Works by two acclaimed Finnish writers, journalist Anna-Lena Laurén and author Jyrki Vainonen, are headed to Ukraine.

Piramida, publisher of three other books by Laurén, has acquired Ukranian rights to her latest book, Ukraine: The Borderland (Schildts & Söderströms 2015), co-authored with journalist Peter Lodenius.

Known for her empathetic and in-depth reporting on the former Soviet Union, Laurén has received several prizes for her work, including the  2010 State Journalist Award.

Ukraine: The Borderland  examines recent unrest and political shifts in Ukraine, and the country’s subsequent role as the symbol of a new East-West divide.

“By spending time with ordinary people, Laurén understands the betrayal and humiliation felt by Ukrainians….she lived in Russia for seven years, and complies by strict professional ethics in her work.”
– Talouselämä business publication, Finland

Meanwhile, Komora has acquired Ukranian rights to several short stories by acclaimed author Jyrki Vainonen, including his collection The Explorer & Other Stories (Tutkimusmatkailija ja muita tarinoita, Loki-kirjat 1999). The collection won the prestigious Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize, given to an outstanding debut book.

An English-language collection of Vainonen’s best stories from his three published collections, also entitled The Explorer & Other Stories and featuring an introduction by Johanna Sinisalo, was launched by Cheeky Frawg in 2013. In addition to his career as an author, Vainonen has gained acclaim as an English-to-Finnish translator of the likes of Jonathan Swift, Seamus Heaney and William Shakespeare.

“The author shows an easy comfort with the odd and disturbing, and sympathy even with his less sympathetic protagonists.”
– Publishers Weekly

RIGHTS SOLD
Ukraine: The Borderland
Original publisher: FINLAND, Schildts & Söderströms
UKRAINE, Piramida

READING MATERIALS
Ukraine: The Borderland
Swedish edition
Finnish edition
The Unknown Price of Freedom
Swedish edition
Finnish edition
English sample

RIGHTS SOLD
The Explorer & Other Stories
Original publisher: FINLAND, Loki-kirjat
WORLD ENGLISH, Cheeky Frawg
UKRAINE, Komora

READING MATERIALS
The Explorer & Other Stories
English edition
Finnish edition

Contact: info@ahlbackagency.com

PRAISE IN PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:

“Vainonen, an award winner in his native Finland, debuts in English with seven selections from three of his previous collections, introduced by Finnish fantasy powerhouse Johanna Sinisalo. Opening with the absurd—a husband vanishes on an ill-fated expedition into his unfaithful wife’s thigh in “The Explorer”—the book then delves into questions of identity (“Blueberries”) and transformation (“The Aquarium”). Sex is mutable (“The Pearl”) and comforting truths are revealed to be false, while faint suspicions prove terribly true (“The Refrigerator”). The author shows an easy comfort with the odd and disturbing, and sympathy even with his less sympathetic protagonists. The translators have done a masterful job of presenting his work with clarity. The one shortcoming of the collection is its brevity; at a scant hundred pages it seems too short to function as a proper introduction to the author. (Oct.) ”
– Publishers Weekly, http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-9857904-5-5

The Explorer & Other Stories by Jyrki Vainonen will be published in October 2013 by Jeff VanderMeer’s Cheeky Frawg publishing house, which has made a strong commitment to Finnish fiction. Read more: http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/

“This sly book showcases the quietly strange, unsettling short fiction of this acclaimed Finnish writer. Vainonen is renowned for his Finnish translations of the works of Seamus Heaney, Jonathan Swift, and William Shakespeare. Vainonen’s first collection of short stories was awarded the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and his work has been featured in such iconic collections as the Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy. This first English-language collection includes stories from Jyrki Vainonen’s three collections and is translated by J. Robert Tupasela and Anna Volmari, with one story translated by Hildi Hawkins. Introduction by Johanna Sinisalo.” –  Jeff VanderMeer, Cheeky Frawg

“Vainonen’s deceptively cool voice lured me into a world where horrors and wonders lurk just beneath the surface.” – Karin Tidbeck, Jagannath

Read more: www.ahlbackagency.com

Please ask for English reading materials from Elina Ahlback Literary Agency:
Elina.Ahlback@ahlbackagency.com

We are happy to announce that the English edition of The Explorer & Other Stories by award-winning Finnish author Jyrki Vainonen will be published in the US in late October 2013 by Cheeky Frawg Books.

“One of Finland’s best short story writers, Vainonen writes in a fantastical mode with an underlying hint of the macabre or disturbing.” – Jeff VanderMeer, Cheeky Frawg Books; source: http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/

The Explorer & Other Stories contains short stories from Jyrki Vainonen’s three collections and is translated by Juha Tupasela and Anna Volmari. Seven wonderful stories are introduced to the reader: The Explorer (Tutkimusmatkailija), Blueberries (Mustikoita), The Refrigerator (Kaappi), The Garden (Puutarha), The Boat (Vene), The Aquarium (Akvaario) and The Library (Kirjasto).

Jyrki Vainonen is an award-winning Finnish author who is renowned for his Finnish translations of the works of Seamus Heaney, Jonathan Swift and William Shakespeare. He has lived in Ireland and wrote his licentiate thesis on Swift’s Irish pamphlets. In 1999 Jyrki Vainonen’s first collection of short stories was awarded the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize.

Other works by Jyrki Vainonen include The Towers (Tornit, Tammi 2009) which is a unique story of death, revenge and atonement. The Towers is a perceptive and psychologically charged story, mixed with the elements of fantasy, erotica and horror. Jyrki Vainonen’s title At Swift’s Doors (Swiftin ovella, Tammi 2011) is a highly inventive novel, a dramatic tale of ill fate and a brave fight against injustice. The drama unfolds in part in a fictitious Finnish setting, in part in Ireland in the 18th century. The protagonist of the novel is Jonathan Swift.

Please ask the Agency for reading materials to Jyrki Vainonen’s works!