Anne-Maija Aalto

Anne-Maija Aalto wins Young Aleksis 2025 award for her novel The Book of the Forgotten!

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Anne-Maija Aalto has been chosen as the recipient of the Young Aleksis 2025 award for her novel The Book of the Forgotten.

The jury explains their choice as follows:

Anne-Maija Aalto’s The Book of the Forgotten is a deeply thought-provoking work that depicts survival and hope even in the most difficult circumstances. The book deals with life in a refugee camp, processing trauma, and escaping from reality. Important themes in the work include fear and exploitation, but also friendship, love, and courage. The Book of the Forgotten works both as a standalone novel and as part of a trilogy. The book is suitable for readers from upper secondary school age all the way to adults.

Young Aleksis is a literary award granted by the Finnish Association of Language Teachers. The award is given to the best domestic fiction or non-fiction book for young readers published in the previous year, as selected by young people. The winner is chosen by a jury of upper-secondary students, organized by the Association of Language Teachers. This year marked the sixth time the upper-secondary school jury was held.

The goal of the upper-secondary Young Aleksis is not only to discover young readers’ own favorite books but also to encourage young people to read and engage in discussions about literature.

Request the materials for DRAGONFLY trilogy here

A stirring image of a future world where humanity is in danger of disappearing.

· The final installment of the award-winning trilogy!

· Prequel Where the Light Comes in won Finlandia award and Young Aleksis Award winner!

· Prequel Dragonfly was nominated for the Topelius Prize and the Young Aleksis Award!

Having escaped from the cruel and oppressive Union, Mai has spent months in a refugee camp, with no information about the fate of her beloved Satomi and the family she left behind. Eventually, she catches a glimpse of Satomi in the news. Satomi’s situation is desperate, as her memory has been wiped clean in a human research institute. When Mai is presented with an opportunity to try and change the inevitable course of events, she seizes it without hesitation.

DRAGONFLY trilogy publication info:

DRAGONFLY, WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN & BOOK OF THE FORGOTTEN by Anne-Maija Aalto
Otava, 2020-2024, 320 pp.

Reading materials:
English sample for book 2, English synopses books 1-3, Finnish editions, French edition of book 1

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
FRANCE: Éditions Milan (2 books)
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group (book 2)

About author


Anne-Maija Aalto

Anne-Maija Aalto is an award-winning Finnish author of both YA and adult fiction. Her YA novel Where the Light Comes In won the prestigious Finlandia Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature in 2021 and has received praise for its effortless narration, beautiful prose and compellingly current story.

Where the Light Comes In is a standalone sequel for Dragonfly which was nominated for the Topelius Prize in 2020. The prize is awarded yearly to an expectional novel for young people, and the jury described Dragonfly as “a deeply touching and beautifully written story of friendship, loss and social inequality.” Her other works include YA novel Into Deep Water and novel The Silence of Snow. Her books often dwelve into the darker sides of humanity, exploring the themes of loss, loneliness, identity and coming of age.

Anne-Maija holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of Turku where she also studied English and creative writing. She lives in Turku with her husband and an extensive collection of half-filled notebooks. When she isn’t writing, she can most likely be found walking in nature with her camera or lounging on the couch with a good book.

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2024, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Book of the Forgotten

Anne-Maija Aalto


2021, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Where the Light Comes In

Anne-Maija Aalto


2020, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Dragonfly

Anne-Maija Aalto

Related news

Two Ahlback Agency titles nominated for Young Aleksis Award!

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We are happy to announce that two of our titles have been nominated for the Young Aleksis Award 2025!

Nominated are Naraka by Elina Pitkäkangas and The Book of the Forgotten by Anne-Maija Aalto!

The Young Aleksis award is a literary award granted by the Finnish Language Teachers. The award is given yearly to a Finnish YA title, chosen by a jury of junior high school students. The prize will be awarded at Turku Book Fair in October.

The goal of the Young Aleksis Award is not only to identify young people’s favorite books, but also to inspire them to read and engage in discussions about literature. Through their participation in the jury, young people also contribute to raising awareness of youth literature. The project highlights young readers who are passionate about books and reading!

Download materials for NARAKA here

The sequel to SANG takes the reader back to Fusang and the world where Kong Dawei is faced with impossible choices.

The new novel about war and human relations by the winner of the Topelius Prize

Kong Dawei has returned to his home region, but nothing is the same. The second book of the duology, loved by readers and praised by experts, is a vivid and an intensive novel about war, morals, and ever holding love.

The sequel of the top-rated book SANG presents Fusang’s region Naraka, a workcamp where the unfortunate citizens are sent. The resistance is growing there. When Kong Dawei finds himself in the middle of The Iron Revolution, he must face the boundaries of his loyalty. Whose side does he want to be on? Can there be winners in the war?

Download materials for The Book of the Forgotten here

The final installment of the award-winning trilogy!

Having escaped from the cruel and oppressive Union, Mai has spent months in a refugee camp, with no information about the fate of her beloved Satomi and the family she left behind. Eventually, she catches a glimpse of Satomi in the news. Satomi’s situation is desperate, as her memory has been wiped clean in a human research institute. When Mai is presented with an opportunity to try and change the inevitable course of events, she seizes it without hesitation.

SANG & NARAKA
WSOY, 2022-2023, 496 pp.

Reading materials:
English sample for book 1, Danish edition book 1, English synopses books 1-2, Finnish editions

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
DENMARK: Straarup & Co (2 books)
GERMANY: CBJ Verlag
TURKEY: Indigo Kitap

DRAGONFLY, WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN & BOOK OF THE FORGOTTEN
Otava, 2020-2024, 320 pp.

Reading materials:
English sample for book 2, English synopses books 1-3, Finnish editions, French edition of book 1

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
FRANCE: Éditions Milan (2 books)
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group (book 2)

About author


Anne-Maija Aalto

Anne-Maija Aalto is an award-winning Finnish author of both YA and adult fiction. Her YA novel Where the Light Comes In won the prestigious Finlandia Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature in 2021 and has received praise for its effortless narration, beautiful prose and compellingly current story.

Where the Light Comes In is a standalone sequel for Dragonfly which was nominated for the Topelius Prize in 2020. The prize is awarded yearly to an expectional novel for young people, and the jury described Dragonfly as “a deeply touching and beautifully written story of friendship, loss and social inequality.” Her other works include YA novel Into Deep Water and novel The Silence of Snow. Her books often dwelve into the darker sides of humanity, exploring the themes of loss, loneliness, identity and coming of age.

Anne-Maija holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of Turku where she also studied English and creative writing. She lives in Turku with her husband and an extensive collection of half-filled notebooks. When she isn’t writing, she can most likely be found walking in nature with her camera or lounging on the couch with a good book.

Read more Author's page

About author


Elina Pitkäkangas

Elina Pitkäkangas is an author from Nokia, Finland, and an active advocate of YA literature. She has studied creative writing and did her master's degree in the University of Helsinki majoring in literature. Her works seamlessly combine elements of fantasy, social criticism and moral questions. Her accolades include winning the Topelius Award 2023, the City of Tampere Literature Prize 2023, and the Kuvastaja Prize 2023. Pitkäkangas has written five novels and produces book-related videos to TikTok and Instagram on her channel @elinapitkakangas.

Photo credit: WSOY/Marjaana Malkamäki

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French two-book-deal for WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN and DRAGONFLY by Finlandia Prize winner Anne-Maija Aalto!

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French two-book-deal for WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN and DRAGONFLY by Finlandia Prize winner Anne-Maija Aalto!

We are extremely thrilled to announce that the French rights for WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN and DRAGONFLY written by the Finlandia Prize winner Anne-Maija Aalto have been pre-empted by French publisher Éditions Milan. The deal was closed by Mimi Matinpalo at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Rights have been previously sold in Hungary to Metropolis Media.
Éditions Milan is one of the leading Children’s Publishers in France, founded in 1982 and with a wide range of Children’s and Young Adult fiction & non-fiction titles in their catalogue, publishing 300 new titles annually.

Congratulations, Anne-Maija Aalto and Éditions Milan!

The French publisher loves these books:

Dystopian YA at its best : beautifully nuanced yet enthralling and epic, Anne-Maija Aalto’s duology is perfect for Murakami and Bradbury fans.”
-Louison Couzy, Éditions Milan, France

WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN is a FINLANDIA PRIZE WINNER in 2021 and received many praises:

“The narration is effortless, the world distant yet timely. The great questions of humanity are
present. The story elegantly invites young people to see how their relationships with their parents
can change when they get to know them better.”
–Perttu Pölönen, futurist and non-fiction author, for the Children’s & YA Finlandia award

“The novel describes humanity skillfully, whether it is about an individual’s desire to control, dominate and not care, or about the desire to escape to a virtual reality. The basis for the young protagonist’s change builds up piece by piece, from the events experienced but also by understanding their parent’s decisions. As long as the memories live and influence a person, they can find a path towards the new.”
-Finlandia audience favourite motivations

DRAGONFLY is a TOPELIUS PRIZE NOMINEE in 2020! 

“Dragonfly is a dystopian set in the near future, a world after a flood. [–] The impactful book narrates with a beautiful language a story about friendship, loss, and the inequality in society and between genders.”
–Topelius Prize jury motivations

If you are interested to publish or hear more about Finlandia Prize winner Anne-Maija Aalto and her wonderful novels, we recommend you read and get in touch with us! A third, standalone book is being written for publication in 2024! Rights are still available around the world (excl. Hungary, France, Finland).
Download the materials here!
WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN 
Anne-Maija Aalto
FINLANDIA PRIZE WINNER 2021!What is a person if you take away their memory? Who determines what we believe? A captivating story of rebellion, hope and humanity.Aleksei is a young man whose father runs a human research institute in Tokyo, which is now partly covered by the sea. New batches of test subjects regularly arrive at the facility, including one with Satomi, a young woman whose memory is set to be erased. Satomi becomes Aleksei’s trial case, since he is meant to continue his father’s work. But something is already churning beneath the surface, and the younger generation can see the horrors of the system their parents have created.

 

Mistä valo pääsee sisään
Otava 2021, 320 pp.
Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava, HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group, FRANCE: Éditions Milan
DRAGONFLY
Anne-Maija Aalto
TOPELIUS PRIZE NOMINEE 2020!A shocking, brilliantly told story about resistance in an unequal society. Two young women, Satomi and Mai have always stuck together. They were born in an internment village on an island that was called Japan before sea level rose. They are non-citizens whose purpose is to serve full citizens.On good nights they go to the seaside together to wade. They still have that, even if everything else has been taken away from them.

Then Commander Rafikov takes Mai to make her a Nymph.

And Satomi can’t just wait anymore.

“I’m standing here and coming apart inside, just like that. I’m only thinking of the end.”

 

Korento
Otava 2020, 387 pp.
Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava, FRANCE: Éditions Milan

About author


Anne-Maija Aalto

Anne-Maija Aalto is an award-winning Finnish author of both YA and adult fiction. Her YA novel Where the Light Comes In won the prestigious Finlandia Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature in 2021 and has received praise for its effortless narration, beautiful prose and compellingly current story.

Where the Light Comes In is a standalone sequel for Dragonfly which was nominated for the Topelius Prize in 2020. The prize is awarded yearly to an expectional novel for young people, and the jury described Dragonfly as “a deeply touching and beautifully written story of friendship, loss and social inequality.” Her other works include YA novel Into Deep Water and novel The Silence of Snow. Her books often dwelve into the darker sides of humanity, exploring the themes of loss, loneliness, identity and coming of age.

Anne-Maija holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of Turku where she also studied English and creative writing. She lives in Turku with her husband and an extensive collection of half-filled notebooks. When she isn’t writing, she can most likely be found walking in nature with her camera or lounging on the couch with a good book.

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2024, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Book of the Forgotten

Anne-Maija Aalto


2021, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Where the Light Comes In

Anne-Maija Aalto


2020, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Dragonfly

Anne-Maija Aalto

Related news

Finlandia-winning novel WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN sold to Hungary!

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Anne-Maija Aalto’s Finlandia-winning novel WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN Hungarian rights sold!
We are delighted to let you know that the Hungarian rights to Anne-Maija Aalto’s YA title WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN have been sold to Metropolis Media Group! They praised the book saying:

“A very original novel. As a publisher, I always try to find books that can suggest something new,  approach a topic from a new perspective, and this novel has surpassed all our expectations. Impressive and captivating dystopia, and these books have the potential to inspire young people to read.”
– Dr. Mund Katalin, Editor-in-Chief, Metropolis Media Group, Hungary

Download the English materials for WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN here!

WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN won the prestigious Finlandia prize for Children’s and YA literature in 2021, and was also selected as the audiece favourite! The jury said:

“The narration is effortless, the world distant yet timely. The great questions of humanity are present. The story elegantly invites young people to see how their relationships with their parents can change when they get to know them better.”

WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN 

What is a person if you take away their memory? Who determines what we believe? A captivating story of rebellion, hope and humanity.

Alexei is a young man whose father runs a human research institute in Tokyo, which is now partly covered by the sea. New cargoes of test subjects regularly arrive at the facility, one containing Satomi, a young woman whose memory is set to be erased. Satomi becomes Alexei’s trial case, since he is meant to continue his father’s work. But something is already churning beneath the surface, and the younger generation can see the horrors of the system their parents have created.

Download the English materials here!

WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN 
Mistä valo pääsee sisään, Otava, 2021. 320 pp.

Rights sold: 
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group

About author


Anne-Maija Aalto

Anne-Maija Aalto is an award-winning Finnish author of both YA and adult fiction. Her YA novel Where the Light Comes In won the prestigious Finlandia Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature in 2021 and has received praise for its effortless narration, beautiful prose and compellingly current story.

Where the Light Comes In is a standalone sequel for Dragonfly which was nominated for the Topelius Prize in 2020. The prize is awarded yearly to an expectional novel for young people, and the jury described Dragonfly as “a deeply touching and beautifully written story of friendship, loss and social inequality.” Her other works include YA novel Into Deep Water and novel The Silence of Snow. Her books often dwelve into the darker sides of humanity, exploring the themes of loss, loneliness, identity and coming of age.

Anne-Maija holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of Turku where she also studied English and creative writing. She lives in Turku with her husband and an extensive collection of half-filled notebooks. When she isn’t writing, she can most likely be found walking in nature with her camera or lounging on the couch with a good book.

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2024, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Book of the Forgotten

Anne-Maija Aalto


2021, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Where the Light Comes In

Anne-Maija Aalto


2020, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Dragonfly

Anne-Maija Aalto

Related news

Introducing the Finlandia Prize winner 2021 Anne-Maija Aalto with the YA novel WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN

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We are incredibly proud to announce that the Finlandia Prize winner for Children’s & Young Adult Literature this year, Anne-Maija Aalto with the YA novel WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN is now represented by Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency.

Join us in welcoming and congratulating Anne-Maija Aalto!

Finlandia Prize winner Anne-Maija Aalto’s WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN is the dystopian love story of two very different characters with different values set in a water-covered former Japan.
Download the Finnish pdf for WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN from this link.

The English sample and synopsis are available in early January 2022. If you need a Finnish reader or translator, find them here.

Finlandia Prize Jury’s motivations:

The narration is effortless, the world distant yet timely. The great questions of humanity are present. The story elegantly invites young people to see how their relationships with their parents can change when they get to know them better.

  • Perttu Pölönen, Futurist, Non-Fiction Author

 

Finlandia Prize winner: WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN
by Anne-Maija AaltoWhat is a person if you take away their memory? Who determines what we believe? A captivating story of rebellion, hope and humanity.

Alexei is a young man whose father runs a human research institute in Tokyo, which is now partly covered by the sea. New cargoes of test subjects regularly arrive at the facility, one containing Satomi, a young woman whose memory is set to be erased. Satomi becomes Alexei’s trial case, since he is meant to continue his father’s work. But something is already churning beneath the surface, and the younger generation can see the horrors of the system their parents have created.

WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN won the Finlandia Prize and was also selected as the audience favorite among the Finlandia Prize for Children’s & Young Adult Literature nominees at the Cultural Gala held in December 2021..

The Finlandia Prize for Children’s & Young Adult Literature is a recognition presented by the Finnish Book Foundation for meritorious Finnish children’s and young adult writing. The amount of the award is 30,000 euros. The Finlandia Prizes were presented on December 1, 2021.

Anne-Maija Aalto (b. 1988) holds a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of Turku. She enjoys good stories and traveling to foreign cities. Her acclaimed debut novel Into Deep Water was published in 2016. Her second novel, Dragonfly, appeared in 2020 and was nominated for the Topelius Prize. Her 2021 Where the Light Comes In is the 2021 Finlandia Prize winner.

Bibliography:

*   Into Deep Water, 2016
*   Dragonfly, 2020 – Topelius Prize nominee 2020
*   Where the Light Comes In, 2021  – Finlandia Prize winner 2021

WHERE THE LIGHT COMES IN
by Anne-Maija Aalto

Mistä valo pääsee sisään
Otava, September 2021, 320pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

READING MATERIALS:

Finnish manuscript.
English sample and Synopsis coming early January 2022

About author


Anne-Maija Aalto

Anne-Maija Aalto is an award-winning Finnish author of both YA and adult fiction. Her YA novel Where the Light Comes In won the prestigious Finlandia Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature in 2021 and has received praise for its effortless narration, beautiful prose and compellingly current story.

Where the Light Comes In is a standalone sequel for Dragonfly which was nominated for the Topelius Prize in 2020. The prize is awarded yearly to an expectional novel for young people, and the jury described Dragonfly as “a deeply touching and beautifully written story of friendship, loss and social inequality.” Her other works include YA novel Into Deep Water and novel The Silence of Snow. Her books often dwelve into the darker sides of humanity, exploring the themes of loss, loneliness, identity and coming of age.

Anne-Maija holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from the University of Turku where she also studied English and creative writing. She lives in Turku with her husband and an extensive collection of half-filled notebooks. When she isn’t writing, she can most likely be found walking in nature with her camera or lounging on the couch with a good book.

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2024, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Book of the Forgotten

Anne-Maija Aalto


2021, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Where the Light Comes In

Anne-Maija Aalto


2020, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Dragonfly

Anne-Maija Aalto

Related news