Emmi Itäranta

Ahlback Agency titles nominated for Best Book of the Year + Bookbeat awards!

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We are happy to announce that Ahlback Agency authors have been nominated for two different awards:  BookBeat Finland Newcomer of the Year Award + Best Crime Novel of the Year Award, and Best Book of the Year Award by Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, Finland’s biggest bookstore chain!

For BookBeat Finland Newcomer of the Year Award the nominees are:

Traces by Anna Harju
Crimson Web by Aamos Honka
Pearl Ring, Enclosed by Mari Renko

And for BookBeat Finland Best Crime Novel of the Year Alec by Arttu Tuominen has been nominated!

Since 2020, the audio- and e-book streaming platform BookBeat has given out awards for the Finnish newcomer of the year and the Finnish crime author of the year. The winners of the Awards will be decided based on audiobook streaming/download data and reviews, and the winners will be announced during the Helsinki Book Fair on October 25th.

And for Best Book of the Year Award our nominees are:
Alec by Arttu Tuominen
Snowsinger by Emmi Itäranta
Tomorrow I’ll Tell You Everything by Juha Itkonen
Itty Bitty Princess and the Fart Fairy’s Surprise Clean-Up by Hannele Lampela and Ninka Reittu

Suomalainen Kirjakauppa book store jury has selected the finalists, and all readers are welcome to vote for the Best Book! Voting will take place from September 29 to October 12, and the winner will be announced on October 23rd.

TRACES
Publication Info:
Jäljet
Tammi 2025, 382 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis, German sample, Finnish edition

 

CRIMSON WEB
Publication Info:
Punainen verkko
Gummerus 2025, 489 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Gummerus (orig.)

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis, Finnish edition

 

ALEC
Publication info:
Alec
Otava 2025, 360 pages

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
FRANCE: Éditions de la Martinière (3 books)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (3 books!)
NETHERLANDS: De Fontein (3 books)

Reading materials:
Finnish edition, English sample (80 pages!), English synopsis

 

PEARL RING, ENCLOSED
Publication Info:
Helmisormus kirjekuoressa
Bazar, January 2025, 444 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Bazar (orig.)
NETHERLANDS: Park Uitgevers / Oceaan

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis, Finnish edition

 

SNOWSINGER
Publication info:
Lumenlaulaja
Teos 2025, 320 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ESTONIA: Argo

Reading materials:
English sample & synopsis, Finnish PDF, Full English edition by December 2025

 

TOMORROW I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING
Publication Info:
Huomenna kerron kaiken
Gummerus 2025, 348 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Gummerus (orig.)
GERMANY: Karl Rauch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG

Reading material:
English sample & synopsis, Finnish edition

 

ITTY BITTY PRINCESS AND THE FART FAIRY’S SURPRISE CLEAN UP
Publication Info:
Prinsessa Pikkiriikki ja Kakkakeijun siivousyllätys
Otava 2025, 40 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

Reading material:
Full English PDF

About author


Aamos Honka

Aamos Honka has been a part of the Finnish intelligence community for over a decade and continues to work for the Finnish government. Drawing from his professional expertise, Aamos crafts gripping and realistic thrillers that delve deep into the high-stakes world of international espionage. He lives with his family in the picturesque Finnish archipelago, where he finds inspiration for his writing. In his free time, Aamos enjoys hunting and ice swimming.

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About author


Anna Harju

Anna Harju (b. 1983) enjoys atmospheric detective stories with a compelling, complex plot. By profession, she is a translator and communication multitasker. She enjoys the solitude of early mornings, sprinting in silent forests and questioning the ordinary. Unlike her character, Taro Auramo, she is terrified of heights but shares his impulsive nature and feeling of not always fitting in.

Traces is her debut novel and takes place in Tampere, the sauna capital of the world and the largest inland city of the Nordics, where Harju is from.

Photo credit: Jan Lönnberg

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About author


Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen (b. 1981) is a Spiegel bestselling author and environmental inspector based in Pori, Finland. During the evenings, he writes dark and tough crime novels. He is best known for his psychologically nuanced and gripping crime novels. Tuominen's novels are acclaimed for their intense atmosphere, compelling plots, and richly drawn characters.

His River Delta series has sold over 230,000 copies in Finland alone and has been published in six different languages. Tuominen has received numerous accolades, including the Vuoden Johtolanka (Clue of the Year) award for The Oath and the Palle Rosenkrantz Prize from the Danish Crime Academy for Jeopardy. In addition he has been nominated for the prestigious Glass Key Award. His novels have earned praise from both critics and readers, firmly establishing him as a leading voice in Finnish crime fiction.

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About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

About author


Hannele Lampela

Hannele Lampela's lovable works have been praised above all for their rich humor and ability to truly show the world from a child's perspective. She has the ability to enchant her readers, and that is why both children and adults love her stories. Lampela's works have been dramatized for example by the Finnish National Theater, Kuopio City Theater and YLE's radio plays. She has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her work and she has been nominated for Runeberg Junior award in 2019 and for Storytel Award, and Arvid Lydecken Award four times, most recently in 2023.

In addition to her fictional works, Lampela has written and created  a world of stories for the next national ABC book of Finnish schools. First graders across the country will learn to read through Hannele’s texts. Lampela lives in a small wooden house in the middle of apple trees with her family, and spends her days not only writing, but also pampering herself and others on a regular basis.

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About author


Juha Itkonen

Juha Itkonen (b. 1975) is one of the most recognized voices in contemporary Finnish literature. He has published eight novels, a novella collection, a children’s book, several plays, and an epistolary novel co-written with Kjell Westö. His works often explore themes of family, generations, and parenthood, and are known for their emotional depth, energy, and a touch of melancholy.

He has received the Finnish State Prize for Literature, the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, and the Veijo Meri Prize, and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize. In 2019, his novel Beyond Our Reach (Ihmettä kaikki, Otava in 2018).) was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize.

Itkonen loves music, both as a listener and a player, which shows in his books. The passing of time is an eternal mystery at the core of his writing – his novels tend to have a melancholy undertone, yet they are also filled with life, humor, and energy. He lives in the Arabianranta district of Helsinki with his wife, Maija Itkonen, and their four children.

A film based on his novel The More Loving One (Anna minun rakastaa enemmän, Teos 2005) was released in Fall 2025.

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About author


Mari Renko

Mari Renko (b.1994) is an eastern Finnish writer from Kuopio. She wrote her debut novel Pearl Ring, Enclosed after getting bored with the one-sided love interests of romance books. Her aim is to show that the world is full of different love stories, each one worth telling, even if they do not end in marriage and children, or even if they are about something other than romantic love. Mari has studied medicine and writing. She loves stories that offer an escape from everyday life, such as romance and fantasy. She is also active on the book scene, where she talks about her writing and shares writing tips.

On Instagram and TikTok, Mari can be found under the username @renkomari.

Photo credit: Anna-Katri Hänninen Bazar kustannus

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About author


Ninka Reittu

Ninka Reittu is an illustrator and children's book writer.

Reittu lives in an old clergy house in Liperi, Finland, with her son and carpenter husband. Their family also includes two cats, several dogs, and a flock of sheep.

In addition to her own picture books Messi ja Mysteeri and Sinä olet superrakas, she has illustrated the titles of Hannele Lampela (The Itty-Bitty Princess) and Kreetta Onkelin.

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SNOWSINGER by Emmi Itäranta sold to Estonia!

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We are so happy to announce, that the Estonian rights for SNOWSINGER by Emmi Itäranta have been sold to Argo kirjastus! The deal was closed by Satu Sallantaus at Ahlback Agency.

Snowsinger is the enchanting origin story of Louhi, the witch queen of Pohjola from the Finnish national epic Kalevala. The title combines folklore and mythology to fantasy elements, presenting the fantastical Finnish Pohjola to new readers. Emmi Itäranta’s debut novel, Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

This is what Lea Adamson, Managing Director of Argo kirjastus had to say about Itäranta:

“A powerful tale that takes you to the mythic Nordic world, a gripping journey that makes the book hard to put down. Hope Estonian readers will agree.“

Argo Publishers (est. in 2000) specialises in original and translated historical literature, popular science and academic textbooks supported by professional competence. Over the years Argo has evolved into one of Estonia’s major publishers of historical titles from both established and emerging authors, from renowned scholars and talented young historians alike.

DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR SNOWSINGER HERE

Award-winning author Emmi Itäranta’s latest novel Snowsinger takes the readers to a mythological past, a world of magic and shapeshifting. Harmony and respect reign between humans, nature, and animals. Until the idyll is broken and the lust for power, the desire for revenge, and greed arise.

Lauha is living her childhood in Pohjola where strong women rule, each of them with their spell-shape, or animal form. When Lauha is nine, a foreign tribe attacks Pohjola and kills most of her family, while Lauha flees with her mother and two younger sisters. After many hardships, Lauha ends up in the safety of a women’s forest community known as Metsänpeitto, where she lives silently for years.

After a tragic incident, Lauha decides to have revenge on the conquerors of Pohjola and reclaim her home. Defending Pohjola and keeping her family safe shapes Lauha into Louhi, a woman feared by many. The painful memories of her escape drive Louhi to choices that have fateful consequences to the people of Pohjola and to Louhi herself.

Publication info:
Lumenlaulaja
Teos 2025, 320 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ESTONIA: Argo

Reading materials:
English sample & synopsis, Finnish PDF
Full English edition by December 2025

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

MEMORY OF WATER by Emmi Itäranta sold to Thailand!

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One of our top sellers, MEMORY OF WATER by Emmi Itäranta, has sold to Thailand! Thai language rights were acquired by Library House in a deal closed by Julia Bogen at Ahlback Agency.

MEMORY OF WATER is a story of growing up, of the power of friendship, and, above all, of undying hope in a wrecked world. With the honor of having prose compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin, this novel has won multiple awards and premiered as an international feature film.

Praise from a starred review in the US’s Library Journal: “The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale that Finnish author Itäranta employs. A larger world, with huge problems, is hinted at but not shown. Because the reader stays with the beautifully realized character of Noria and the village she inhabits, the tension is high even though the pacing remains measured.”

Rights have sold to over 25 territories, but there are still gaps in Greece, Israel, Slovakia…

Download the English materials for MEMORY OF WATER here!

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.), ALBANIA: Dituria, ARABIC: Dar al Muna, BRAZIL: Editora Record Ltda, BULGARIA: Perseus Publishing House, CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House Co., Ltd., CROATIA: VBZ, CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media a.s./ Plus Publishers, ESTONIA: Koolibri Publishers, FILM RIGHTS: Bufo Oy, FRANCE: Presses de la Cite, GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing, GERMANY: Reihe Hanser, HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group Kft., ITALY: Sperling & Kupfer, JAPAN: Nishimura Co., Ltd., LATVIA: Jana Rozes Apgads, LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto/ Publishing House Nothing Serious, NETHERLANDS: Uitgeverij Atlas Contact, NORTH MACEDONIA: Sakam Knigi, NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag AS, RUSSIA: TEXT, SERBIA: Heliks, SOUTH KOREA: The Book In My Life, SPAIN: Ediciones B, SWEDEN: Modernista, THAILAND: Library House, TURKEY: DOĞAN KİTAP, WORLD ENGLISH: HarperVoyager

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Three new fiction deals! Katja Kettu sold in Germany, GHOST ISLAND in the Netherlands & MEMORY OF WATER in Albania!

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We are thrilled to share three new fiction deals with you!

The German rights for Katja Kettu’s bestselling novel THE INVESTIGATIONS OF A CERTAIN CAT have been sold to Weissbooks Verlag in a deal closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. This is the 9th language this title will be published in.

Weissbooks Verlag are an independent publisher with a well-curated literary list that includes Booker-Prize shortlisted author Cheon Myeong-kwan, Heinrich-Böll-Prize winning author José F. A. Oliver, and critically acclaimed author Mary Miller.

This is what Weissbooks Publisher Bärbel Brands said about acquiring Katja Kettu’s novel:

“The Investigations of a Certain Cat” is for me a text that is as historical as it is topical, as feminine as it is universal, one that entertains in the most intelligent way and at the same time inspires and shakes us up. I am particularly interested in two (three) things that I find highly topical and existential for every society: the deep understanding of  human nature (motherhood and loss) and nature itself in contrast to over-civilised humanity, and the power of language, words and communication, which seems at least as important to me. Even across generations. When we look at the current crises, indeed wars, we know that there is a lack of willingness to enter into negotiations, to find the right words. And formally, not to forget the dramaturgical twist of giving the cat a perspective and an instance of its own, which has both a commentary character and elegantly connects the different narratives. (…) In terms of positioning, I see it close to Cheon’s “The Whale“ (short-listed for the International Booker Prize 23), this exuberant novel full of dream images, dominated by two strong female protagonists, which described a Korea on the threshold of modernity in disguise of a Korean Thousand and One Nights. There is no doubt about it, “Investigations of a Certain Cat” will be our most important title, to which we devote all our persuasive power and passion.”

Download the materials for THE INVESTIGATIONS OF A CERTAIN CAT here!

 

We are also happy to report that A.W. Bruna acquired the Dutch rights to Max Seeck’s GHOST ISLAND in a deal closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This is the 4th instalment in the New-York-Times-bestselling Jessica Niemi crime series, which has been sold to 40 countries and Hollywood. In 2023, Max Seeck was won the prestigious Glass Key Award for the third book in the series, THE LAST GRUDGE. Finnish publisher Tammi will publish Max Seeck’s new and independent title MILO in September 2024 and the rights have already been pre-empted for 3 territories and Film & TV.

Download the materials for GHOST ISLAND here!

 

And last but not least, Emmi Itäranta’s THE MEMORY OF WATER was sold to Dituria in Albania in a deal closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. The rights for this speculative fiction title, originally published in Finland in 2012, have already been sold in over 25 territories and its environmental message is today more topical than ever.

Dituria, founded in 1991, publishes literature for both adults and children, and about 60% of their publications are by foreign authors. Their mission is to spread the pleasure of reading and become a companion for social change. Their authors include Hilary Mantel, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Per Olov Enquist, Lucinda Riley, J.K. Rowling, Maria Parr, Milan Kundera, Philip Roth,  Rosa Liksom, Roald Dahl, and Umberto Eco.

Download the materials for THE MEMORY OF WATER here!

Erään kissan tutkimuksia
Otava, September 2023, 380 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ESTONIA: Koolibri
GERMANY: Weissbooks Verlag
ITALY: Mondadori
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
ROMANIA: Humanitas Fiction
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag

Reading materials:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

 

Loukko
Tammi, September 2022, 358 pp.

Rights sold in series:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: EMAS
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books/Steimatzky
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
RUSSIA: AST Publishers
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motyl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SOUTH KOREA: Cheongmirae
SPAIN & LATIN AMERICA: Maeva Ediciones
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
UK: Welbeck
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

Reading materials:
English edition

 

Teemestarin kirja
Teos, November 2012, 266 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ALBANIA: Dituria
ARABIC: Dar Al Muna
BRAZIL: Record
BULGARIA: Perseus
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House
CROATIA: VBZ
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media/Plus
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Koolibri
FRANCE: Place des Editeurs
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media
ITALY: Sperling&Kupfer
JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten
KOREA: The Book in My Life
LATVIA: Janis Roze
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS: Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag
RUSSIA: Text Publishers
SERBIA: Heliks
SPAIN: Ediciones B.
SWEDEN: Modernista
TURKEY: Dogan Egmont
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Bufo

Reading materials:
English edition

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

About author


Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu is an acclaimed and award-winning writer with a strong, unique voice from Northern Finland. Originally from Rovaniemi, Lapland, she graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts in 2001 as an animation director and has also studied in the University of Tampere and in the National Film and Television School in the UK. She has worked as a columnist for numerous Finnish newspapers and magazines.

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.

To date, she has published five novels, written or edited two collections of short stories, authored a graphic novel, edited a fiction/non-fiction book on women’s experiences with sexual harassment and violence, and a biography of Ismo Alanko, a Finnish musician. In addition, she has collaborated with photographer Meeri Koutaniemi and documentarist Maria Seppälä on a book and a TV series about Finnish emigrants in North America and their relationships with the Ojibwe people. Outside of literature, Kettu has directed, written or helped produce 10 animations and been a singer in the punk band Confusa.

Kettu’s works have been characterized as “Laplandic magical realism”. Kettu is meticulous in the research for her works and she is interested in microhistory, especially the fates of women caught up in conflicts where individuals have a limited influence on their lives.

Her novel Rose on poissa was a Finlandia Prize 2018 nominee. Kettu's works have been translated into 23 languages.

Katja Kettu's literary works:

Surujenkerääjä, 2005 WSOY

Hitsaaja, 2008 WSOY

Kätilö, 2011 WSOY

Piippuhylly, novelleja, 2013 WSOY

Novelli palaa! Matkanovelleja, co-edited with Aki Salmela, 2013 WSOY

Yöperhonen, 2015 WSOY

Peräkammarin poika, illustrated by Jan Andersson, 2015 Otava

Rose on poissa, 2018 WSOY

Erään kissan tutkimuksia, 2023 Otava

Photo credit: Niclas Mäkelä / Otava

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About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

Max Seeck – New York Times Bestselling Author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Winner of the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for his novel THE LAST GRUDGE.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“Another star has been added to the firmament of thriller writers,” announced Iltalehti newspaper, when Max’s debut novel was published in 2016. Four books later, Max Seeck’s novels have been sold to more than 40 countries, including US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries and as far as Korea!

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

Max Seeck has a background in sales and marketing, and has lately been able to dedicate his time to his lifelong love of writing. His interests include well-conducted research, reading Nordic Noir and listening to movie soundtracks as he writes.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

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THE MOONDAY LETTERS by Emmi Itäranta longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award!

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moonday letters

We are delighted to share the news that award-winning author Emmi Itäranta’s latest novel THE MOONDAY LETTERS, published in English by Titan Books UK, has been longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award of 2024!

Awarded since 1996, the Dublin Literary Award is one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the world and is given annually to a work of fiction either written in English or translated into English. Books are nominated for the award by public libraries around the world, and the winner is announced during the International Literature Festival Dublin in May.

“This Finnish scifi novel tells an impressive story about the future after environmental crisis. The structure of the book is interesting, and the beautiful, individual language shows Itäranta’s true talent as a writer. The novel challenges reader to think about our future on new perspective and evokes consciousness about environmental issues.”
– Kuhmo library, Finland (nominating library)

THE MOONDAY LETTERS, which has previously been longlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Awards 2023, has been sold to 5 territories!
Rights are available in, e.g., Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Korea, etc.!

Download the materials for THE MOONDAY LETTERS here!

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta

A scifi mystery and a love story that bends space, time, myth and science.

Lumi is an Earth-born healer whose Mars-born spouse Sol disappears unexpectedly on a work trip. As Lumi begins her quest to find Sol, she delves gradually deeper into Sol’s secrets – and her own.

While recalling her own path to becoming a healer under the guidance of her mysterious teacher Vivian, she discovers an underground environmental group called Stoneturners, which may have something to do with Sol’s disappearance. Lumi’s search takes her from the wealthy colonies of Mars to Earth that has been left a shadow of its former self due to vast environmental destruction. Gradually, she begins to understand that Sol’s fate may have been connected to her own for much longer than she thought.

Part space-age epistolary, part eco-thriller, The Moonday Letters is also a love story between two individuals from very different worlds. The Moonday Letters has elements of clifi, elements of suspense, and feels Golden Age-y in its imagination of how space has been colonized in the wake of Earth’s transformation.

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
KUUNPÄIVÄN KIRJEET
Teos, 2020, 300 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
CZECHIA: Albatros Media
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group
WORLD ENGLISH (print, e-book): Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio): Recorded Books

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

MOONDAY LETTERS by Emmi Itäranta nominated for the BSFA Awards!

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We are thrilled to share the news that THE MOONDAY LETTERS by Emmi Itäranta has been nominated for the British Science Fiction Association Awards!

The BSFA awards have been presented yearly since 1970, and the winner will be presented in April 2023.
THE MOONDAY LETTERS is the newest novel by Emmi Itäranta, a love story with elements of clifi and suspense woven into the sotry. The English edition was published by Titan in summer 2022, and has been widely praised:

“Itäranta accomplishes an impressive amount of worldbuilding in Lumi’s letters and makes her longing for her soulmate palpable. The result is a quietly powerful meditation on the human need to share life and love with others.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
“[A] melancholy, lovely, and alarming tale about humanity in crisis”
-Foreword reviews

Rights to the title have been sold in Czechia, Hungary, and World English – all other rights are still available!
Download the materials for THE MOONDAY LETTERS here!
Reminder: The FILI translation grant application round is ongoing! FILI provides grants that can cover up to 70% of the costs of translating Finnish and Finland-Swedish titles to other languages. The deadline for the current application round is February 1st. You can find more information here: Translation and printing grants for publishers outside Finland – FILI

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
Emmi Itäranta
A  love story that bends space, time, myth and science

Lumi is an Earth-born healer whose Mars-born spouse Sol disappears unexpectedly on a work trip. As Lumi begins her quest to find Sol, she delves gradually deeper into Sol’s secrets – and her own.

While recalling her own path to becoming a healer, Lumi discovers an underground environmental group called Stoneturners, which may have something to do with Sol’s disappearance. Lumi’s search takes her from the wealthy colonies of Mars to Earth that has been left a shadow of its former self due to vast environmental destruction. Gradually, she begins to understand that Sol’s fate may have been connected to her own for much longer than she thought.

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
Teos, 2020, 300pp

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
CZECHIA: Albatros Media
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group
WORLD ENGLISH (print, e-book): Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio): Recorded Books

Reading material: English edition

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

MEMORY OF WATER by Emmi Itäranta sold to the Netherlands!

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We are thrilled to announce that Atlas Contact from the Netherlands acquired the Dutch rights for MEMORY OF WATER by Emmi Itäranta. The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

MEMORY OF WATER has now been sold in over 25 territories, including World English by HarperCollins and has recently been turned into a movie. 
Rights are available in Poland, Romania, Germany, Greece, Portugal etc!

Emmi Itäranta’s new Dutch publisher loves MEMORY OF WATER:

“For almost ten years this novel has felt like a separate universe that I could occasionally (sometimes frequently depending on the season and temperature) step into – and rereading it has only confirmed the strength of Emmi’s vision. I am also struck yet again, now having teenage daughters myself, at how vulnerable yet fierce Noria is, how utterly whole and believable as a character. Rereading this reminded me of how it felt to read haunting classics like THE HANDMAID’S TAIL and STATION ELEVEN for the first time. Add to this the fact that my younger colleagues could not put this down over the weekend, and I simply have to offer for Dutch rights, and publish this in 2023.” – Jessica Nash, Publisher, Atlas Contact, Netherlands

Congratulations to Emmi Itäranta!

Download the materials for MEMORY OF WATER here!

Orig. publication: Teemestarin kirja (Memory of Water), Teos, November 2012, 266 pp.

Rights sold Memory of Water:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ARABIC: Dar Al Muna
BRAZIL: Record
BULGARIA: Perseus
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House
CROATIA: VBZ
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media/Plus
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Koolibri
FRANCE: Place des Editeurs
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media
ITALY: Piemme/ Sperling & Kupfer
JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten
KOREA: The Book in My Life
LATVIA: Janis Roze
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NETHERLANDS: Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag
RUSSIA: Text Publishers
SPAIN: Ediciones B.
SWEDEN: Modernista
TURKEY: Dogan Egmont
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins/HarperVoyager
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Bufo

Reading materials: English edition

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Italian rights renewed for Emmi Itäranta’s MEMORY OF WATER!

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We are thrilled to announce that the Italian rights for MEMORY OF WATER, the award-winning title by internationally bestselling author Emmi Itäranta have been renewed by Sperling and Kupfer / Mondadori!

The movie based on the title, premiered in Finland this fall, will be screened in Italy early 2023. The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Watch the trailer for the film here!

Sperling praised the internationally bestselling title:
“A powerful and imaginative story, an author, like Margaret Atwood or David Mitchell, who recreates ourselves and our worst fears and tells us about worlds as distant and unreal as they are very close to us.”

Recently, the title was also sold to Serbia:

“Unexpected heroine in the harsh, oppressive world devastated by an environmental disaster. Courage has many faces, and in this extraordinary dystopia for all generations, it has the face of young Noria, with a different kind of strength, quiet and nurturing. Truly inspiring coming of age story about loyalty, self-sacrifice and hope in the face of hard choices.”
– Ana Ješić, editor, Heliks Publishing House, Serbia

The rights to MEMORY OF WATER have sold to 25 territories, including Wolrd English by HarperCollins! Rights are still available in Germany, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal etc!
Download the full English PDF for MEMORY OF WATER here!

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Memory of Water is a story of growing up, of the power of friendship – and, above all, of undying hope in a wrecked world.

Emmi Itäranta‘s debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) won the Teos Fantasy and Sci-fi Literary Contest in 2011, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize in 2012 and the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2013.

The story, set in a drought-ravaged, future world where fresh water has become the privilege of a few, follows seventeen-year-old Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. When her father dies, she finds herself alone with the dangerous responsibility of guarding a hidden spring that can save lives – or provoke people to kill.

As war spreads into her homeland, Noria’s loyalties are torn between keeping her duty and helping her dearest friend Sanja, whose family can barely survive on their water rations. Together the girls unearth knowledge about the past that has remained buried too long and begin to plan a journey to the Lost Lands, forbidden areas that might hold unexplored water resources.

Yet the web of the military is closing in on Noria’s secret. Sanja disappears mysteriously, and Noria is placed under house arrest. Knowing her own life is in danger, Noria must face a choice in order to secure the hidden information for others.

Teemestarin kirja

Teos, November 2012, 266 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Teos (orig.),

ARABIC: Dar Al Muna
BRAZIL: Record
BULGARIA: Perseus
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House
CROATIA: VBZ
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media/Plus
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Koolibri
FRANCE: Place des Editeurs
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media
ITALY: Sperling & Kupfer/Mondadori
JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten
KOREA: The Book In My Life
LATVIA: Janis Roze
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag
RUSSIA: Text Publishers
SERBIA: Heliks
SPAIN: Ediciones B.
SWEDEN: Modernista
TURKEY: Dogan Egmont
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins

FILM & TV: Bufo

Reading materials: English edition

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Serbian rights sold for Emmi Itäranta’s MEMORY OF WATER! Now 25 territories for this award-winning title!

Posted on

We are thrilled to announce that the Serbian rights for MEMORY OF WATER, the award-winning title by internationally bestselling author Emmi Itäranta have been acquired by Heliks! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Heliks praised the title for showing that even in the darkest of environments and times, the best traits of humanity can survive and spark hope:

“Unexpected heroine in the harsh, oppressive world devastated by an environmental disaster. Courage has many faces, and in this extraordinary dystopia for all generations, it has the face of young Noria, with a different kind of strength, quiet and nurturing. Truly inspiring coming of age story about loyalty, self-sacrifice and hope in the face of hard choices.”
– Ana Ješić, editor, Heliks Publishing House, Serbia

Download the full English PDF for MEMORY OF WATER here!

 

Emmi Itäranta’s captivating and award-winning debut novel has been sold to 25 territories! The film based on MEMORY OF WATER, titled “VEDEN VARTIJA”, was released in Finland in September to starred reviews and great success!

Watch the trailer for the film here!

The rights for the title are still available in Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Greece, Slovakia, etc.

 

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Memory of Water is a story of growing up, of the power of friendship – and, above all, of undying hope in a wrecked world.

Emmi Itäranta‘s debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) won the Teos Fantasy and Sci-fi Literary Contest in 2011 and earned her the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors, worth 16.000 euros, in December 2012. She also received the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2013.

The story is set in a drought-ravaged, war-ridden future world where fresh water has become the privilege of a few and tea masters have been keepers of natural springs for centuries. Memory of Water tells of seventeen-year-old Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. When her father dies, she finds herself alone with the dangerous responsibility of guarding a hidden spring that can save lives – or provoke people to kill.

As war spreads into her homeland, Noria’s loyalties are torn between keeping her duty and helping her dearest friend Sanja, whose family can barely survive on their water rations. Together the girls unearth knowledge about the past that has remained buried too long and begin to plan a journey to the Lost Lands, forbidden areas that might hold unexplored water resources.

Yet the web of the military is closing in on Noria’s secret. Sanja disappears mysteriously, and Noria is placed under house arrest. Knowing her own life is in danger, Noria must face a choice in order to secure the hidden information for others.

MEMORY OF WATER 

Teemestarin kirja
Teos, November 2012, 266 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

ARABIC: Dar Al Muna, BRAZIL: Record, BULGARIA: Perseus, CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House, CROATIA: VBZ, CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media/Plus, DENMARK: Turbine, ESTONIA: Koolibri, FRANCE: Place des Editeurs, GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing, GERMANY: DTV/Reihe Hanser, HUNGARY: Metropolis Media, ITALY: Piemme, JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten, KOREA: The Book In My Life, LATVIA: Janis Roze, LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto, NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag, RUSSIA: Text Publishers, SERBIA: Heliks, SPAIN: Ediciones B., SWEDEN: Modernista, TURKEY: Dogan Egmont, WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins, FILM & TV: Bufo
Reading materials: Full English PDF

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

The film MEMORY OF WATER, based on Emmi Itäranta’s international bestseller, hits the theatres today!

Posted on

We are thrilled to celebrate the premiere for MEMORY OF WATER, the wonderful science fiction film based on Emmi Itäranta’s celebrated and internationally bestselling book! 

Watch the English trailer for the film here!

The film has been applauded as the best Finnish science fiction film in the country’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and has received praises in other media for its masterful fit into the genre.

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Memory of Water is a story of growing up, of the power of friendship – and, above all, of undying hope in a wrecked world.

Emmi Itäranta‘s debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) won the Teos Fantasy and Sci-fi Literary Contest in 2011 and earned her the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors, worth 16.000 euros, in December 2012. She also received the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2013.

The story is set in a drought-ravaged, war-ridden future world where fresh water has become the privilege of a few and tea masters have been keepers of natural springs for centuries, Memory of Water tells the story of seventeen-year-old Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. When her father dies, she finds herself alone with the dangerous responsibility of guarding a hidden spring that can save lives – or provoke people to kill.

As war spreads into her homeland, Noria’s loyalties are torn between keeping her duty and helping her dearest friend Sanja, whose family can barely survive on their water rations. Together the girls unearth knowledge about the past that has remained buried too long and begin to plan a journey to the Lost Lands, forbidden areas that might hold unexplored water resources.

Yet the web of the military is closing in on Noria’s secret. Sanja disappears mysteriously, and Noria is placed under house arrest. Knowing her own life is in danger, Noria must face a choice in order to secure the hidden information for others.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ARABIC: Dar Al Muna
BRAZIL: Record
BULGARIA: Perseus
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House
CROATIA: VBZ
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media/Plus
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Koolibri
FRANCE: Place des Editeurs
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing
GERMANY: DTV/Reihe Hanser
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media
ITALY: Piemme/ Sperling & Kupfer
JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten
KOREA: The Book in My Life
LATVIA: Janis Roze
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag
RUSSIA: Text Publishers
SPAIN: Ediciones B.
SWEDEN: Modernista
TURKEY: Dogan Egmont
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins/HarperVoyager

FILM & TV RIGHTS: Bufo

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

The Moonday Letters published in the UK!

Posted on

We are thrilled to celebrate the publication of the English edition of THE MOONDAY LETTERS, Emmi Itäranta’s newest title and her third novel, which has already gathered praising reviews:

“Itäranta accomplishes an impressive amount of worldbuilding in Lumi’s letters and makes her longing for her soulmate palpable. The result is a quietly powerful meditation on the human need to share life and love with others.”
– Publisher’s Weekly

“[A] melancholy, lovely, and alarming tale about humanity in crisis”
-Foreword reviews

THE MOONDAY LETTERS was published by Titan Books in the UK yesterday, and the US publication will follow on July 19th, when the book will also be published as an audio book from Recorded Books! Congratulations to Emmi Itäranta and her publishers!

Download the English pdf here!

The Moonday Letters is a beautifully crafted and hauntingly written mystery that successfully combines many elements of science-fiction, and I’m delighted to have it on Titan’s list!
– Cat Camacho, Senior Editor, Titan Books, UK

When I started reading The Moonday Letters, I was transported very quickly into the world Emmi had created, and was tantalized by the mystery – and relationships – I was discovering. The Recorded Books team and I are very happy to bring it to audio listeners everywhere.
 – Catherine Wallach, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Recorded Books, USA

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
by Emmi Itäranta

A space-age love story that blends fantasy, cli-fi, and suspense, and follows a healer whose search for her elusive partner leads to a mysterious journey through time, space, science, and myth in which Earth’s future hangs in the balance.

The Moonday Letters was published in Finland in 2020 to amazing reviews and won the Tähtivaeltaja Award for the Best Finnish Science Fiction Book 2020! 

Not surprisingly, Emmi Itäranta thinks of herself more as an architect than an author. Her writing process includes work that’s not visible to the reader. When Itäranta creates her fictitious world, she first digs up the tiniest details; for instance, the geography, the most common cultivated plants, the different phases of the moon. With her latest piece, she had to do background work on space colonies plus investigate shamanism and varying types of lichen. 
– Venla Rossi, Image magazine, October 2020, Finland

Kuunpäivän kirjeet, Teos, September 2020, 300 pp.

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media/Kniha Zlin
HUNGARY: Metropolis
WORLD ENGLISH (print,e-book):
Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio):
Recorded Books

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

THE MOONDAY LETTERS UK Cover & publication date reveal!

Posted on

We are thrilled to share the beautiful cover for the English edition of THE MOONDAY LETTERS, Emmi Itäranta’s newest title and her third novel.

The Moonday Letters will be released on 5 July 2022 from Titan Books UK, and simultaneously in the US as an audio book from Recorded Books. Read more here, including a sneak peek into the novel:
https://www.scifinow.co.uk/books/the-moonday-letters-exclusive-cover-reveal-and-sneak-peek/

The Moonday Letters is a beautifully crafted and hauntingly written mystery that successfully combines many elements of science-fiction, and I’m delighted to have it on Titan’s list!
– Cat Camacho, Senior Editor, Titan Books, UK

When I started reading The Moonday Letters, I was transported very quickly into the world Emmi had created, and was tantalized by the mystery – and relationships – I was discovering. The Recorded Books team and I are very happy to bring it to audio listeners everywhere.
 – Catherine Wallach,  Senior Acquisitions Editor,  Recorded Books, USA

The Moonday Letters was published in Finland in 2020 to amazing reviews and won the Tähtivaeltaja Award for the Best Finnish Science Fiction Book 2020! 

Emmi Itäranta is one of the most internationally successful contemporary Finnish authors: Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, James Tiptree Jr. Honoree, and Author of MEMORY OF WATER, which sold in 21 languages, with a feature film to be released in Finland in March 2022.

She worked on her latest Fantasy/Sci-Fi title Moonday Letters for three and a half years while the world went through increasing turmoil.

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
by Emmi Itäranta

A space-age love story that blends fantasy, cli-fi, and suspense, and follows a healer whose search for her elusive partner leads to a mysterious journey through time, space, science, and myth in which Earth’s future hangs in the balance.

Download the full English ms by clicking here

Not surprisingly, Emmi Itäranta thinks of herself more as an architect than an author. Her writing process includes work that’s not visible to the reader. When Itäranta creates her fictitious world, she first digs up the tiniest details; for instance, the geography, the most common cultivated plants, the different phases of the moon. With her latest piece, she had to do background work on space colonies plus investigate shamanism and varying types of lichen. 
– Venla Rossi, Image magazine, October 2020, Finland

 

A wonderful cover for a wonderful book!

Kuunpäivän kirjeet, Teos, September 2020, 300 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

CZECHIA: Albatros Media
HUNGARY: Metropolis
WORLD ENGLISH (print,e-book):
Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio):
Recorded Books

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

MEMORY OF WATER Feature Film Trailer and Release dates!

Posted on

We are very excited to share the news that the feature film MEMORY OF WATER based on Emmi Itäranta internationally bestselling novel will be released in Finland in Spring 2022 and internationally in 2022 (exact dates to be announced).

Euro sales firm The Match Factory and Finnish producers Bufo have re-teamed on this dystopian sci-fi thriller Memory Of Water (Veden vartija).

Watch this amazing magical teaser trailer, here in English: https://youtu.be/79PvOl7AFN8

Emmi Itäranta‘s debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) won the Teos Fantasy and Sci-fi Literary Contest in 2011 and earned her the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors, worth 16.000 euros, in December 2012. She also received the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2013.

World English rights are held by HarperCollins.

The translation rights have been sold to 22 countries, but are still available in Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Albania, Slovakia, Greece, Serbia, Portugal etc.

Download the full English ms for MEMORY OF WATER by clicking here

In Hollywood, Deadline published the news about the coming film and shared the trailer internationally.
Read the full article here:
https://deadline.com/video/the-match-factory-re-teams-with-the-other-side-of-hope-producers-on-eco-thriller-memory-of-water-first-teaser/

ABOUT THE FILM:
Saarela’s (Twisted Roots) film, set in a waterless world of the future, sees a woman follow in her father’s footsteps by becoming her village’s ‘Tea Master’, a position which also sees her inherit a secret truth that has been hidden for a long time. The young woman must wield her quiet strength as a compass along a dangerous journey for her people’s survival.
Memory Of Water is based on Emmi Itäranta’s eco novel, which won accolades such as the 2012 Teos Fantasy and Scif-Fi Literary Fiction Contest, 2012 Kalevi Jäntti Award and 2013 Nuori Aleksis Award and is sold in 22 territories.
Feature film is produced by Misha Jaari and Mark Lwoff (Bufo) and co-produced by Nina Frese and Reinhard Brundig (for Germany’s Pandora Film), Ivo Felt (for Estonia’s Allfilm) and Maria Ekerhovd (for Norway’s Mer Film).
Cast includes Saga Sarkola, Mimosa Willamo, Lauri Tilkanen, Pekka Strang, Minna Haapkylä and Kheba Touray.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE MEMORY OF WATER
by Emmi Itäranta
Memory of Water is a story of growing up, of the power of friendship – and, above all, of undying hope in a wrecked world.

Emmi Itäranta‘s debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) won the Teos Fantasy and Sci-fi Literary Contest in 2011 and earned her the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors, worth 16.000 euros, in December 2012. She also received the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2013.

The story is set in a drought-ravaged, war-ridden future world where fresh water has become the privilege of a few and tea masters have been keepers of natural springs for centuries, Memory of Water tells the story of seventeen-year-old Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. When her father dies, she finds herself alone with the dangerous responsibility of guarding a hidden spring that can save lives – or provoke people to kill.

As war spreads into her homeland, Noria’s loyalties are torn between keeping her duty and helping her dearest friend Sanja, whose family can barely survive on their water rations. Together the girls unearth knowledge about the past that has remained buried too long and begin to plan a journey to the Lost Lands, forbidden areas that might hold unexplored water resources.

Yet the web of the military is closing in on Noria’s secret. Sanja disappears mysteriously, and Noria is placed under house arrest. Knowing her own life is in danger, Noria must face a choice in order to secure the hidden information for others.

Teemestarin kirja, Teos, September 2012, 266 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

ARABIC: Dar al Muna
BRAZIL: Editora Record Ltda
BULGARIA: Perseus Publishing House
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House Co., Ltd.
CROATIA: VBZ
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media a.s./ Plus Publishers
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Koolibri Publishers
FRANCE: Presses de la Cite
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing
GERMANY: Reihe Hanser
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group Kft.
ITALY: Sperling & Kupfer
LATVIA: Jana Rozes Apgads
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag AS
RUSSIA: TEXT
SPAIN: Ediciones B
SWEDEN: Modernista
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperVoyager

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Emmi Itäranta’s MOONDAY LETTERS Czech rights sold to Albatros, MEMORY OF WATER to VBZ in Croatia!

Posted on

Emmi Itäranta is one of the most internationally successful contemporary Finnish authors: Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, James Tiptree Jr. Honoree, and author of MEMORY OF WATER, which sold now in 22 languages.

Her latest Fantasy/Sci-Fi title MOONDAY LETTERS was published last Fall to amazing reviews and won the Tähtivaeltaja Award for the Best Finnish Science Fiction Book 2020!

Now we are really happy to announce deals for both of those amazing titles!

THE MOONDAY LETTERS, which just had World English rights sold to Titan Books, World English Audio to Recorded books and Hungarian rights to Metropolis, has now been acquired by Kniha Zlin (imprint of Albatros Media) in Czech Republic. Now the book will be published in 4 languages!

CZECH PRAISE:

Emmi Itäranta is an outstanding voice of the contemporary Finnish literature. Her new book MOONDAY LETTERS seems to be a work of genre, but it is much more than a sci-fi or cli-fi novel as it deals with both everlasting and burning up-to-date themes in a unique poetic frame and language. I am thrilled that we can present it to Czech readers in cooperation with the experienced translator Michal Švec.
 – Jitka Hanušová, Kniha Zlin, Albatros Media, Czech Republic

Download the full English ms for MOONDAY LETTERS by clicking here

MEMORY OF WATER found its 22nd publisher from Croatia – the new addition to the family is VBZ!
The rights have been sold to 22 countries, but are still available in Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Albania, Slovakia, Greece, Serbia, Portugal etc.

Download the full English ms for MEMORY OF WATER by clicking here

That is not all! A film based on MEMORY OF WATER is coming out in 2022! See more info here.

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
by Emmi Itäranta

A space-age love story that blends fantasy, cli-fi, and suspense, and follows a healer whose search for her elusive partner leads to a mysterious journey through time, space, science, and myth in which Earth’s future hangs in the balance.

The Moonday Letters is a beautifully crafted and hauntingly written mystery that successfully combines many elements of science-fiction, and I’m delighted to have it on Titan’s list!
– Cat Camacho, Senior Editor, Titan Books, UK

When I started reading The Moonday Letters, I was transported very quickly into the world Emmi had created, and was tantalized by the mystery – and relationships – I was discovering. The Recorded Books team and I are very happy to bring it to audio listeners everywhere.
 – Catherine Wallach,  Senior Acquisitions Editor,  Recorded Books, USA

THE MEMORY OF WATER
by Emmi Itäranta
Memory of Water is a story of growing up, of the power of friendship – and, above all, of undying hope in a wrecked world.

Emmi Itäranta‘s debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) won the Teos Fantasy and Sci-fi Literary Contest in 2011 and earned her the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors, worth 16.000 euros, in December 2012. She also received the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2013.

The story is set in a drought-ravaged, war-ridden future world where fresh water has become the privilege of a few and tea masters have been keepers of natural springs for centuries, Memory of Water tells the story of seventeen-year-old Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. When her father dies, she finds herself alone with the dangerous responsibility of guarding a hidden spring that can save lives – or provoke people to kill.

As war spreads into her homeland, Noria’s loyalties are torn between keeping her duty and helping her dearest friend Sanja, whose family can barely survive on their water rations. Together the girls unearth knowledge about the past that has remained buried too long and begin to plan a journey to the Lost Lands, forbidden areas that might hold unexplored water resources.

Yet the web of the military is closing in on Noria’s secret. Sanja disappears mysteriously, and Noria is placed under house arrest. Knowing her own life is in danger, Noria must face a choice in order to secure the hidden information for others.

Kuunpäivän kirjeet, Teos, September 2020, 300 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros/Kniha Zlin
HUNGARY: Metropolis
WORLD ENGLISH: Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio): Recorded Books

 

Teemestarin kirja, Teos, September 2012, 266 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

ARABIC: Dar al Muna
BRAZIL: Editora Record Ltda
BULGARIA: Perseus Publishing House
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House Co., Ltd.
CROATIA: VBZ
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media a.s./ Plus Publishers
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Koolibri Publishers
FRANCE: Presses de la Cite
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing
GERMANY: Reihe Hanser
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group Kft.
ITALY: Sperling & Kupfer
LATVIA: Jana Rozes Apgads
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag AS
RUSSIA: TEXT
SPAIN: Ediciones B
SWEDEN: Modernista
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperVoyager

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Emmi Itäranta’s MOONDAY LETTERS World English, World English audio and Hungarian rights sold!

Posted on

Emmi Itäranta is one of the most internationally successful contemporary Finnish authors: Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, James Tiptree Jr. Honoree, and Author of MEMORY OF WATER, which sold in 21 languages.

She worked on her latest Fantasy/Sci-Fi title Moonday Letters for three and a half years while the world went through increasing turmoil.

The book was published last Fall to amazing reviews and won the Tähtivaeltaja Award for the Best Finnish Science Fiction Book 2020!

Now we are really happy to announce three deals at once for the amazing title!
The World English rights have been sold to Titan Books (print and e-book), and Recorder Books (audio).
The deals were negotiated by Rhea Lyons at HG Literary on behalf of Elina Ahlback at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

And last but not least, the Hungarian rights were acquired by Metropolis!

THE MOONDAY LETTERS
by Emmi Itäranta

A space-age love story that blends fantasy, cli-fi, and suspense, and follows a healer whose search for her elusive partner leads to a mysterious journey through time, space, science, and myth in which Earth’s future hangs in the balance.

Download the full English ms by clicking here

The Moonday Letters is a beautifully crafted and hauntingly written mystery that successfully combines many elements of science-fiction, and I’m delighted to have it on Titan’s list!
– Cat Camacho, Senior Editor, Titan Books, UK

When I started reading The Moonday Letters, I was transported very quickly into the world Emmi had created, and was tantalized by the mystery – and relationships – I was discovering. The Recorded Books team and I are very happy to bring it to audio listeners everywhere.
 – Catherine Wallach,  Senior Acquisitions Editor,  Recorded Books, USA

Not surprisingly, Emmi Itäranta thinks of herself more as an architect than an author. Her writing process includes work that’s not visible to the reader. When Itäranta creates her fictitious world, she first digs up the tiniest details; for instance, the geography, the most common cultivated plants, the different phases of the moon. With her latest piece, she had to do background work on space colonies plus investigate shamanism and varying types of lichen. 
– Venla Rossi, Image magazine, October 2020, Finland

Kuunpäivän kirjeet, Teos, September 2020, 300 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

HUNGARY: Metropolis
WORLD ENGLISH (print,e-book):
Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio):
Recorded Books

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Emmi Itäranta wins Tähtivaeltaja Award and Saara Turunen goes to #1 on the Finnish Bestseller List!

Posted on
Fantastic news from the Fantasy world: with her book MOONDAY LETTERS, Emmi Itäranta has received The Tähtivaeltaja Award for the Best Finnish Science Fiction Book 2020!

According to the jury composed of experts, MOONDAY LETTERS has a style that is clear and crisp and very fluent. The jury says: “The author’s strong vision of the solar system shows us the direction we are heading at. Simultaneously it poses the question: are we changing while our everyday and our place of living change and what kind of a price are we paying for all this.” “Another poignant theme in the book is ecology. The vista into a collapsed and abandoned crust that humans have sucked empty, is cautionary and prophetic. This makes MOONDAY LETTERS astutely topical.”

Praise:

“Itäranta’s language is beautiful, and depictions almost poetic. The story grows, as emotions, clues, past, secrets and truth open like flowers. The plot flows forward and the mystery keeps readers hooked up. And it is a pleasure to read.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download full English manuscript

With her fresh new novel IRRATIONAL THINGS, Saara Turunen tops the official Finnish Bestseller list and goes to No.1

Praise:

“We are honored to be the first foreign publishers of this masterly Work by Saara Turunen. We believe that its subject is a matter of great relevance in the face of the modern life-style and the readers will relate with and feel for the main heroine.”-Ieva Savukynaitė-Dubicka, BALTO, Lithuania

Download materials from here.

Only 2 weeks left to apply to FILI translation grants from Finnish and Finland Swedish!

Apply now:
The unique translation grant system in Finland gives you an opportunity to finance your translation costs up to 70%  read more here:  https://fili.fi/en/grants/

The Spring application period started on 1st of April and will be closed on 1st of May.

Please note that only translations from Finnish or Finnish-Swedish to foreign languages will be supported.

Translators:
We will advise you to find the best possible translators, and in some cases, you can also translate from English.  Find more information about translators here: https://kaantopiiri.fi/en/search-translators/
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MOONDAY LETTERS
Teos, 2020

Rights sold:
FINLAND Teos (orig.)

Reading materials:
Full English manuscript

 

 

IRRATIONAL THINGS
Tammi, 2021

Rights sold:
FINLAND:Tammi (orig.)
LITHUANIA: Balto

Reading materials:
Long English sample, synopsis

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

About author


Saara Turunen

Saara Turunen is an internationally acclaimed award-winning author, playwright and director. Much of her work examines the themes of art, identity and social norms. Turunen is known for her four highly acclaimed novels: Hyena Days (2024), Irrational Things (2021), The Bystander (2018), and Love/Monster (2015), but also for her work in theatre. Her works have been translated into 16 languages and performed all around the world. Turunen has received the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize in 2015, the Finland Prize in 2016, the City of Helsinki’s The Artist of the Year Award in 2018 and the Lea-Prize in 2020, all high-profile awards given in Finland.

Photo credit: Ilkka Saastamoinen

Read more Author's page

Happy New Year 2021: Full English manuscripts available for many EALA books

Posted on
We wish you a Happy New Year 2021 and hope you had relaxing holidays!

English manuscripts:
To begin this fresh new year, you will have a chance to read and download full English manuscripts of many of our excellent books, in order to make publishing decisions. These books listed here will soon be published in English or have recently been published in English. What a perfect time to pick your next bestseller now!

Grants to foreign publishers:
The unique translation grant system in Finland gives you an opportunity to finance your translation costs up to 70% and even cover part of your printing costs – read more here:  https://fili.fi/en/grants/

Apply now:
The new FILI grant application period is now open starting January 1st, until February 1st. Please note that only translations from Finnish or Finnish-Swedish to foreign language will be supported.

Translators:
We will advice you to find the best possible translators, and in some cases you can also translate from English.  Find more information about translators here: https://kaantopiiri.fi/en/search-translators/
My Friend Natalia by Laura Lindstedt
W.W. Norton 2021, translated by David HackstonThe long-awaited new novel by Finlandia-prize winner! A bold, and brave novel about young woman’s sexuality, the power of narration, and identity. Right sold to 12 territories.“I read a galley of Laura Lindstedt’s “My Friend Natalia” (the translation, obviously) yesterday and I cannot stop thinking about how masterful the craft is,” writes Marissa Higgins in her review of Finnish author Laura Lindstedt’s novel “My Friend Natalia.” “Totally original, enthralling. Totally weird. 10/10, do recommend.” – Marissa Higgins, AuthorDownload the English PDF here. 

The Moonday Letters by Emmi Itäranta

The Moonday Letters is an eco-thriller and a love story, taking place in the future where the Earth has become almost inhabitable. Hauntingly beautiful, with highly literary style, it tells a story of individuals in a world that is lost because of our actions.

“Itäranta’s language is beautiful, and depictions almost poetic. The story grows, as emotions, clues, past, secrets and truth open like flowers. The plot flows forward and the mystery keeps readers hooked up. And it is a pleasure to read.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download the English PDF here.

 

The Women I Think About at Night by Mia Kankimäki
Simon & Schuster 2020, translated by Douglas Robinson

Hop on a plane with Mia Kankimäki and follow the footsteps of 12 historical female figures: fearless explorers, gifted writers and passionate artists! Rights sold to 16 territories.

“A fantastic book that every woman can enjoy. The book is a confidence-booster for all women seeking to build a life based on finding a path out of the beaten track, to find inspiration from “night women” who overcame all odds to make brave choices and seek better lives for themselves. These travels were as much travels of the soul than of the physical world.” —Beauty News NYC

Download the English PDF here.

 

A Wonderful Life by Frank Martela
HarperCollins 2020

In this engagingly insightful book, Frank Martela takes you on a voyage through the history, philosophy, and psychology of happiness and worthy living to answer the questions about meaning of life. Rights sold to 25 territories!
“A brilliant and charming book that tackles the grandest questions of life in plain terms, with humor and insight…full of anecdotes, history, thoughtfulness, perspective, and entertaining discourse. If you have any curiosity about the meaning of life—and who doesn’t?—this book is a refreshing and important resource.” — Roy F. Baumeister, Author of New York Times bestseller

Download the English PDF here.

 

Future Skills by Perttu Pölönen
Start Publishing 2021, translated by Owen Witesman

The next revolution is a human revolution, according to Perttu Pölönen, a futurist, inventor and an inspirational speaker. We should develop courage, adaptability, compassion, storytelling, patience and curiosity, to name a few, in order to succeed in the era of machines, robots and artificial intelligence

“This book provides insights for the younger generation to prepare for an uncertain future. It is a must-read to prepare for an era of new competition.”
– Yoonjoo Park, Director, BP Publisher, Korea

Download the English PDF here.

 

Sisterland by Salla Simukka
Crown Books 2019, translated by Owen Witesman

That winter it starts snowing and it never seems to end. Eleven-year-old Alice falls through the snow and lands in the summery world of Sisterland – in a much awaited adventure!
“This book is gorgeous, lush, and dreamy with the atmosphere of fairy tales we all know and love. It’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, but for this generation. It’s a beautiful exploration of friendship and the way children forget, of bravery and the beauty of remembering.” – Megan Szmyd, Book Shop of Fort Collins

Download the English PDF here.

 

Weird Weather by Laura Ertimo & Mari Ahokoivu
Skyhorse Publishing 2021, translated by Owen Witesman
Weird Weather! answers children’s tough questions about climate change, and tells how we can all fight against it.

We follow two clever children, Lotta and Kasper, who get tired of their parents’ evasive answers about weird weather like snowless winters, heat-waves, and tropical storms. They decide to research what climate change is really is about.

“Weird Weather is ambitiously done, but it looks beautiful and fresh. The spreads are spacious and there is not too much text. The content has been carefully written based on the facts but skillfully popularized so that even children can read and listen to them.” – Kirsin kirjanurkka blog

Download the English PDF here.

 

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

About author


Frank Martela

Professor 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 Assistant Professor at Aalto University in Finland. 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.

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About author


Laura Ertimo

Laura Ertimo is a geographer and author. She has previously worked in publishing of geography-related non-fiction and maps, and now she writes full time, specializing in children’s non-fiction. A recurring theme in her work is the holistic worldview, the interaction between phenomena, people and nature.

In 2020, she received the prestigious Tietopöllö Award for her work as a Non-Fiction writer. Her children's title WHERE DID THE ANIMALS GO, illustrated by Mari Ahokoivu, was nominated for the 2021 Finlandia Award and has also won the Tieto-Lauri award!

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About author


Laura Lindstedt

Laura Lindstedt (b. 1976) became a critical darling with her adoption-themed debut novel Scissors (Sakset, Teos 2007), which earned her a nomination for the Finlandia Prize, the country’s most prestigious literary honour. Lindstedt’s second novel Oneiron (Teos 2015), a work of speculative fiction that takes place in the mysterious moments that follow one’s death, earned her the coveted Finlandia Prize of 2015 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2017. Lindstedt’s success has continued with My Friend Natalia (Teos 2019) which has earned critical acclaim and has been sold to 12 territories. Together with author Sinikka Vuola, she has authored 101 tapaa tappaa aviomies (101 Ways to Kill Your Husband, Siltala 2022) which has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize of 2024.

She is currently completing her Ph.D. thesis on French author Nathalie Sarraute.

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About author


Mia Kankimäki

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

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

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

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

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About author


Perttu Pölönen

Perttu Pölönen is a futurist, inventor and an inspirational speaker. In the Finnish media, Perttu has been called a gentle highbrow and fearless inventor. Future Skills has been an instant bestseller in Finland – where Perttu has become one of the most sought-after speakers inspiring thousands of people in his lectures.

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About author


Salla Simukka

Salla Simukka is the author of the international success story The Snow White Trilogy: rights are sold in 53 territories and in Hollywood. She has written several novels for young readers and her accolades include the Topelius Prize 2013 and the Finland Prize 2013. Simukka has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award  every year 2021–2024. Where It All Begins, published in 2022, is her first novel for adults and in 2024 she started a collaboration with JP Ahonen on a middle grade novel.

Previously Simukka has written book reviews for the newspapers, translated all kinds of texts into Finnish, worked as an editor at a literary magazine and as a screenwriter for a popular TV show for young audiences.  She has also been working on the programme of Turku Book Fair in 2017–2020.

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Emmi Itäranta’s brilliant third novel THE MOONDAY LETTERS published today

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Emmi Itäranta is one of the most internationally successful contemporary Finnish authors. Her first novel MEMORY OF WATER is published in 23 territories, and filming of the movie has begun this fall.

The Moonday Letters by award-winning author Emmi Itäranta, focuses on big themes. It is dedicated to all those who have lost their homes. Itäranta worked on The Moonday Letters for three and a half years while the world went through increasing turmoil. The climate crisis grew more urgent, authoritarianism and populism gained more ground in world politics. The novel did not strive to directly reflect these issues, but they could not help but filter into the fictional reality of the book.
Emmi Itäranta tells about the writing process:

“Years ago my editor cleverly planted the idea in my mind that there were not many space operas by Finnish authors, and that it might be interesting to see some. The thought began to take root. In January 2017 the first image of the story emerged in my imagination: a woman is sitting in a coffee shop on the Moon, watching Earth from there and thinking that she can never return to her home planet. The image spoke to me not only of a future world, but also of loss and longing for home. The book grew around these themes.”   “And on top of it all I completed the book in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.”

“As I was putting the finishing touches on the book, the parallels with the current reality took even me by surprise.” Itäranta, who lives in the United Kingdom and is currently visiting Finland, says The Moonday Letters portrays first and foremost the grief of losing Earth, the only home of the human species, as it was.

“I believe we are already living in the middle of this grief in relation to the loss of biodiversity and the climate crisis that we see all around us. I also believe it is possible and meaningful to process these feelings of loss through fiction.”

 

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Feature film based on Emmi Itäranta’s novel MEMORY OF WATER now shooting in Estonia, soon in Germany and Norwegian Lapland

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Film news: Memory of Water feature film, based on Emmi Itäranta’s novel,  now in production!

We are very happy to let you know that MEMORY OF WATER now started filming in and around Tallinn, Estonia for Finland’s established production outfit Bufo, after more than five years in the making and a three-month shoot delay due to Covid-19.

The shoots are set to continue in Germany and Norwegian Lapland later this year

The film is based on the eponymous novel by Emmi Itäranta that has already sold to 22 countries. World English rights are held by HarperCollins.

The translation rights are still available for Albania, Croatia, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Macedonia, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia etc.

Ask for the full English manuscript of Memory of Water by clicking here.

The story centres on a young woman who finds courage to start a battle over fresh water in the Scandinavian Union, a land dried by eco disasters and controlled by a harsh military government.

ABOUT THE FILM:

The stellar cast for the film comprises Saga Sarkola (Thicker Than Water, Maria’s Paradise), Mimosa Willamo (Aurora), Pekka Strang (Dogs Don’s Wear Pants, Tom of Finland), and Lauri Tilkanen (Deadwind, Ladies of Steel) among others. Depending on travel restrictions, filming is set to move from Estonia to Germany and Norwegian Lapland.

Memory of Water is one of Bufo’s most ambitious projects ever, with a €3.5 million budget. The film is co-produced by Germany’s Pandora, Norway’s Mer Film, Estonia’s Allfilm, with co-financing from Yle, NRW, support from the Finnish Film Foundation, Nordisk Film & TV Fond and Creative Europe.

The premiere via Bufo’s own distribution arm B-Plan is scheduled for 2021.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ARABIC: Dar Al Muna
BRAZIL: Record
BULGARIA: Perseus
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media/Plus
DENMARK: Turbine
ESTONIA: Koolibri
FRANCE: Place des Editeurs
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing
GERMANY: DTV/Reihe Hanser
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media
ITALY: Piemme
JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten
KOREA: The Book in My Life
LATVIA: Janis Roze
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag
RUSSIA: Text Publishers
SPAIN: Ediciones B.
SWEDEN: Modernista
TURKEY: Dogan Egmont
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins
FILM RIGHTS: Bufo

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

Related news

Elina Ahlback Literary Agency’s 10th anniversary celebration & New Deals

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Exactly ten years ago on June 9th 2009 the Agency was founded by Elina Ahlbäck.

As it was 10 years ago, our mission is to represent the best of Finnish literature, and be the leading Nordic agency to export Finnish authors’ works world-wide – and to ten-fold the literature exports!

We are excited to do a celebration round-up of our recent sales!

 

Film news:

A dystopian drama, based on Emmi Itäranta’s novel Memory of Water has received production support. The Production company is Bufo. Read more.

Fiction news:

The Ice-Cream Man by Katri Lipson has been sold to Germany to Schenk Verlag. Read more.

Non-Fiction news 

Rahva Raamat bought Estonian rights to a nonfiction title The Meaning of Your Life by Frank Martela – rights sold to 6 territories now. Read more.

Euromedia acquired Czech rights to Lotta Sonninen’s hilarious activity book: The Little Book of Bad Moods for Mothers. Read more.

Children’s news 

Rahva Raamat has acquired the Estonian rights to The Little Mouse series by Riikka Jäntti. Their 6-book-offer included the upcoming part Little Mouse’s Summer which will be published in 2020.

In Sweden, Hegas has bought rights to the first two books of Magdalena Hai’s hilarious horror series: The Little Shop of Nightmares. Read more.

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

About author


Frank Martela

Professor 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 Assistant Professor at Aalto University in Finland. 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.

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