materials:
English book proposal, table of content, sample chapter

About author


Frank Martela

Frank Martela, PhD, is a philosopher and researcher of psychology specializing in the question of meaning in life. His articles have appeared in Scientific American Mind, Harvard Business Review, Salon, CNBC and his work has been featured on Quartz and on the BBC. His research has been published extensively in numerous academic journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, Perspectives on Psychological Science, Journal of Personality, Metaphilosophy, Southern Journal of Philosophy, and Academy of Management Review. He has spoken to more than one hundred audiences worldwide, including invited lectures in universities on five continents, including Stanford University and Harvard University. He’s been interviewed by the New York Times, Discover Magazine, New Scientist, Vice News, Fox News, and Monocle Observer among others. He is University Lecturer at Aalto University in Helsinki.

Outside of work, Frank is a father to three lovely children, an amateur-level soccer player, with an occasional skiing trip in the winters. He is made in Green Bay, so Packers holds a special place in his heart.

Bibliography


2023, Personal Growth & Lifestyle

The Meaning Manifesto: Why Work Needs to Have a Purpose

Frank Martela


2020, Personal Growth & Lifestyle

A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence

Frank Martela

3 pre-empts for Jessikka Aro’s PUTIN’S WORLD WAR!

We are thrilled to announce 3 pre-empts for Jessikka Aro’s upcoming title, PUTIN’S WORLD WAR: Russia’s Covert Operations to Destroy the West! The German publisher Goldmann acquired the German rights in a deal closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Corvina Books bought the Hungarian rights and N media acquired the Czech rights! The Czech and Hungarian deals were closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlbäck Agency. In Finland, Johnny Kniga will publish Putin’s World War in Spring 2024.

PUTIN’S WORLD WAR is a highly topical book featuring horrifying true stories about the secret operations of Putin’s intelligence services. Jessikka Aro is the winner of the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage of Journalism Award and her previous book, Putin’s Trolls,  was sold to 16 territories and will be turned into a TV series!

This is one of our non-fiction highlights for Frankfurt bookfair – now is the time to acquire the rights ahead of everyone else!

Download the English materials for PUTIN’S WORLD WAR here!

Putinin maailmansota – Venäjän salaiset operaatiot Lännen tuhoamiseksi
Johnny Kniga, Spring 2024

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Johnny Kniga (orig.)
CZECH: N media a.s.
GERMANY: Goldmann
HUNGARY: Corvina Books

Reading materials:
Info sheet

 

 

About author


Jessikka Aro

Jessikka Aro is an award-winning reporter with Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, specializing in Russia, extremism and information warfare. In 2014 and 2015, she published a series of articles on pro-Kremlin social media trolls and their influence outside of Russia’s borders. Due to her investigations, Jessikka became the target of a severe and still ongoing international propaganda and hate speech campaign, which she recounts in Putin’s Trolls.

In 2019, the US State Department awarded Jessikka the International Women of Courage Award, but the award was mysteriously rescinded by the Trump administration, allegedly due to her social media criticism of then President Trump. On December 1, 2020 Jessikka Aro received the International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award, presented in partnership with the Washington Post and hosted by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Jessikka was recognized for her award-winning investigative reporting of Russian information warfare. Jessikka lives in Helsinki, Finland.

Bibliography


2019, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, History & Politics

Putin's Trolls

Jessikka Aro

Introducing New Authors for Ahlback Agency in Fall 2023!

We are very happy to announce representation of our wonderful new authors for the fall season and couldn’t be more excited to share their new titles & works below! Welcome to the Ahlback Agency!

LITERARY FICTION: Katja Kettu
CRIME & THRILLERS: Joona Keskitalo, Pauliina Susi, and Kaisu Tuokko
ROMANCE & FEEL-GOOD: Jenni Multisilta

PERSONAL GROWTH & LIFESTYLE: CupOfTherapy authors Antti Ervasti & Matti Pikkujämsä,  and Marika Riikonen

CHILDREN’S & YA: Ilona Ahti and Pinja Meretoja
ILLUSTRATORS: Peter Bergting, Pinja Meretoja, Matti Pikkujämsä, Nora Surojegin and Miila Westin

Join us in welcoming our new authors aboard, read more about them and their excellent new titles below and see our Fall 2023 Catalogue here:

View the new Catalogue here!

FICTION

Katja Kettu: The Investigations of One Cat

Katja Kettu is an acclaimed and award-winning writer with a strong, unique voice from Northern Finland. Her debut novel Surujenkerääjä (2005) was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and won the Tiiliskivi Prize, but her breakthrough came with The Midwife (orig. Kätilö, 2011), which won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Runeberg Prize and the Thank You for the Book Medal. The rights for the novel have been sold to 19 countries, it has sold more than 160,000 copies in Finland, and in 2015 it was adapted into a film. Her novel Rose on poissa was a Finlandia Prize 2018 nominee. Kettu’s works have been translated into 23 languages.

The Investigations of One Cat (Erään kissan tutkimuksia, Otava, September 2023)

Can one find solace and meaning in life from the past once the future no longer exists? Combining autofiction and elements of magical realism, Katja Kettu’s latest novel also sheds light on the history of the Finnish frontiers.

Photo: Niclas Mäkelä / Otava

The Investigations of One Cat
Literary Fiction

Jenni Multisilta: Arctic Wedding Nightmare

Jenni Multisilta is a Master of Economics and a writer. Multisilta’s previous works include psychological thrillers, but a love of Christmas has inspired her to write about Christmas romance. In addition to writing, she is a former national-level competitive athlete who teaches aerial acrobatics and pole dancing, as well as yoga. In her free time, Multisilta hangs upside down here and there, for the world looks more interesting from different perspectives.

Arctic Wedding Nightmare (Umpihangessa alttarille, Otava, October 2023)

A dream wedding underneath the northern lights – or a wedding nightmare before Christmas? For readers of Alexandria Bellefleur, Sophie Kinsella and Casey McQuiston!

Photo: Niclas Mäkelä / Otava

Arctic Wedding Nightmare
Romance & Feel-good

Joona Keskitalo: The Outback Series: The Island Torn Apart

Joona Keskitalo was born in Oulu, grew up in Hämeenlinna and now lives with his family in Espoo. His debut novel Tottelemattomat was published in 2021 and is the first title in a crime series with the same name. The series has already captivated readers abroad as well, as the series is being published in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The trilogy has also been optioned as a TV series.

The Outback Series: The Island Torn Apart (Takamailla: Saari, Joka Repesi, Bazar, spring 2024)

New crime series by an author hailed as Finnish Jens Lapidus! The Island Torn Apart kicks off The Outback crime series set in remote Finnish villages. Each part is a unique story with its own set of characters, creating a series of thriller-like visits to the ends of long dirt roads, unleashing the Finnish mental landscape at its most naked and exotic!

Photo: Uupi Tirronen

The Island Torn Apart
Crime & Thrillers

Pauliina Susi: Private Property

Pauliina Susi is a versatile writer who has authored a number of crime novels and a non-fiction book about private investigators. Her debut novel was nominated for the prestigious Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and In the Rear Window is the Winner of the Clue of the Year 2016, a recognition of the best crime fiction or detective novel of the year. The readers and critics have been charmed by her Tuulia Raja crime series which combines witty language with complex relationships and intriguing murder mysteries, evoking similarities with the 1980s TV series Moonlighting. While doing research for her novel, Susi has also become a trained private investigator herself!

Private Property (Yksityisalue, Tammi, February 2023)

Pauliina Susi’s Private Property opens the new Tuulia Raja, Private Eye series in which a quick-witted detective capably and cleverly handles the different cases that come her way.

Photo: Milla von Konow/Tammi

Private Property
Crime & Thrillers

Kaisu Tuokko: Kristinestad Murders #1: Revenge

Kaisu Tuokko’s aim is to create a series where interpersonal relationships and the idyll of a small town are mixed with cruel events – using psychological tension to build stories about how badly we know the families or friends of our neighbors, of our loved ones. Everyone has secrets, but some of them are more dangerous than others. Tuokko loves the stories of strangers, secrets of small towns, rainy autumn evenings, and the Swedish language. She lives in Helsinki, and has named her main character after her grandparents.

The Kristinestad Murders #1: Revenge (Kosto, Otava, May 2023)

Perfect for fans of Viveca Sten and Camilla Läckberg, this opening of the new KRISTINESTAD MURDERS crime series follows in the footsteps of strong female crime authors, offering gripping crime plots and interpersonal drama.

Photo: Jonne Räsänen

Revenge
Crime & Thrillers

NON-FICTION

Antti Ervasti and Matti Pikkujämsä: CupOfTherapy

Antti Ervasti is a psychotherapist specialising in family, couples and sexual therapy. He  also gives lectures and addresses several sexuality related issues such as identity, relationships and  well-being in his workshops and lectures.

Matti Pikkujämsä has created illustrations for nearly a dozen children’s books as well as several national magazines and newspapers in Finland. His visual language is defined by clear lines, stylized and expressive characters and bold colours. Among his accolades has been the 2012 Rudolf Koivu Prize, a biennial award given by the Association of Visual Communication Designers in Finland to an outstanding children’s or YA book illustration. Wonky Donkey (Hipinäaasi apinahiisi, Tammi 2013), which Pikkujämsä created together with author Ville Hytönen, was nominated for the prestigious 2013 Finlandia Junior Prize that honours the year’s best children’s book. Wonky Donkey was also named one of 2013′s three most beautiful Finnish children’s books by the Finnish Book Art Committee.

CupOfTherapy series (Otava & Gummerus 2017, 2020, 2021)

Selfcare for the Instagram generation: Books have sold over 75,000 copies and rights sold to 20+ countries!

Internationally bestselling and easily approachable and comforting selfcare with a visual approach – created by an experienced Finnish psychotherapist and an award-winning illustrator – watch a video about the series here!

Photo: Marek Sabogal

CupOfTherapy series: CupOfTherapy Book #1, Book #2: Self-Care Every Day, Book #3: Moments by Myself,  Book #4: Earn, Lose & Learn. 
Personal Growth & Lifestyle

Marika Riikonen: Alone, Yes Please!

Marika Riikonen is an author and journalist from Tampere – and also a perennial horse girl and humble servant to a cat. Her literary career started in the early 2000s with speculative fiction short stories and progressed to editing anthologies and writing novels and non-fiction books. Her works include Ravilikat (Karisto 2020), a YA novel about harness racing; Hevostytöt (Art House 2020), a non-fiction title about horse girls; and Lasinen merenneito (Karisto 2021), an adventure novel set in Venice and the borders of reality. Riikonen has also written plays and appeared on stage.

Alone, Yes Please! (Yksin, kiitos, Hertta Kustannus, August 2023)

A hermit, a lonely one, a spinster. Living alone, or even a short period of longing for some alone time seems to be an issue necessary for an immediate fix: the society punishes, relatives jab, politicians admonish, those in a happy relationship push their horrifying friends onto you, and the media just strengthens the stereotypes. What if someone wants to be alone, enjoys their own company?

Photo: Heli Kurimo

Alone, Yes Please! 
Personal Growth & Lifestyle

CHILDREN’S

Ilona Ahti and Miila Westin: Stop Secret Mysteries: Stinker the Horrific Sock Monster

Ilona Ahti is an award-winning tv- and film scriptwriter, who has lived on nearly all continents and currently adventures Tansania together with her family. She’s known especially for being the other writer for the film Girl Picture, which was successful at the Sundance festival and was the Finnish submission for the 95th Academy Awards.

Miila Westin is a Helsinki based illustrator and comic artist. She loves to draw colorful imaginary creatures and characters for books, patterns and wall murals. Radio Popov, a children’s book by Anja Portin she illustrated, won the Finlandia Junior Prize in 2020. She has also written and illustrated a visual narrative about Finnish myths titled Myyttiset, Loputon Talvi.

Stop Secret Mysteries: Stinker the Horrific Sock Monster (Stop Secret. Hikisukka Hirmunen, Tammi, September 2023)

In the opening of this charmingly funny middle-grade series for fans of Roald Dahl, top-secret cases are being solved. Why are there only odd socks  in the cabinet, and where have the hairclips and remote controls vanished?

Photo: Tomi Lounio                                          Photo: Reetta Somppi

Stop Secret Mysteries: Stinker the Horrific Sock Monster
Middle-grade

Mila Teräs and Nora Surojegin: The Vole and the Moon

Nora Surojegin is an illustrator, children’s author and a graphic designer. She lives in Kirkkonummi, between the sea and the forest, where she creates worlds with images and words, gets inspired by the forest trolls and potters around in her secret garden. In her work she wants to mix the strange with the incredible and create art that makes you stop. Her books have been translated into ten languages. She joins our agency with a brandnew collaboration with EALA author Mila Teräs.

The Vole and the Moon (Myyrä joka katsoi kuuta, Karisto, June 2023)

A charmingly sweet picture book about the beauty of living in the moment, for fans of Leo Lionni’s Frederick.

The Vole and the Mole
Picturebook

Veera Salmi and Matti Pikkujämsä: The Duck Who Was Afraid of Eagles

Apart from being the co-author and illustrator of the CupOfTherapy books, Matti Pikkujämsä is also the illustrator of the wonderful picture book THE DUCK WHO WAS AFRAID OF EAGLES, written by EALA author Veera Salmi.

The Duck Who Was Afraid of Eagles (Sorsa Aaltonen ja riehuva Rotka, Otava, August 2023)

A picture book about real courage and an Independent sequel to the Nordic Council Award nominated picture book The Duck Who Was Afraid to Fly.

The Duck Who Was Afraid of Eagles
Picture Book

Pinja Meretoja: Travels in Time: How the Telephone Became Smart

Pinja Meretoja is a Finnish children’s picturebook author and an illustrator, living and working in Helsinki.  She draws inspiration from themes of environment, cultural history and equality. Meretoja graduated from Universidad de Palermo (Buenos Aires, Argentina) with a degree in Illustration Designer, and since that she has been working on a field of illustration.

Travels in Time: How the Telephone Became Smart (Aikamatka: kuinka telefoonista tuli älykäs Tammi, 2022)

The smartphone includes a huge amount of functions that are the result of hundreds and thousands of years of progress. How did all these discoveries end up in a child’s pocket? Travels in Time delves into this mystery in a fun but precise way.

Photo: Nina Wilenius

Travels in Time: How the Telephone Became Smart
Children’s Non-Fiction

Maria Turtschaninoff and Peter Bergting: The Manticore

Peter Bergting’s career began in the late ’80s, providing art for games such as Mutant Chronicles, Dungeons & Dragons and Vampire. In 2006 he released his first comic book for Image Comics, and has illustrated more than 44 comic books. He’s the author and/or artist of more than 50 books, and has provided cover and interior artwork for hunderds of titles. Peter has been nominated for the August award twice, for “Kråkorna”, and “Vi kommer snart hem igen”. In addition, he has won the Adamson statuette. He is a member of The Swedish Academy for Children’s Books.

The Manticore (Mantikoran, Förlaget (orig.), September 2024. Rights sold: Sweden: Rabén & Sjögren, Finland. Tammi) 

The Manticore is a middle-grade graphic novel. This supernatural thriller is told from the perspective of an unnamed protagonist who starts suspecting that her stepmother is in fact a Manticore, an ancient monster intending on devouring the protagonist and her baby brother.

The Manticore
Midldle-grade


The Ahlback Agency NON-FICTION Fall 2023 Rights Guide!

 

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

Would you like to know the Finnish secret to happiness? Is your relationship with social media more love than hate and you wonder if it could be different? Could you learn from the rituals of the ancestors of the “happiest people on earth”? Do you long for solitude?

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

View the Fall 2023 Non-Fiction Catalogue here!

 

Alone, Yes Please!

Marika Riikonen

Let Finland, the nation of notorious introverts help you to reclaim being alone!

A hermit, a lonely one, a spinster. Living alone, or even a short period of longing for some alone time seems to be an issue necessary for an immediate fix: the society punishes, relatives jab, politicians admonish, those in a happy relationship push their horrifying friends onto you, and the media just strengthens the stereotypes. What if someone wants to be alone, enjoys their own company?

ALONE, YES PLEASE!, based on the author’s own experiences, examines this taboo-like phenomena thoroughly. It combines sharp societal discussions and humoristic observances by delving into existing literature and hearing from people that feel the need for solitude.

Timeless Nordic Rituals: Bringing Purpose and Joy to Modern Life

Reetta Ranta

Rediscover your lost connection to nature by applying Nordic rituals in your own everyday life.

Can people who live their lives in cities, often more connected to technology than the world around us, benefit from ancient rituals and discover a life in rhythm with nature? What can we learn from the ancestors of the “happiest people on Earth”, the Finns?

TIMELESS NORDIC RITUALS  is a book that invites us to take inspiration from long-forgotten and living traditions of the Finno-Ugric people, and to create rituals that strengthen our connection with nature, the cycle of life, and with our inner selves.

Stop Chasing Happiness: Counterintuitive Life Advice From the World’s Happiest Country

Frank Martela

A guide to finding happiness by Finland’s leading happiness expert

Want to be happier? Stop searching for happiness. Obsessing about happiness is, paradoxically, one of the key obstacles for a happier life. For six years in a row, Finland has been the world’s happiest country and the wisdom emerging from this land of darkness and heavy metal teaches you to stop caring about happiness, about what others think, and about what happens next. This liberates you to take life as it is.

Do You Follow?
How to have a less toxic relationship with social media

Perttu Pölönen

The book that every social media user should read! The third book by popular speaker and sales success Perttu Pölönen!

There’s not a single person in the metro not staring at a screen. At dinner, a couple takes out their phones. Kids get a tantrum if the mobile is taken away from them.

Social media is addicting, steals our ability to concentrate, and steals our time. Often we feel worse after a social media scroll than before it. Nevertheless, we pick up the phone again and again. Why?

No one wants to be manipulated, but on social media we are constantly influenced without us noticing. Do we really understand what social media does to us? Could things be different?

CupOfTherapy series

Antti Ervasti and Matti Pikkujämsä

Internationally bestselling and easily approachable and comforting selfcare with a visual approach – created by an experienced Finnish psychotherapist and an award-winning illustrator

•    Rights sold in 20+countries &  75,000 + copies sold!

Finnish psychotherapy professional Antti Ervasti is on a mission to make mental health visible, shining a light on everyday challenges, big and small, through the charming, imperfect and utterly relatable animal figures of Matti Pikkujämsä’s illustrations.

“Warmth and humour are often the best antidotes when trying to silence the inner critic.”
– Helena Aatsinki, Psychotherapist

The Story of Aino and Alvar Aalto

Heikki Aalto-Alanen

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

* US & UK publication in September 2023 by PHAIDON: Aino + Alvar Aalto!

“A beautiful and important contribution to architecture and design history. (…) This intimate account of the Aaltos, an early twentieth-century architecture power couple, restores Aino to her rightful place alongside her more well-known husband, Alvar. (…) this book by the couple’s grandson (Heikki Aalto-Alanen) suggests there was more to her role and to their relationship. He makes his case through a combination of fascinating, lengthy excerpts from original correspondence, narrative exposition, and bountiful, never-before-published period photographs, watercolors, and drawings from his family’s personal collection. (…) This characteristically elegant Phaidon publication, lush with images, is also remarkably personal.”
– Maggie Taft, Booklist, Starred Review, USA

 


World English rights to Gordon F. Sander’s book THE NOTE CRISIS: Kekkonen, Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Cold War sold to Cornell University Press!

We are very happy to announce that the prestigious publisher Cornell University Press in Ithaca has acquired World English Rights to Gordon F. Sander’s acclaimed and unique work THE NOTE CRISIS: Kekkonen, Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Cold War for publication in October/November 2024 in the US and UK. Originally published in Finland by WSOY in August 2021 as “Kansalainen Kekkonen”, the book has received excellent praise, and sold to Varrak in Estonia. Cornell has published two of his previous works, Serling and The Frank Family That Survived. There will be a new introduction and some revisions to the original Finnish edition as the English edition is targeted for the US (and UK) audiences. The acquiring editor is Sarah Grossman and the deal was concluded by Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

In this timely book, Gordon Sander brings into focus the significance of Finland in the Cold War through a lively study of its vital President, Urho Kekkonen. An engaging and important book for readers interested in the history and politics of the Cold War.” – Sarah Grossman, Acquisitions Editor, Cornell University Press

Cornell University Press, established in 1869 as the first American university press, shortly after the founding of Cornell, embodies and advances the university’s core values by disseminating fundamental and practical knowledge, while commanding its own distinct editorial profile. The press is also dedicated to transforming research into publications that reach and benefit the wider public.

Praise for THE NOTE CRISIS: 

“Over the last quarter-century, the world has learned much about what happened behind the scenes during the Cold War. One big story, though, remains largely untold, and this book finally tells it. Finland and its brilliant leader, Urho Kekkonen, managed not only to balance enemy power blocs but also to contribute decisively to peace in Europe. By telling this story, THE NOTE CRISIS: KEKKONEN, KENNEDY, KHRUSHCHEV AND THE COLD WAR adds a vital piece to our understanding of modern world history. It also provides a gripping account of the the greatest crisis in Finnish post-war history, the 1961 Note Crisis.”
– Stephen Kinzer, former Berlin bureau chief, New York Times; senior fellow, Watson Institute for International Affairs, Brown University (US)

THE NOTE CRISIS is remarkable and significant for several reasons. For one, it is the first, not to mention the most thorough examination of Finland’s recent history by an American – particularly its crucial and little understood role in the Cold War, when its status as a Soviet sphere of influence was a test of wills between the East and West… [—] Perhaps the high point of Sander’s spellbinding book is his account of the meeting between Finnish president Urho Kekkonen and US President John Kennedy, on the eve of the so-called 1961 Note Crisis, one of the great “forgotten” episodes of the Cold War, which includes a full never-before-published transcript of the pivotal two day conference. [—] THE NOTE CRISIS, which reads like a page-turner, is a great read and an important and worthwhile – as well as fun – work of non-fiction and creative biography unto itself.
– Michael Franck, documentarian and film maker, Finland

So much has happened since the end of the Cold War that even a serious student of today’s crises would surely learn much by casting an eye back at Finland’s ‘active neutrality’ role in the dangerous Berlin crisis in the early 1960’s. Gordon Sander’s THE NOTE CRISIS is gripping history, rich with insight, fascinating characters such as Kennedy, Khrushchev and Kekkonen, and valuable lessons in crisis understanding and management. Rarely does a small country play so large a role.
– Marvin Kalb, former Moscow bureau chief, CBS News; Murrow Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

Interested to read more? We have a full English manuscript available!

Request the English materials for THE NOTE CRISIS here!

Kansalainen Kekkonen
WSOY, 2021, 507 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
WORLD ENGLISH: Cornell University Press

Reading materials:
English manuscript

About author


Gordon F. Sander

Gordon F. Sander is a journalist and historian who has been visiting and writing about Finland and the Nordic region since 1977.  His articles and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, New York Review of Books, and many other general interest and scholarly publications. One of the best known and respected authorities on Nordic affairs and history in the English-speaking world, he is the author of eight books, including three about Finland: The Hundred Day Winter War, his best-selling history of the 1939-40 Fenno-Soviet Winter War, Off the Map: A Personal History of Finland, and most recently, The Note Crisis: Kekkonen, Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Cold War, his historical biography of Urho Kekkonen, the long-time president of Finland and his role in the pivotal 1961 Note Crisis, the culmination of six years of research in both Finland and the United States.

In 2017 Sander was knighted by President Sauli Niinistö for his services to Finland and international journalism, the first American writer to be so honored since World War II.  He is also a Pulitzer Prize nominee. In addition to Finnish, Sander's works have also been translated into Dutch, Estonian and Portuguese.

Bibliography


2021, History & Politics

The Note Crisis: Kekkonen, Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Cold War

Gordon F. Sander

Great first reviews for Kaisu Tuokko’s new crime series THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS!

We are thrilled to see that REVENGE, the first instalment in the Kaisu Tuokko’s brandnew 6-book crime series THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS, has been well received in Finnish media and with readers and fellow authors!

Here are just some of the praises and endorsements that have been pouring in:

Revenge starts with a wicked crime with a distressing motive [but] text has been written delicately. Fantastic work.
–  Satu Rämö, author (Hildur series)

Will Kaisu Tuokko’s Kristinestad be Finland’s equivalent to Camilla Läckberg’s Fjällbacka or Mari Jungstedt’s Visby?  (…) Tuokko has taken a model from another classic author, namely Agatha Christie. The reader has no real chance to identify the killer, although clearly the most important question is ”who dunnit”. (…) The key thing is that Tuokko succeeds in creating excitement and suspense by bringing up current social phenomena against an idyllic setting.”
– Taika Dahlbom in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Tuokko’s narration is effortless. The life of youth with its crises also appears natural. The plot of Revenge [Book 1] keeps one in its grip, even surprising the reader. The crime is the size of one book, but the story of Eevi and Mats is left open by the author.
– Sari Toivakka in Keskisuomalainen newspaper

An incredibly good reading experience, I’m already looking forward to the continuation!
–Laura Karlsson, director of the booksellers’ association of Finland

”I recommend Revenge to many kinds of readers. I believe it will entertain both detective fiction fans, small town fans, journalism fans, interpersonal drama fans as well as the reader who appreciates the social angle in crime fiction. In my opinion, Revenge is a very promising first novel, based on which we can expect a lot from the sequels as well.” KIRSIN BOOK CLUB (Finnish Blog)

You can also check out the author’s website for more reviews!

The summery setting makes this the perfect July read for fans of Viveca StenCamilla Läckberg, Mari Jungstedt, and Åsa Larsson! Be the first to snap up the rights this new crime series highlight!

Download the materials for THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS here!

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS: Book 1: Revenge by Kaisu Tuokko (Otava)

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS: Book 1: Revenge by Kaisu Tuokko (Otava)

Published in Finland on May 19th, 2023, REVENGE, book 1 in THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS (orig. Kosto, Otava), is a perfect mix of Nordic crime, love triangle drama, and the beautiful surroundings of the  old coastal town of Kristinestad, Western Finland. Author Kaisu Tuokko is a publishing professional from Finland – if you love Viveca Sten’s The Sandham Murders, Camilla Läckberg, and Åsa Larsson, this is the new addictive crime series for you!

REVENGE opens with the scenery of the old coastal town of Kristinestad, where the idyll is broken when a young man’s body is found in the sea. Criminal investigator Mats Bergholm is called to work in Kristinestad, and journalist Eevi Manner is also interested in the case. The local newspaper sends Eevi to the crime scene. In order to solve the case, Eevi and Mats, who grew up in the same town, have to put aside their shared past of first love.
When Eevi is contacted by a local youth, the overall picture of the events that led to the death begins to take shape. However, the dark secrets of the locals sit tight, and at first glance it is not at all clear who is the victim and who is the culprit.

MAIN CHARACTERS AND SETTING

Eevi Manner, 39, from Kristinestad, has lived in Helsinki for about 15 years and returned to her old hometown to work as a journalist for the local newspaper. Mirek, a photographer, is her partner.

Mats Bergholm, police. He comes from Kristinestad and now lives in Vaasa with his family, has a cottage in Kristinestad, Eevi’s first and great love, which ended unhappily. The One That Got Away.

Kristinestad is unique in its environment, a beautiful coastal old town in Western Finland with idyllic treehouses and dark secrets, a kind of Twin Peaks in Finland. Kristinestad has a long history, founded in 1649 by Peter Brahe and named for Queen Christina of Sweden.  Today, Kristinestad is a small idyllic coastal town, filled with tourists in the summer and dead quiet (pun intended) in the winter. A cute little town with fast-paced municipal politics and lots of dark secrets. The rest of Ostrobothnia will also be part of the series’ environment.

Kaisu Tuokko’s THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS crime series follows very strongly in the Nordic female crime authors’ footsteps.

The Kristinestad Murders : Revenge (Kosto, Otava, May 2023, 298pp)
Crime Fiction

Reading material: English sample book 1 + English synopsis books 1-3, English series presentation

Rights sold: FINLAND (orig.): Otava

About author


Kaisu Tuokko

Kaisu Tuokko’s aim is to create a series where interpersonal relationships and the idyll of a small town are mixed with cruel events – using psychological tension to build stories about how badly we know the families or friends of our neighbors, of our loved ones. Everyone has secrets, but some of them are more dangerous than others.

Tuokko loves the stories of strangers, secrets of small towns, rainy autumn evenings, and the Swedish language. She lives in Helsinki, and has named her main character after her grandparents.

Bibliography


2023, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #1: Revenge

Kaisu Tuokko

INHERITED LAND by Maria Turtschaninoff sold to Ukraine! Now 21 territories!

We are happy to announce that the Ukrainian rights for INHERITED LAND (Arvejord) by internationally bestselling and award-winning author Maria Turtschaninoff have been acquired by Old Lion Publishing House!
The deal was the result of a visit of Ukrainian publishers to Helsinki, organised by FILI Finnish Literature Exchange. Author Maria Turtschaninoff is honored and very proud that her book will be published in Ukraine. And so are we: Congratulations Maria and The Old Lion Publishing House Team! INHERITED LAND will be translated by Natalia Ivanychyk, a very professional and well-known translator in Ukraine. The deal was closed by Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.The Old Lion Publishing House was founded in Lviv, Ukraine as a traditional publisher of children’s literature. Now The Old Lion stands for a wide range of books aimed at readers aged 0 to adults.  It publishes nearly 130 titles per year and almost 70% are translations. This year The Old Lion Publishing House received Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Old Lion also owns a network of bookstores and cafés in Ukraine.Praise for INHERITED LAND:

The book is beautiful like a piece of jewelry and rich like a forest.”  – Åbo Underrättelser

It is an extremely powerful novel. I was absolutely captivated by the writing and, whenever I was reading it, I just felt completely drawn into the story.“  – Olha Besarab, Manager of Grants & Projects, The Old Lion Publishing House, Ukraine

INHERITED LAND is now sold to 21 languages! Rights are still available in Greece, Spain, Japan, China, Portugal, Latvia, Iceland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Turkey…

Download the materials for INHERITED LAND here! 

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff

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

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

  • Winner of the Svenska YLE Literature Prize!

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

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

 

 

Arvejord
Förlaget, August 2022, 371 pp.

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

Reading materials:
Swedish edition
English sample and synopsis

About author


Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. 

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Inherited Land has been sold to 21 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Bibliography


2024, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Manticore

Maria Turtschaninoff


2022, Literary Fiction

Inherited Land

Maria Turtschaninoff


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi: Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff


2016, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff

Find your book for the summer with Ahlback Agency!

Find your book for the summer with Ahlback Agency! 

We from Ahlback Agency want to wish you all a fantastic summer! And if you are still pondering which books should make your personal reading list this summer, we have a few recommendations for you!

Adult books:

Kids books: 

Are you looking for more recommendations? Why not try our new STORYFINDER tool and search by your own criteria!

Enjoy the summer! 


Swedish rights for Riikka Sandberg’s debut Ørja pre-empted by Norstedts!

We are thrilled to share that one of Sweden’s largest and oldest publishers, Norstedts, have acquired the Swedish rights to Riikka Sandberg’s critically acclaimed debut novel Ørja in a pre-empt. The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Norstedts is celebrating its 200-year anniversary this year, looking back on many successes such as publishing 30 Nobel Literature Laureates and other bestselling authors including Stieg Larsson, J.R.R Tolkien, Elena Ferrante, Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami, Dolly Alderton, Marian Keyes, Fríða Ísberg, Kate Atkinson, Leila Mottley, and Jenny Colgan.

Ørja was published in Finland in January 2023 by Otava to great media praise:

In her debut novel, Riikka Sandberg (b. 1989) has crafted a miniature world with a tight atmosphere. [–] The net of the relationships is woven to a tighter shape page by page. [–] Sandberg’s debut is a detailed and carefully finished piece of work in which no clue is unimportant and evert scene builds on the lifelike miniature world of the novel. Ørja is a gripping debut.
-Outi Hytönen in Suomen Kuvalehti magazine

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

Riikka Sandberg paints in her debut a lavish and exciting plot around the lives of the people living on a barren island. [–] For a debut, Ørja is surprisingly mature. Even when reaching to many differing directions, Riikka Sandberg manages to keep hold of everything.
-Marjatta Hietaniemi in Ilkka-Pohjalainen newspaper

Riikka Sandberg’s debut is perfect for fans of The Sixteen Trees of the Somme (Svøm med dem som drukner) by Lars Mytting, A Land of Snow and Ashes by Petra Rautiainen, My Brother (Jag for ner till bror) by Karin Smirnoff, and Black Water (Händelser vid vatten) by Kerstin Ekman.

Be the next to snap up the rights to this powerful upmarket novel!

Download the materials for Ørja here!

 

Ørja
Otava, January 2023, 395 pp.

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

Reading materials:
English sample and synopsis

About author


Riikka Sandberg

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

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

Bibliography


2023, Literary Fiction

Ørja

Riikka Sandberg

New crime series THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS: Nordic crime, old coastal town, and drama!

We are so very excited to announce representation of a brand new debut crime author, Kaisu Tuokko, a publishing professional from Finland. Kaisu Tuokko’s new acclaimed crime series, THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS is a perfect mix of Nordic crime, interpersonal drama, and the beautiful surroundings of the coastal old town of Kristinestad, Western Finland. If you love Viveca Sten, The Sandham Murders, Camilla Läckberg and Åsa Larsson, this is the new addictive crime series for you!

Praise: 

Tuokko’s narration is effortless. The life of youth with its crises also appears natural. The plot of Revenge keeps one in its grip, even surprising the reader. The crime is the size of one book, but the story of Eevi and Mats is left open by the author.”  –Keskisuomalainen newspaper

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS: Book 1: Revenge by Kaisu Tuokko (Otava)

Published in Finland on May 19th, 2023, REVENGE, book 1 in THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS (orig. Kosto, Otava), opens with the scenery of the old coastal town of Kristinestad, where the idyll is broken when a young man’s body is found in the sea. 

Criminal investigator Mats Bergholm is called to work in Kristinestad, and journalist Eevi Manner is also interested in the case. The local newspaper sends Eevi to the crime scene. In order to solve the case, Eevi and Mats, who grew up in the same town, have to put aside their shared past of first love.
When Eevi is contacted by a local youth, the overall picture of the events that led to the death begins to take shape. However, the dark secrets of the locals sit tight, and at first glance it is not at all clear who is the victim and who is the culprit.

MAIN CHARACTERS AND SETTING

Eevi Manner, 39, from Kristinestad, has lived in Helsinki for about 15 years and returned to her old hometown to work as a journalist for the local newspaper. Mirek, a photographer, is her partner.

Mats Bergholm, police. He comes from Kristinestad and now lives in Vaasa with his family, has a cottage in Kristinestad, Eevi’s first and great love, which ended unhappily. The One That Got Away.

Kristinestad is unique in its environment, a beautiful coastal old town in Western Finland with idyllic treehouses and dark secrets, a kind of Twin Peaks in Finland. Kristinestad has a long history, founded in 1649 by Peter Brahe and named for Queen Christina of Sweden.  Today, Kristinestad is a small idyllic coastal town, filled with tourists in the summer and dead quiet (pun intended) in the winter. A cute little town with fast-paced municipal politics and lots of dark secrets. The rest of Ostrobothnia will also be part of the series’ environment.

Download the materials for THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS here!

The Kristinestad Murders : Revenge (Kosto, Otava, May 2023, 298pp)
Crime Fiction

Reading material: English sample book 1 + English synopsis books 1-3, English series presentation

Rights sold: FINLAND (orig.): Otava

About author


Kaisu Tuokko

Kaisu Tuokko’s aim is to create a series where interpersonal relationships and the idyll of a small town are mixed with cruel events – using psychological tension to build stories about how badly we know the families or friends of our neighbors, of our loved ones. Everyone has secrets, but some of them are more dangerous than others.

Tuokko loves the stories of strangers, secrets of small towns, rainy autumn evenings, and the Swedish language. She lives in Helsinki, and has named her main character after her grandparents.

Bibliography


2023, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #1: Revenge

Kaisu Tuokko

Ahlback Agency is 14 years old!

This week, we are happy to have celebrated our 14th anniversary with the Editor’s Week guests Kerstin Almegård (Albert Bonniers Förlag), Sarah Braybrooke (Ithaka Press), Melle van Loenen (Nieuw Amsterdam), Julia Suchorski (Polaris/rororo) and Andrzej Szewczyk (Poznańskie), invited to Finland by FILI.

Many happy moments shared and wonderful discussions about excellent Finnish non-fiction titles had – thank you to our international guests and FILI!

Furthermore, we are thrilled to finally share with you our brand new innovative digital Storyfinder tool, tailored to help publishing and media professionals to find the next megaseller! We invite you to use our Storyfinder tool in order to find the perfect match. In case you missed the news earlier, read all about it here.

We are enormously proud of the authors we have the honor to represent, and so happy to keep working to put Finnish literature on the world map!

Julia Suchorski from Polaris, Elina, and Anna
Julia Suchorski from Polaris, Sarah Braybrooke from Ithaka, and Elina
Kerstin Almegård from Albert Bonniers, Elina, and Anna
Elina, Mimi, and Andrzej Szewczyk from Poznanskie
Melle van Loenen from Nieuw Amsterdam, Elina, and Anna
Team lunch (minus Sten-Erik who’s enjoying a well-deserved summer holiday)!

Ahlback Agency visits Korea!

Earlier this month we got the opportunity to travel to Korea!🇰🇷
Massive thanks to FILI for the support and help and for The Embassy of Finland in Korea for organising the greatest networking event! The time in Korea was spent visiting the International Children’s Literature Festival on Nami Island  where Finland was the guest of honour.
Book celebration on Nami Island
We also networked with publishers and book professionals in Korea and had great meetings with people who share our passion for books – massive thanks to our excellent co-agency Danny Hong Agency for their enthusiasm and help.
And of course, there was wandering around the city of Seoul and exploring local bookstores and libraries, including the famous COEX Starfield library.
Starfield Library in COEX Mall
We are so grateful for FILI and the Finnish Embassy for this trip and look forward to sharing more results of the trip with you! Korea is already an important market for us, with books such as the Monster Nanny series and Little Shop of Nightmares having made their way to Korea – and more to come!
Korean editions of MONSTER NANNY, published by Seosawon
Korean LITTLE SHOP OF NIGHTMARES, published by Gilbut School

Publishing Perspectives is discussing Finnish Non-fiction!

Publishing Perspectives is discussing Finnish Non-fiction!

We are very proud to share that Publishing Perspectives dedicated the intro of their rights roundup last week to Finnish Non-fiction from our agency! The article discussed how ” all things related to Finland and Finnish-ness” are especially in demand internationally and quoted our CEO Elina Ahlbäck saying ““It feels to me, that Finns do have something unique in their concepts for nonfiction, leadership, and personal growth.”

The segment discussed three of our non-fiction highlights, all of which had recent rights sales:

  • Leadership as Mastery: The Finnish Way by Asko Känsälä, which is now sold to Estonia 
  • Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu by Emilia Elisabet Lahti, which was published by Sound True in the US early this year and has been sold to Thailand, China, and most recently to Latvia 
  • How Finland Survived Stalin From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950 by Professor Kimmo Rentola, which will be published by Yale University Press  in the UK and US later this year and was sold to Greece and Poland recently.

If you are looking to enrich your list with a Finnish perspective, we have full English translations for all three titles for you to read!

Download the English PDF for LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY here!
Download the English PDF for GENTLE POWER here!

Download the English PDF for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN here!

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

About author


Asko Känsälä

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

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

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

About author


Kimmo Rentola

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

His latest title, HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN, won the Lauri Jäntti Award for non-fiction literature in 2017, while his previous book Vallankumouksen aave (‘The Ghost of the Revolution’) won the Scholarly Book of the Year Award in Finland in 2007.

STELLA by Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander sold to Germany

STELLA by Ted Forsström and Åsa Lucander sold to Germany

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

Finnish media is also already raving about STELLA:

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

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

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

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

Download the materials for STELLA here!

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

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

Reading materials:
English PDF
Finland-Swedish PDF

About author


Åsa Lucander

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

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

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

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

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

About author


Ted Forsström

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

Happy Crime Easter!

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:

 

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

Download FOREVER WITH YOU here. 

About author


Erika Vik

Erika Vik (b. 1982) is an award-winning author, illustrator and producer of the LANU! literature festival. She loves rock music, fennec foxes and the feel of wind on her face – still, she'll never again sail on the North Sea when the storm is rising.

Vik was born in Hyvinkää, a small town in southern Finland. Vik has a Master of Arts degree. She's also the creator and producer of LANU!, an awarded virtual literature festival, targeted for children, teenagers and young adults. The annual festival has been held since 2020, and Vik has produced and filmed several short documentaries for the festival.

Before writing Forever With You, Vik has written three popular YA fantasy titles, which are loved by a wide audience and received the Kuvastaja honorable mention as an excellent complete fantasy series.

Vik's fourth novel, a psychological thriller Forever With You (Luonasi ikuisesti) was published in April 2023. The fast-paced novel with a dense atmosphere takes place in the brutal world of goth rock and dark desires. Forever With You is Vik's debut in adult fiction.

Bibliography


2023, Crime & Suspense

Forever With You

Erika Vik

Spring 2023 FILI translation and printing grants round now open!

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

Forever With You

Erika Vik

Nordic Noir meets Goth rock in this dark psychological thriller

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!

All the King’s Men

Elina Backman

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!

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

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!

Ørja

Riikka Sandberg

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

Maria Turtschaninoff

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

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

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

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!

The Enchantment

Riikka Pulkkinen

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 as Mastery: The Finnish Way

Asko Känsälä

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

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!

The 50 Most Dangerous Families in the World

Hannu Sokala

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

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!

Sang

Elina Pitkäkangas

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!

Stella

Ted Forsström, illustrated by Åsa Lucander

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

“OFF! VOFF! GRR-VOFF!”

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

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

Download materials for STELLA here!

Black Moon Inn

Reetta Niemelä, illustrated by Katri Kirkkopelto

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

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

Download materials for BLACK MOON INN here!


Introducing two new fiction authors for Ahlback Agency!

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!

Photo: Jonne Räsänen

Riikka Sandberg: Ørja

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

 

Photo: Meri Björn

Emma Puikkonen: The Black Mirror 

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

About author


Emma Puikkonen

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. 

About author


Riikka Sandberg

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

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

HarperCollins France Acquires Elina Backman’s ALL THE KING’S MEN In A Pre-Empt Deal!

ALL THE KING’S MEN sold to France in a pre-empt deal! 

We are thrilled to let you know that the World French rights for the first book, ALL THE KING’S MEN, of the internationally bestselling Saana Havas series by Elina Backman have been acquired in a pre-empt deal by HarperCollins France! The deal was closed by Mimi Matinpalo at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

What an incredible read ALL THE KING’S MEN was! Saana et Jan are such endearing and unforgettable characters in crime fiction. Their burgeoning love story is perfect to brighten up the otherwise very dark story. The Finnish nature and culture are beautifully present and make this crime novel unique. Sadly, I can’t read ALL THE KING’S MEN in Finnish, but our reader loved it just as much as I did the English sample. The breathtaking region, the believable infinitely endearing characters…

How incredible that this was a debut! This means Elina Backman is an author to watch, one we are overjoyed and honored to see join our list.”
-Marine Alata, Editorial Director, HarperCollins France

HarperCollins Publishers is the second largest book publisher in the world with operations in 17 countries. HarperCollins France was founded in 2016 and is made up of several imprints, among which HarperCollins for fiction and non-fiction, HarperCollins poche for mass-market paperbacks across all genres and HarperCollins Noir for crime and thrillers. HarperCollins France publish works of many famous authors such as Don Winslow, Karin Slaughter, Emelie Schepp, David Lagercrantz, Sara Strömberg and Michael Mann.

With France, the series has now sold to 17 territories, most recently published by Piper in Germany,  and an international TV-series is in development by Aurora Studios! The rights for the series are still available in USA, UK, Spain, Iceland, Thailand, Israel, Japan, Taiwan…

Elina Backman is Finland’s no. 4 bestselling fiction author with over 70 000 copies sold, and her works have been nominated twice for the Best Translated Crime Novel by the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy, and for the Best Crime Novel of the Year 2022 by the Finnish Crime Writers’ Society.

Download the materials for ALL THE KINGS MEN here!

Book 1: All the King’s Men
Saana Havas Series #1

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…

Saana and Jan continue working on their own cases until their paths cross – for more than one reason.

Original title: Kun kuningas kuolee
Otava (orig.), 2020, 495 pp.
Reading materials: English sample + synopsis, German and Italian editions

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

Book 2: Still Waters Run Deep 
Saana Havas Series #2

Is evil lurking beneath the calm waters? Still Waters Run Deep is an awaited sequel to the bestselling All The King’s Men!

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.

Book 3: Before the Polar Night Falls 
Saana Havas Series #3

A woman working for a law firm approaches Saana Havas to help with the mystery of her sister’s death. Her sister was found dead in a swamp near the Angeli village in Northern Lapland in 1998, and the murderer has never been caught. The police have given up on the case, and no witnesses were ever found in an area of Lapland that covers hundreds of kilometers. Saana promises to help her and receives all the material the client has collected.

Book 4: Coming in Spring 2024!
Saana Havas Series #4

Original title: Kun jäljet katoavat, Otava (orig.), May 2021, 428 pp.
Reading materials: English sample + synopsis

Ennen kuin tulee pimeää, Otava (orig.),  September 2022, 380 pp.
Reading materials: English sample + synopsis

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

About author


Elina Backman

Elina Backman is an author and a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki. Elina loves books (all sorts), traveling, cycling and is a host of a Book & Wine Club. She is a creative soul with a commercial mind, and her goal is to find readers globally.

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 70 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1967. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Before the Polar Night Falls

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo

Elina Backman


2021, Crime & Suspense

Still Waters Run Deep

Elina Backman


2020, Crime & Suspense

All the King's Men

Elina Backman

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY now published in German!

Publication news! 

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, …

Download the full English text here!

Terapiassa / Follow the Butterfly

Rights sold:

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

About author


Martta Kaukonen

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

Bibliography


2023, Crime & Suspense

Return of the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Introducing New Authors for Ahlback Agency in Spring 2023!

We are very happy to announce representation of our wonderful new authors for the Spring season and couldn’t be more excited to share their new titles & works below! Welcome to the Ahlback Agency!

FICTION: Erika Vik
NON-FICTION: Asko Känsälä, Maria Katajavuori, Reetta Ranta and Antti Huttunen
CHILDREN’S and YA: Ted Forsström, Reetta Niemelä, Arttu Unkari, Janne Malinen and Mari Kujanpää
ILLUSTRATORS: Eri Shimatsuka, Katri Kirkkopelto, Kai Vaalio

Join us in welcoming our new authors aboard, read more about them and their excellent new titles below and see our Spring 2023 Catalogue here:

View the new Catalogue here!

Erika VikForever With You

Erika Vik is an award-winning author, illustrator and producer of the LANU! Children’s & YA literature festival. Before writing Forever With You,  Vik has written three popular and award-winning YA fantasy titles.

Her first adult novel, a psychological thriller Forever With You takes place in the world of goth rock and dark desires.

Forever With You (Luonasi ikuisesti, Atena, April 2023)

A fast-paced and intensive psychological thriller that takes a deep dive into the brutal world of the music industry. A black, snowless winter hides a mystery on the bleak streets of Helsinki where rock music, obsession and evil love become entwined. Janne Kallamaa is a major Finnish rock star of the 90s who is rejected by his record company. Soon after, the CEO of said company is found dead. Is it suicide or murder? This dark debut thriller asks what we are willing to sacrifice for art.


Photo: Riikka Kantinkoski

Forever With You
Crime & Thrillers

Asko KänsäläLeadership as Mastery

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

Leadership as Mastery (Johtajasta mestariksi, Tammi, January 2023)

Asko Känsälä has refined his leadership experience of more than 20 years into a vision of leadership as a craft. Growing up as a leader is like a craftsman’s lifelong path from apprentice to professional.

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


Photo: Veikko Somerpuro

Leadership as Mastery
General nonfiction

Maria KatajavuoriWhale in a Glass Bowl

Maria Katajavuori is a researcher with one leg in ecology and another in human behavioral studies, writing science by day and popular science by night. She draws together biological and social sciences to understand the nature of our species, producing tools for a more ecological future.

Currently, Katajavuori is located at Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, developing projects on human behavior and working with science-policy interactions of the European Union.

Whale in a Glass Bowl (Valas lasimaljassa, Atena, April 2022)Sensible methods to halt the ecological crisis seem to have failed. We are biological creatures with biological limitations, and without acknowledging those limitations, we are doomed to boil the planet and crush the biodiversity of our world.

Yet, if we fine tune our economic system and decision-making to fit the biology of our species, if we re-design taxation and democracy based on what we know about our evolutionary history, we can fight our destructive tendencies as well as harness the power of our positive tendencies, those of collaboration and prosociality.


Photo: Jon LeirdalWhale in a Glass Bowl
General Nonfiction

Reetta Ranta and Antti HuttunenBack to Nature Finland

Antti Huttunen is a TV producer, non-fiction writer and media entrepreneur. Huttunen is the founder of the Finnish travel website Retkipaikka and has published a number of books tied to the website. He is also the executive producer of Finland, Naturally website. Huttunen has scripted and produced two seasons of Metsien kätkemä (‘Hidden by the Forests’), a TV series about nature tourism in Finland.

Reetta Ranta is a storyteller and media professional. Reetta has worked for more than 20 years in media with several startups and media companies including Rabbit Films, Gutsy Animations, The Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle, and Basso Radio. Reetta is the creator, host and producer of the TV series Metsien kätkemä (‘Hidden by the Forests’), which showcases the gorgeous landscapes of Finnish nature. Her next book about rituals (Rituaalikirja) will be published by SKS Kirjat in Finland in the fall 2023.

Back to Nature Finland (Metsien Kätkemä, Gummerus, 2016)

Back to Nature Finland is a calming, relaxing experience that takes you on a journey throughout Finnish nature, with a touch of ancient wisdom, mythology and local history. A visually stunning slow travel guidebook that introduces Finland’s enchanting nature to an international audience, based on the internationally acclaimed TV show! 

Back to Nature Finland
Personal Growth & Lifestyle

Ted Forsström and Åsa LucanderStella

Ted Forsström is a Finnish-Swedish media personality living in Ostrobothnia. He has worked as a comedian, actor, radio host and author, often as part of the duo Ted & Kaj. Today he works with children’s programs on Svenska Yle and talks once a week in Finland’s biggest Swedish podcast, Ted & Kaj, together with Kaj Korkea-aho.
Åsa Lucander is an Aardman director and designer, working in illustration and animation both in the UK as well as Scandinavia. Originally from Finland, she moved to London in 2001 and in 2015 she joined Aardman Animations in Bristol, where she is now based. With multi-faceted strengths in storytelling, design and animation she loves exploring various creative styles, be it in 2d, stop motion or CGI. Åsa has directed multiple shorts, including her award-winning film Lost Property. Most recently she directed the music video for Coldplay’s track Daddy that has won numerous awards.

Stella (Snälla Stella, Sluta Skälla, Förlaget, March 2023)

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.


Photos: Eva Lingon, Karni Arieli

Stella
Picture books

Reetta Niemelä and Eri ShimatsukaThe Fox and Silence

Reetta Niemelä is an award-winning children’s author. She has written poetry collections, picture books, nonfiction, study material and many beloved book series for children. For her work, she’s been awarded e.g. Kaarina Helakisa Award and for her nonfiction the Tietopöllö award.  Niemelä’s fantasy novel Black Moon Inn, illustrated by Katri Kirkkopelto, won the Arvid Lydecken Award, was nominated for Finlandia Junior and was selected as the audience favourite.
Eri Shimatsuka is a Helsinki based Japanese designer and a writer. Her designs are inspired from Nordic nature and fragments of everyday life. She designs for different brands in Japan and Finland such as Marimekko and Lapuan Kankurit. She has written many books about Finnish design and everyday life. ‘Kettu ja hiljaisuus’ with Reetta Niemelä (2022) is her first illustrated picture book.

The Fox and Silence (Kettu ja hiljaisuus, Otava, September 2022)

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


Photo: Uzi Varon, Eri ShimatsukaThe Fox and Silence
Picture books

Reetta Niemelä and Katri KirkkopeltoBlack Moon Inn

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

Her works have been nominated for Finlandia Junior in 2016, 2020, and 2022. In 2021 she won the Arvid Lydecken Award together with the writer Reetta Niemelä for Black Moon Inn. Kirkkopelto’s illustrations have been exhibited in Finland and also abroad, e.g. in the biennale in Bratislava.
Black Moon Inn (Mustan kuun majatalo, Lasten Keskus, 2021)

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

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

 

Black Moon Inn
Middle-grade

Arttu Unkari and Kai Vaaliothe Dadman series

Arttu Unkari is a teacher from Helsinki and a Master of Education .  He combines his educational background and experience as a teacher in his books – his stories are anarchist and zany, but at the same time the humour often revolves around profound and intriguing concepts such as honesty, obedience, and morality in ways that speak to children in their own language.
Kai Vaalio is an illustrator, comic artist, and a bit of a cosmopolitan as well. He’s written and illustrated underground comic books for adults about his travels in South-East Asia and Latin America — the latter even won Mondo magazine’s Travel book of the year award back in 2014. Recently he’s ventured into the world of illustrating children’s books mainly with Arttu Unkari’s Dadman Series.
Dadman and the Impossible Time Knot (Isämies ja mahdoton aikasolmu, Otava, January 2023)

Dadman is a dad, and a policeman – but he also has a superpower! Too bad his superpower is one shared by almost all dads – an unwavering belief in himself and his own abilities. Dadman truly believes he knows everything and can do anything, but as it goes with most dads, the reality is quite different. And it follows that Dadman’s nine-year-old daughter Oona needs to solve all of the issues herself.

 
Photos: Jonne Räsänen

Dadman and the Impossible Time Knot
Middle-grade

Janne Malinen and Teemu JuhaniSecrets of the Grimhill Sanatorium

Janne Malinen has worked for a long time in communication and as a freelance journalist. He has graduated from University of Helsinki in 2010 with the major in literature. In 2022, he was selected as Communication Consultant of the Year in Finland. The Secrets of the Grimhill Sanatorium: Seven Lily-of-the-Valleys is Malinen’s debut book and the first book of the series.

 

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

Secrets of the Grimhill Sanatorium: the Seven Lily-of-the-Valleys (Seitsemän kielonlehteä, Tammi, 2022)

Oskar is a perfectly average boy living with his parents in the red brick house by the biggest market square in the city. Everything changes when he is diagnosed with a serious illness and sent to the haunting Grimhill Sanatorium.The thoughtful and elaborate opening of a middle-grade trilogy opens the doors to the mysterious Grimhill Sanatorium, where secrets and dangers lurk both on the labyrinthine corridors as well as in the surrounding forest.


Photo: Otto Virtanen

Secrets of the Grimhill Sanatorium: the Seven Lily-of-the-Valleys
Middle-grade

Mari Kujanpää: Diary of an Ugly Girl

Mari Kujanpää has studied forestry and library studies. During the days she works as a library manager in the Oripää library, and during the evenings she writes. She has authored multiple children’s novels, and her work Minä and Muro, dealing with school bullying, won the Finlandia Children’s & YA Prize in 2009. Kujanpää enjoys the challenge of writing about topics often perceived as challenging in the lives of children, such as loneliness, bullying, and a grandparent’s memory disorder

Diary of an Ugly Girl (Rumuuspäiväkirja, Otava, April 2023)Malva, age 14, knows she is ugly, and the other pupils remind her of it daily with words and looks. Malva escapes to art and nature. Then along comes Runo, who is passionate about the same things.

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


Photo: Marjaana Malkamäki

Diary of an Ugly Girl
Young Adults


Our books of the year 2022

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

2022 Award highlights

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: 

2022 Sales highlights

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:

  • INHERITED LAND by Maria Turtschaninoff was sold into 18 territories and was our fastest-ever selling fiction title in our agency’s history
  • Max Seeck is now Finland’s no 1 bestselling author in e-books and no 2 in all formats. Over 300,000 copies of his books have been sold in Finland and rights for his books have been sold to 40 countries and Hollywood
  • Elina Backman is now Finland’s no 4 bestselling author. Over 60 000 copies of Elina’s books have been sold in Finland, rights have been sold for 16 territories, and an international TV-series based on Elina Backman’s books is in development by Aurora Studios
  • PUTIN’S TROLLS by Jessikka Aro is now sold to 16 territories
  • MY ONLY HOME by Hanna Brotherus sold over 70,000 copies in Finland.
  • MEMORY OF WATER by Emmi Itäranta is now sold in over 25 territories

2022 Film news:

2022 was a good year for film news – and watch this space for new exciting announcements in early 2023!

  • MEMORY OF WATER by Emmi Itäranta hit the cinemas. You can see the trailer here.
  • the TV series to SUNSET GROVE TRILOGY by Minna Lindgren will go into production in 2023
  • Film rights for ARCTIC MIRAGE by Terhi Kokkonen sold to SF Studios
  • Aurora Studios have acquired the film option for THE RED ROOM by Kaj Korkea-aho
  • napafilms has now acquired the film and TV rights for Mia Kankimäki’sTHE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT
  • Film and TV rights to PUTIN’S TROLLS by Jessikka Aro have been acquired by Onerva Pictures Oy
  • Film & TV rights for Johanna Sinisalo’s TROLL acquired by Måns Mårlind and Tuppence Middleton
  • The Itty Bitty Princess books by Hannele Lampela and Ninka Reittu will be turned into a movie, with filming starting in summer 2023

2022 Review highlights

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

Our agents’ personal books of the year 2022

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!”


Bestseller News: Backman and Seeck topping Finland’s Bestseller Lists! Pulkkinen and Parkkinen climbing on the Bestseller Lists!

Bestseller News! 

We are thrilled to announce that according to the official Finnish Bestseller Lists for October 2022 Elina Backman joins Max Seeck as Finland’s official Bestseller Author! Both authors’ new novels are topping bestseller lists in October!  Read more below.

Another newcomer on the Bestseller List in October is Leena Parkkinen with her novel Miss Stein’s Cook (Neiti Steinin keittäjätär, Otava) being no. 17 on Hardback Fiction Bestseller List, whereas Riikka Pulkkinen with her title The Enchantment (”Lumo”, Otava) is no. 13.

Hanna Brotherus and For My Life (Henkeni edestä, Wsoy) is no. 6 on Fiction Bestseller List (all formats) and Hannele Lampela and Itty Bitty Princess’s Terrific Fairytales hits no. 9 on Children’s Bestseller List (all genres, all formats).

Congratulations to our Authors!

Check out more info about these books HERE!

Adult Fiction 

Internationally Bestselling Author Elina Backman is now Finland’s no. 4  bestselling fiction author (all formats) with her newest Saana Havas crime novel #3 Before The Polar Night Falls (Ennen kuin tulee pimeää, Otava) and  no. 3 in Audio books. 

Despite its steadiness, Before the Polar Night Falls is neither hesitante nor stomping around. It is more about fullness, a careful crafted story in which characters play a greater part than events or the acceleration of a crime solving process.”
–Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download materials here

New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck is now Finland’s no. 1 bestselling fiction author in e-books with his Jessica Niemi # 4 Archipelago (Loukko, Tammi) and Finland’s no. 2 bestselling fiction author in all formats. Jessica Niemi # 3 Last Grudge (Kauna) is no. 3 on the official paperback list.

 MAX SEECK’s earlier novels in the Jessica Niemi series have been impressive, but the series’ fourth book, The Archipelago, is the best to date. This is because it is a seamless and constrained whole that works superbly and also because in this work Seeck imbues his protagonist’s character with new, deeper sides.
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download materials here

Bestselling Author Hanna Brotherus is now Finland’s no. 6  bestselling fiction author (all formats) with her new novel For My Life (Henkeni edestä, WSOY) and her debut hit My Only Home (Ainoa kotini) is no. 9 on the official paperback bestseller list.

Hanna Brotherus has written a furiously honest narrative about an older woman’s exploration within herself.’”– Heidi Lakkala in Kaleva newspaper

Download materials here

Bestselling author Riikka Pulkkinen is now no. 13 the Hardback Fiction Bestseller List with her title The Enchantment (”Lumo”, Otava)

Enchantment is a difficult and even unpleasant novel – and I do not mean this as a criticism. The work makes exceptionally bold and open use of fictional devices, and that’s risky.

– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download materials here

Bestselling author Leena Parkkinen is now no. 17 on the Hardback Fiction Bestseller List with her novel Miss Stein’s Cook (Neiti Steinin keittäjätär, Otava).

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

Download materials here

Children’s Books

Bestselling author Hannele Lampela with her charming new ITTY BITTY PRINCESS’S Terrific Fairytales (Prinsessa Pikkiriikin hiukkasen hurjat sadut) is no. 9 bestselling Children’s Author (all formats, all genres). Ninka Reittu has illustrated these hilarious stories. Film news:  ITTY BITTY PRINCESS is being adapted to a feature film!

The whole series is engaging and one that will keep your child listening from beginning to end. Hannele Lampela has done an absolutely brilliant job of creating a little girl who is so sweet and kind, but also sometimes naughty and opinionated.” tiinatuulia.h Instagram

Download materials here