Czech rights for PUSH, PACE, POSITION, PRAY by Miika Nousiainen sold to Host!

Great news coming from one of our longtime authors: Czech rights for PUSH, PACE, POSITION, PRAY by Miika Nousiainen have been acquired by Host! The deal was closed by Martti Berner at the Ahlback Agency.

Here’s a bit about this humorous and charming anti-midlife crisis novel based on the author’s real-life experiences, blurring the lines between literary and autofiction:

When a man turns 50, he either gets a motorcycle or he does a 400 meter run. For Miika Nousiainen, who does not have a driver’s license and is not interested in rebellion, the only option is the track tour and his goal: the 400m run World Championship in Gothenburg.

Will Miika shape up into a real lightweight frequency runner? Even become the Finnish record holder in his age group?

For any of you who love running or simply relate to the “what do I do now?” of aging, we hope you enjoy PUSH, PACE, POSITION, PRAY.

You can click here to download all reading material for this book. We also recommend you check out his novels ROOTS and FACELIFT for more of Miika Nousiainen’s tragicomical cleverness.

Rights to PUSH, PACE, POSITION, PRAY still available in all territories except Finland and Czechia.

Publication Info:
Ratakierros, Otava, 300 p.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), CZECHIA: Host

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen’s ROOTS now sold to Poland!

We are really happy to announce, that ROOTS by Miika Nousiainen has now been acquired by Książkowe Klimaty in Poland!
The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

POLISH PRAISE:

„Roots” by Mika Nousiainen is touching, wise and entertaining at the same time. Reading it was, for me, a delightful mixture of laughter, amazement and melancholy, all in just right proportions. This is the story of searching for the truth about ourselves, of courage to face the unknown — and of a family that was reunited for the first time. This beautiful story made me reflect back on my life and my family history — and made me think about so many stories yet to be found, so many bad myths to be put right. I am thrilled that we will have it in Polish!
– Sebastian Musielak, translator, Poland

Roots has already been sold to 8 countries, but is still available in Denmark, Norway, Greece, Romania, Latvia, Korea, UK, US, Albania, Turkey etc

Download the English sample and synopsis for ROOTS here

ROOTS
Juurihoito
Otava, 2016, 250pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: XYZ
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Nagel & Kimche
HUNGARY: Kossuth
ITALY: Iperborea
NETHERLANDS: Prometheus
POLAND: Książkowe Klimaty
SWEDEN: Brombergs

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen’s FACELIFT has now been published in Germany to amazing reviews!

We are delighted to announce that Kein & Aber has now published the German edition of Miika Nousiainen’s bestselling novel FACELIFT aka QUALITY TIME to very exciting reviews!

The surprising and funny rom-com with a male lead has now sold over 95 000 copies in all formats in Finland and has already 8 publishers around the World.

The rights are still available in the US, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, France, Netherlands, Latvia, etc

Download the English sample and synopsis here.

EXCELLENT GERMAN REVIEWS FOR FACELIFT:

“Bestselling Finnish author Miika Nousiainen presents average guys. The fact that they speak frankly, as if into a diary, brings them close to us – also thanks to their sarcasm.”
– Hansruedi Kugler, Aargauer Zeitung, 21 August 2021

“A master of human depths and shallows […].
Quirky books, casual and, of course, full of Finnish mockery.
With all this verve and all this wit […] it’s more than a feel-good novel for me, this is really a great reckoning with what is expected of us and he does that very fast-paced and very funny.”

– Elke Schlinsog, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 4 September 2021

“One can’t stop laughing […]!”
– Barbara Weitzel, WELT am Sonntag kompakt, 5 September 2021

“I am very happy that Miika Nousiainen has again published such a burlesque, very spirited novel.”
-Annemarie Stoltenberg, NDR Kultur, 31 August 2021

“Light as a feather and spirited.”
-Annemarie Stoltenberg, NDR Kultur Neue Bücher, 7 September 2021

“Amusing, touching without being sentimental, suspenseful and funny.”
– Sabine Gartmann, Osterholzer Kreisblatt, 20 August 2021

“Enjoyably written Finnish bestseller that provokes reflection.”
– Hörzu, August 2021

“Fun and philosophical.”
-Nina Berendonk, Donna, August 2021

“Miika Nousiainen’s book Quality Time skillfully plays with an overused term and, at the same time, offers an immensely entertaining reinterpretation.”
-General Anzeiger, August 14, 2021

“Delightfully silly and crazy!”
-Buchhandlung Eichwalde, Märkische Allgemeine, August 4, 2021

“Miika Nousiainen manages with humor and a flair for unbelievable developments that everything is nevertheless really good in the end.
A turbulent feel-good novel that has to be recommended, not only in our current, equally chaotic times.”

-Bad Aachen Magazin, August 2021

“Quality Time is a reflection of life with all its phases, everyday problems, ups, downs and imponderables – and an appeal for a conscious living together and a meaningful use of the time one has on earth. Great read, absolutely recommended!”
– Frank Rehag, Finnland-Tour.de, July 28, 2021

FACELIFT
By Miika Nousiainen

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.

But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.

FACELIFT
Pintaremontti
Otava, 2020, 365 pp.
Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECHIA: Host
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Kein & Aber
NORWAY: Vigmostad & Bjørke
RUSSIA: Livebook Publishing
SERBIA: Odiseja

Reading material
English sample
German edition

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

Croatian rights sold for FACELIFT!

Croatian rights sold for FACELIFT!

Now the rom-com with a male lead will be published in 8 countries with 95 000 copies sold in Finland!

We are really happy to let you know about the seventh foreign rights sale for Miika Nousiainen’s bestselling FACELIFT! This excellent title has now been acquired by Znanje in Croatia!

Znanje is also the Croatian publisher for John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks, Stephen King, Gail Honeyman, Robert Bryndza, Lee Child etc.

FACELIFT was published in September 2020 and has amazingly in 8 months sold over 95 000 copies in all formats. This is the second rights sold this week – on Monday we were happy to announce the Czech rights sold to Host!

If you like Scandi-humor authors like Fredrik Backman and Jonas Jonasson, you will love this!

Download the English sample by clicking here
CROATIAN PRAISE:“Facelift” is an enjoyable funny read about life, love, and difficulties of finding “the one” (and keeping them). It is crude and hilarious, but at the same time it can provide clever advice for anyone having relationship problems.
-Dijana Orsolic, Editor-in-Chief, Znanje publishing, Croatia
CZECH PRAISE:Miika Nousiainen’s Facelift is first and foremost a fantastic humorous novel full of wit and charming characters. Moreover the author does not shy away from more serious issues and offers a refreshing perspective on many clichés and stereotypes. Reading Facelift is an experience not to be forgotten.
-Lucie Bregantová, editor, HOST – vydavatelství, s. r. o., Czech Republic
GERMAN PRAISE:
“I must say that this new book really exceeds our expectations. I loved each character of the book, I loved its subtle humour, its lightness while at the same time it manages to address difficult and quite topical subjects. I think that this is quite a strength of the book: it works as entertainment, but it is also psychologically smart and social criticism in its most wonderful, discreet form.”
– Patrick Sielemann, Editor, Kein & Aber AG
FINNISH PRAISE:

Facelift is a perfect feel-good novel. It meets the high expectations that we have learned to expect from Nousiainen: it’s funny, dark, entertaining and very timely.
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland


FACELIFT 
by Miika Nousiainen
Tragicomic tale of life’s biggest questions and their surprisingly simple answers.

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.

But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.


Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He is one of the bestselling Finnish writers of the last decade. Miika works as a journalist and writes also for television.

 

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Host
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Kein & Aber
NORWAY: Vigmostad & Bjørke
RUSSIA: Livebook Publishing
SERBIA: Odiseja

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

Today Elina Ahlback Literary Agency celebrates its 12th anniversary!

The story of the Elina Ahlback Literary Agency began in Manhattan, New York, in February 2009. While Elina’s son was skating in the skate park under the Brooklyn Bridge, the courageous decision to establish the agency was made — with its mission to build bridges between authors and publishers worldwide and with its passion to internationalize Finnish literature.

Elina Ahlback Literary Agency is Finland’s leading and first independent, international literary agency representing Finnish and Nordic authors’ and illustrators’ book, film & TV rights in international markets. The Agency also represents U.S. publishers and their authors exclusively in the Nordic countries.

We are enormously proud of the authors we have the honor to represent and  are celebrating with some of the best praises for our excellent authors and titles this Spring:

A New York Times Bestseller

Translated with icy precision, by Kristian London, is written in short, sharp, present-tense chapters, a technique which adds to its relentless tension.

– The Wall Street Journal on
The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck

 

 

 

 

 

Best Book of the Month

This provocative Finnish author enters the fray of American literature (thanks to translation from David Hackston) with a racy, wonderfully weird novel about a therapist’s sessions with a sex-obsessed woman.

– Entertainment Weekly on
My Friend Natalia by Laura Lindstedt

 

 

 

Best Travel Book of Year 2021

Packed with emotions, this book is like reading a travelogue, feminist’s manifesto and a self-help guide in one.

– The Independent on
The Women I Think About at Night by Mia Kankimäki

 

 

 

 

Best Debut Novel of the Year

By pushing her character into a crisis, a writer can sometimes observe the abyss of the mind. How eloquently we are led from the drama of a crisis into facing the questions of domination and subjugation. The intense mood is amplified by the close-knit style of expression. The general impression of this dense novel follows along the same lines as the communication between the characters: it surely is cold but it does emit some heat.

– Parnasso on
Arctic Mirage by Terhi Kokkonen

 

 

Winner of a National Crime competition 2019

Finland is the new Mecca of crime fiction. You need proof? Just read the first novel by A.M. Ollikainen. I couldn’t imagine a better start for a series. CARGO is outstanding.

– Marco Schneiders, Publishing Director, Bastei Lübbe on
Cargo by A.M.Ollikainen

 

 

 

Winner of The Best Crime Fiction Novel in 2020

This art detective thriller that is constructed around the masterpiece by Michaelangelo Caravaggio moves fluidly forward like an Italian little criminal on his scooter. The twists and turns are swift and the plot as intricate as the Sicilian courtly etiquette; yet the tranquil pace of the narration allows the reader to stay on board.

– KMV Magazine on
Lead White by Jyrki Erra

 

 

 

A national bestseller

Miika Nousiainen’s FACELIFT is first and foremost a fantastic humorous novel full of wit and charming characters. Moreover the author does not shy away from more serious issues and offers a refreshing perspective on many clichés and stereotypes. Reading Facelift is an experience not to be forgotten.

– Lucie Bregantová, Host Publishing on
Facelift by Miika Nousiainen

 

 

 

Winner of the Storytel Audio book Award 2020 for the Best Crime Novel
Winner of Elisa Kirja Book Award, Best Newcomer 2020

Our first impression after reading this wonderful book is ‘It is such a fascinating and engaging read, that your biggest challenge will be putting the book down.’ Scandinavian landscapes, 30-years old mystery, investigation, all the atmosphere – ideal mix. We even felt the True Detective vibes! We liked the masterful parallel storylines, the formed author`s style, and, of course, the perfect ending!

– Sofia Shramko, Mann Ivanov Ferber on
All The King’s Men by Elina Backman

 

A national bestseller

The title of this book immediately caught my eye, but it’s rare that a book delivers beyond its clever name. This book does. It’s an entertaining, thought-provoking read about the world we live in and the companies that, when unchecked, will shape our future.

– Joost van den Ossenblok, A.W. Bruna on
The 50 Most Dangerous Companies by Juha-Pekka Raeste and Hannu Sokala

 

 

 

An immediate national bestseller

Love is not – although abstruse – irrational….These two things, the search for love at the same time as you are escaping from it and the process of observing and describing it, are at the core of Irrational Things. — Little by little, all these irrational things are presented by Turunen to the reader in her endearing way that takes notice of the smallest details. Time flies, the narrator changes and becomes more and more aware. As a cunning writer, Turunen has fooled the reader into fearing how a distant relationship can survive. And suddenly, I as a reader, realize that all the while I’ve been following an artist’s development story.

– Suvi Ahola, Helsingin Sanomat on
Irrational Things by Saara Turunen

About author


A.M. Ollikainen

A. M. Ollikainen is a pseudonym for author duo Aki and Milla Ollikainen. Aki Ollikainen has published three novels and won the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize in 2012. He has also been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and Prix Femina in 2016. Milla Ollikainen has published three crime novels and won Like Publishing and the Finnish Detective Society’s Crime novel writing competition in 2012. Cargo is their first novel together and the Winner of a National Crime Novel Competition. 

About author


Elina Backman

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

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 100 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1955. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

About author


Juha-Pekka Raeste & Hannu Sokala

Juha-Pekka Raeste covers international and domestic business for Helsingin Sanomat, the biggest newspaper in Finland. He focuses on the biggest corporations and the IT industry.

Hannu Sokala has worked as a financial journalist for over 30 years, starting at the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and, lastly, as an investigative reporter for the Finnish National Broadcasting Company YLE. He enjoys digging into the biggest banks and corporations and the most powerful industries.

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.

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.

Big Hollywood film & TV news coming soon!

“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! 2024 will see the release of his independent novel MILO, which is already creating buzz internationally 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.

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

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

About author


Terhi Kokkonen

Terhi Kokkonen (1974) is a Helsinki-based musician and pop lyricist. She is known for the band Scandinavian Music Group, as well as being one of the singers of the band Ultra Bra. Kokkonen has studied dramaturgy at the Theater Academy and screenwriting and film editing at the Department of Cinematography and Stage Design at Aalto University. Arctic Mirage is her debut novel, and it was awarded as the best debut novel of 2020.

Czech rights sold for FACELIFT!

Czech rights sold for FACELIFT!
Now the rom-com with a male protagonist will be published in 7 countries!

We are really happy to let you know about the sixth foreign rights sale for Miika Nousiainen’s bestselling FACELIFT! This excellent title has now been acquired by Host in Czech Republic!
Host is also the Czech publisher for Fredrik Backman, Henning Mankell, Stieg Larsson etc. 

If you like Scandi-humor authors like Fredrik Backman and Jonas Jonasson, you will love this!

Download the English sample by clicking here
CZECH PRAISE:
Miika Nousiainen’s FACELIFT is first and foremost a fantastic humorous novel full of wit and charming characters. Moreover the author does not shy away from more serious issues and offers a refreshing perspective on many clichés and stereotypes. Reading Facelift is an experience not to be forgotten.
.-Lucie Bregantová, editor, HOST – vydavatelství, s. r. o., Czech Republic
GERMAN PRAISE:
“I must say that this new book really exceeds our expectations. I loved each character of the book, I loved its subtle humour, its lightness while at the same time it manages to address difficult and quite topical subjects. I think that this is quite a strength of the book: it works as entertainment, but it is also psychologically smart and social criticism in its most wonderful, discreet form.”
– Patrick Sielemann, Editor, Kein & Aber AG

FACELIFT is a perfect feel-good novel. It meets the high expectations that we have learned to expect from Nousiainen: it’s funny, dark, entertaining and very timely.
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland


FACELIFT 
by Miika Nousiainen
Tragicomic tale of life’s biggest questions and their surprisingly simple answers.

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.

But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.


Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He is one of the bestselling Finnish writers of the last decade. Miika works as a journalist and writes also for television.

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

CZECH REPUBLIC: Host
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Kein & Aber
NORWAY: Vigmostad & Bjørke
RUSSIA: Livebook Publishing
SERBIA: Odiseja

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

FACELIFT to be published in Germany! English sample for CHARMING DUKE!

We are delighted to announce that Kein & Aber AG will publish the German edition Miika Nousiainen’s bestselling novel FACELIFT in the fall 2021 as one of their lead titles! Award-winning translator Elina Kritzokat has translated the German edition. Advance buzz around the book in Germany has started:
 
Praise from the German publisher:

“I must say that this new book really exceeds our expectations. I loved each character of the book, I loved its subtle humour, its lightness while at the same time it manages to address difficult and quite topical subjects. I think that this is quite a strength of the book: it works as entertainment, but it is also psychologically smart and social criticism in its most wonderful, discreet form.”
– Patrick Sielemann, Editor, Kein & Aber AG

Praise:

“Facelift is a perfect feel-good novel. It meets the high expectations that we have learned to expect from Nousiainen: it’s funny, dark, entertaining and very timely.”  – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

FACELIFT is #6 on the official Finnish Bestseller list

Download English sample here.

FACELIFT
By Miika Nousiainen

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.

But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.

__________________________________________

English sample for CHARMING DUKE now available

CHARMING DUKE
by Sara Medberg

“Bridgerton meets Jane Austen in 19th century Sweden”
The lady of Blackthorn Castle, beautiful Arabella, has been widowed and fallen into poverty. In the midst of all adversity, she is encouraged by Jane Austen’s literary heroines. However, the shadows of the past won’t leave Arabella alone: she encounters a dazzling English duke who claims to know a fatal secret about Arabella’s late spouse.
This enchanting novel takes place in the social circles of Helsinki and in the court of Stockholm in 1816.

Download English sample here.

__________________________________________

Don’t forget to apply for FILI Grants for translations from Finnish / Finnish Swedish!

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

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/

FACELIFT
Rights sold
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Kein & Aber
NORWAY: Vigmostad & Bjørke
RUSSIA: Livebook Publishing
SERBIA: Odiseja

 

CHARMING DUKE
Rights sold
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

About author


Sara Medberg

Sara Medberg is a historian currently writing her doctoral dissertation about the education of highborn girls in the 18th century. The ideas for her novels come from her research. In her thesis she studies young womens' conduct manuals in Sweden in the 18th century from the perspective of the modernising ideals for women and the upbringing of girls.

Sara has received academic scholarships from the Swedish Cultural Foundation, Waldemar von Frenckell's Foundation and the Swedish Literature Society. Including others, her literary work is sponsored by the Finnish Author Association and Otava's Book Foundation.

Medberg enjoys costume dramas, fashion from the past, castles, mansions, shopping and running. Her novels have sold over 90,000 copies across all territories.

First rights sold for ARCTIC MIRAGE and fifth for FACELIFT!

We are extremely happy to announce that the first rights for Terhi Kokkonen’s debut award-winning ARCTIC MIRAGE have been acquired by Estonian publisher Eesti Raamat!
Also, the fifth rights for Miika Nousiainen’s bestselling FACELIFT have been acquired by Odiseja in Serbia!

FACELIFT was published in September 2020 and is still the #3 title in the Finnish fiction bestsellers list!


 

ARCTIC MIRAGE
by Terhi Kokkonen

It is a rich and sensitive novel in which people can be strange, lewd, and at the same time infinitely ordinary. Contradictions and a mystery-like atmosphere remain after finishing the book – as happens in the best and most fascinating novels.
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download the English synopsis and sample by clicking here

 

FACELIFT
by Miika Nousiainen

Facelift is a perfect feel-good novel. It meets the high expectations that we have learned to expect from Nousiainen: it’s funny, dark, entertaining and very timely.
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download the English sample and presentation here


 

ARCTIC MIRAGE
by Terhi Kokkonen

When Karo and Risto’s holiday to Lapland ends in a car accident, they are forced to stay at the Arctic Mirage Hotel. Will their relationship survive the next six days?

Karo and Risto go on holiday in Lapland to give themselves time to fix their stressful marriage. However, on their way back home, they’re involved in a car accident and are subsequently forced to stay at the only accommodation in the area; Hotel Arctic Mirage. Once inside, they find that the hotel has a rather strange atmosphere and it starts to have a peculiar effect on them. Karo begins to doubt her own memories and tries her best to escape the snowbound hotel holiday village whereas Risto starts to feel strange and refuses to leave.

ARCTIC MIRAGE is a strong-spirited, psychological novel about people in exceptional circumstances. It keeps the reader gripped and provides chills on every page.


Terhi Kokkonen is a Helsinki-based musician and pop lyricist. She is known for the band Scandinavian Music Group, as well as being one of the singers of the band Ultra Bra. Kokkonen has studied dramaturgy at the Theater Academy and screenwriting and film editing at the Department of Cinematography and Stage Design at Aalto University. Arctic Mirage is her debut novel, and it was awarded as the best debut novel of 2020.


FACELIFT 
by Miika Nousiainen
Tragicomic tale of life’s biggest questions and their surprisingly simple answers.

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.

But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.


Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He is one of the bestselling Finnish writers of the last decade. Miika works as a journalist and writes also for television.

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

About author


Terhi Kokkonen

Terhi Kokkonen (1974) is a Helsinki-based musician and pop lyricist. She is known for the band Scandinavian Music Group, as well as being one of the singers of the band Ultra Bra. Kokkonen has studied dramaturgy at the Theater Academy and screenwriting and film editing at the Department of Cinematography and Stage Design at Aalto University. Arctic Mirage is her debut novel, and it was awarded as the best debut novel of 2020.

Year 2020 at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency: New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck, Award-winners and Bestsellers

The year 2020 marks a historic moment for Finnish Literature Exports: Elina Ahlback Literary Agency’s author Max Seeck and his US debut The Witch Hunter became an instant New York Times Bestseller in November 2020. Congratulations to Max Seeck, New York Times Bestselling Author, for writing his way into Finnish literary history! Furthermore, a Hollywood TV series based on The Witch Hunter is in development by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

The year 2020 brought more bestsellers, award-winners and nominees from Finland to the World’s Literary Map.

We are grateful to our wonderful authors, to our great publishers and collaborators around the world, and wish everyone a Happy Holiday season!

 The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck
Uskollinen lukija, Tammi 2019AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Rights sold to 40 territories

“The Witch Hunter, translated with icy precision by Kristian London, is written in short, sharp, present-tense chapters, a technique which adds to its relentless tension. Flashbacks to earlier episodes in Jessica’s life suggest that the strangeness currently unfolding is tied to her personal history. Discovering the how and why of it brings a resolution as bleak as anything Poe might have conjured.” –Wall Street Journal

AWARD WINNERS:
Arctic Mirage by Terhi Kokkonen
Rajamaa, Otava 2020Winner of the 2020 Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize – Prestigious award for the best debut novel of the year.

 

“In a rich and sensitive novel in which people can be strange, lewd, and at the same time infinitely ordinary. Contradictions and a mystery-like atmosphere remain after finishing the book – as happens in the best and most fascinating novels.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

When the King Dies by Elina Backman
Kun kuningas kuolee, Otava 2020Winner of the Elisa Audio Book Award 2020: Best newcomer

“A Star is Born”. – Iltalehti newspaper

Ripple Effect by Leena Lehtolainen
Jälkikaiku, Tammi 2020Winner of the Elisa Audio Book Awards 2020: The Best Crime Novel

Pro Finlandia Medal awarded by the Order of the Lion of Finland as a lifetime achievement.

 

“In Ripple Effect everything really works. The curtains of secrets sway appropriately, sometimes covering, sometimes revealing. The daily life of the police and the civilian life is mixed in an appropriate proportion.” – Amman lukuhekiä blog

Homestead by Ann-Luise Bertell
Heiman, Förlaget 2020Nominated for Finlandia Prize 2020
Nominated for Runeberg Prize 2021

“Homestead is a captivating and rooted story that takes us through Ostrobothnia for four generations in a spacious landscape. The language of the book is accurate but gestureless, the characters carry pain under the cross-pressure of who they are and who they desire to be. Bertell looks at her characters gently, even when they least deserve it.”  – Finlandia Prize Jury

Stormseye by Meri Luttinen
Myrskynsilmä, WSOY 2020Nominated for Finlandia Prize for Children’s & YA Literature 2020
Nominated for Topelius Prize 2021

“In the age-old rite, young girls find their life mission. Kainu’s fate turns out to be to become a sage, which brings with it a great deal of responsibility. She has to solve the riddle of the Stormseye pendant to find herself and her place in the community. Set in the ancient Finnish fantasy world, the debut novel is a great growth story that deals with difference, loneliness and overcoming one’s own fears.” – Topelius Prize Jury

Agnes and the Garden of Dreams by Tuutikki Tolonen
Agnes ja unien avain, WSOY 2020Nominated for Arvid Lydecken Prize 2021

”This book has the reader hooked up from the beginning! One has to read a chapter after chapter – even though it would be time to sleep.” – Maaseudun tulevaisuus newspaper

A Beautiful Day to Die by Veera Salmi
Kaunis ilma kuolla, Otava 2020Nominated for Topelius prize 2021

“The road trip-inspired book realistically and credibly describes the lives of young people in situations from which there seems to be no way out. The novel challenges us to think about the significance of starting points for life and its direction. At the same time, it tells a resounding story about the difficulty of making choices, getting to know yourself, and taking responsibility.” – Topelius Prize Jury

NATIONAL BETSELLERS:
Greatest of All is Love. The Marimekko Story by Ulla-Maija Paavilainen
Suurin niistä on rakkaus, Otava 2020 

“The Marimekko story is entertaining read. Sometimes you laughs and sometimes you cry as this glamorous lady makes things happen at her own way. However, the biography written by Ulla-Maija Paavilainen is not just a song of praise for a business guru, but it also depicts Kirsti Paakkanen’s weaknesses and painful moments, such as infertility and loneliness.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Extraordinary Women of History by Maria Pettersson
Historian jännät naiset, Atena 2020 

“Inspiring book! It is well written and made me want to learn more. I have found myself googling many of these women afterwards. This book can really be recommended to anyone. Personally I read it in two days. Please, read it! ” – Anikó Lehtinen, journalist

Facelift by Miika Nousiainen

Pintaremontti, Otava 2020

 

“Facelift is a perfect feel-good novel. It meets the high expectations that we have learned to expect from Nousiainen: it’s funny, dark, entertaining and very timely.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

About author


Ann-Luise Bertell

Ann-Luise Bertell is an author and a theater director, born 1971 in Oravais, Finland. She has graduated from the Finnish Theater Academy, and debuted as a writer in 1997 with the collection of poems, 'Rus av gul', and has since written poems, short stories, a children's book, plays and two novels. Longing (Vänd om min längtan, 2016), was awarded the Yle Prize and the Choreus Prize. Her second novel Homestead (Heiman) was published in 2020 and was nominated for the Finlandia Prize, and her third novel Yearning (Glöm Bort Din Saknad) was published 2022.

Ann-Luise has been Wasa Theatre's director since 2020, but is also a mother of three, dog owner, hiker, seeker, spy and bookworm.

About author


Elina Backman

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

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 100 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1955. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

About author


Maria Pettersson

As a child, Maria Pettersson’s dream job was to be an international adventurer. Instead, she became an award-winning journalist, the editor-in-chief of several magazines and a serious history geek. She has worked for the biggest newspapers, radio stations and TV channels in Finland. She has travelled in over 70 countries, got married in Vegas and spent her honeymoon in North Korea. Her hobbies include games and roleplaying, observing big machines, studying small Slavic languages and visiting dead dictators. She currently lives in Helsinki, Finland.

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.

Big Hollywood film & TV news coming soon!

“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! 2024 will see the release of his independent novel MILO, which is already creating buzz internationally 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.

About author


Meri Luttinen

Meri Luttinen is an award-winning Finnish debut writer from Tampere. Her debut Stormseye won the Topelius prize and was nominated for both Kuvastaja Award and Finlandia Prize for Children's & YA literature in 2020.

She has a Master's degree in Finnish language and literature and has worked teaching Finnish and creating study materials. Luttinen is fascinated by everyday life in different eras and wants to transport readers to other worlds with her texts.

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

About author


Terhi Kokkonen

Terhi Kokkonen (1974) is a Helsinki-based musician and pop lyricist. She is known for the band Scandinavian Music Group, as well as being one of the singers of the band Ultra Bra. Kokkonen has studied dramaturgy at the Theater Academy and screenwriting and film editing at the Department of Cinematography and Stage Design at Aalto University. Arctic Mirage is her debut novel, and it was awarded as the best debut novel of 2020.

About author


Tuutikki Tolonen

Tuutikki Tolonen is the author of several acclaimed children’s books, plays and academic articles. She teaches creative writing and has worked as an editor and reporter at Vinski, a Finnish literary magazine for children. For Monster Nanny she received the Arvid Lydecken award.  Her inspiration for the Monster Nanny trilogy sparked during a family breakfast. “My son Leo, then six, said: ‘I heard on the radio yesterday that all moms have to go on vacation and monsters will take their places,” she says.

Her other bestselling series is the Agnes-series, of which the first book "Agnes and the Garden of Dreams" was in 2021 nominated for the Arvid Lydecken Award, received an honorable mention for the Runeberg Junior Award, and won the Luku Varkaus Award. Tolonen tells that the inspiration for Agnes comes for her interest for weird and inexpicable tales, ghost stories and mysteries: "I wanted to write a book my daughter Aili, then nine, would like to read - not too long, not too scary, but very curious."

About author


Ulla-Maija Paavilainen

Ulla-Maija Paavilainen, award-winning journalist, is the author of several well-received novels and non-fiction books. She has worked as the editor-in-chief at several top Finnish magazines over the past 25 years. One of her specific areas of interest is the role of women in working life and analysing the power structure and what is required for women to have successful careers.

Paavilainen’s most recent work is the moving biography of the legendary entrepreneur Kirsti Paakkanen, who took over Marimekko, one of Finland’s most famous design brands. Kirsti Paakkanen: Greatest of All is Love is the story of Marimekko, an authentic rags-to riches tale of how a poor girl from the countryside first founded the world’s first all-women’s advertising agency, Womena. Selling Womena when she was 62, Paakkanen bought Marimekko, a global design company that was on the verge of bankruptcy and turned it around into an international iconic fashion house.

About author


Veera Salmi

Veera Salmi is a Helsinki-based writer, who has worked over 15 years as a kindergarten teacher. The real starting point for her career as a writer was given by the children in the kindergarten, who said they wanted to hear stories of children who live in the city. So she started writing such stories. Now Veera Salmi is a bestselling author of over 20 books.

Russian and Norwegian rights sold for FACELIFT!

We are very excited to let you know that this week Miika Nousiainen’s FACELIFT found foreign publishers in Russia and Norway!
Congratulations to LiveBook Publishing and Vigmostad & Bjørke!

Translation rights have now been sold to Estonia, Germany, Norway and Russia!

Download English presentation and sample using this link.

PUBLISHERS’ PRAISE:

Livebook Publishing is happy to become the Russian home for the wonderful book FACELIFT by Miika Nousiainen. We are fascinated by the heartwarming humor of this novel and believe that it will be loved by the Russian audience.
– Anna Babyashkina, Chief Editor, LiveBook Publishing, Russia

Vigmostad & Bjørke is excited to be able to introduce FACELIFT by Miika Nousiainen to Norwegian readers. We enjoyed every word of this wonderfully funny, heartwarming book exploring serious matters in an uplifting way.”
– Magdalena Skowronska, Editoral assistant, Vigmostad & Bjørke, Norway

ABOUT THE BOOK

FACELIFT is a story about Sami, a man whose biological clock has been ticking for 15 years, who has desperately wanted to become a father with no avail.
When Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Kein & Aber
NORWAY: Vigmostad & Bjørke
RUSSIA: LiveBook Publishing

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

Feel-Good Fiction from Finland!

Feel-Good is here to stay!

Did you know that Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the World for three consecutive years? One of the reasons for this might be the Finns’ knack for Feel-Good literature!

Although the fall weather is rough, we are glad to have some fuzzy titles to keep us positive! Find the funniest, happiest titles with the best atmosphere for your publishing house below.


 

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORD by Emmi Pesonen

Warm, humorous and beautiful debut novel from the point of view of a stepmother. Patchwork family life, and new beginnings.

  • Debut novel by acclaimed screenwriter and actress
  • Feature film in development by Aurora Studios

Amanda’s life is revolutionized when Onni curves into her life with a yellow minibus, chaos and four children riding along. She has been living an extended youth and cared mainly for her house plants until she met Onni and his kids. Happiness, the laundry pile and the dish mountains grow in their new home.

When Onni’s behavior starts to get weirder, she has to decide if love truly fixes everything.

Ask for the English sample for The Most Beautiful Word by clicking here.


 

FACELIFT by Miika Nousiainen

  • Newest title, sold already to Germany and Estonia!

Sami’s biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts.

But when his latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sanni, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.

Ask for the English sample for Facelift by clicking here.


 

ROOTS by Miika Nousianen

Onni Kirnuvaara left to get groceries when his son was just a child – and never returned.
Years later, during a root canal treatment, the son finds out that he has a dentist brother, left behind as a child just like him.

The brothers embark on a journey to find out the truth about their father. After many detours, they find themselves in the Australian outback.

On their way to Darwin, secrets are revealed, new family members are found, and lengths of dental floss are needed. Digging to the roots hurts, but under the Southern Cross the ache starts to ease.

Ask for the English sample and synopsis for Roots by clicking here.


 

CHARLOTTA by Sara Medberg

Strict class hierarchy and fabulous silk ruffles rule in 19th-century Turku, Finland, where seamstress Charlotta is looking for her own Mr. Darcy.

Can an ordinary lady’s maid have it all: a meaningful life and the man of her dreams?

Ask for the English sample for Charlotta by clicking here.


 

HOPE NEVER DIES by Minna Lindgren

Marja Vehmarvarsi is a 62-year-old teacher, on the verge of retirement.

Marja’s parents Aina and Toivo are almost 100 years old, but nevertheless passionate YouTubers, whose goal is to save the Finnish school system – whatever it takes.

Marja’s popularity among the students grows as her parents’ radical plans spread over the internet.

Ask for the English sample and synopsis for Hope Never DIes by clicking here.


 

ANGRY WIDOW by Minna Lindgren

74-year-old Ulla has cared for her mean and slightly alcoholic paralyzed husband for the last 12 years.

At his funeral, all she can think is: finally! She reconnects with old friends and starts living every day as if it were her last.

The Angry Widow is an amusing and entertaining story about what it means to be seventy in a world where everyone over 65 ticks the same age box in a survey.

Ask for the English sample and synopsis for Angry Widow by clicking here.


 

SUNSET GROVE TRILOGY by Minna Lindgren

1st book:
Death in Sunset Grove is a devilishly funny and suspenseful story about old age, friendship and life in a relatively ordinary retirement home. Here the only fate worse than death is being drugged up and locked away inside the dementia ward. Even the sharpest senior can’t decipher all the nuances of this place; thankfully a few young people, including members of the biker gang and a grandchild’s boyfriend, offer some help.
2nd book: Residents Siiri, Irma and Anna-Liisa, all older than 90, decide to move from the retirement home into a shared apartment in the exotic neighbourhood of Hakaniemi

3rd book: The final part of the trilogy marks a return to the retirement community. But the place no longer feels like home, and has turned into a state-funded, technology-driven pilot project in elderly care. The conclusion brings together characters lost along the way, and murky details are brought to light. Legal justice is also served – in unexpected ways. A natural, long-awaited death finally collects some, but still not all, of our main characters.

Ask for the full English pdfs for Sunset Grove trilogy by clicking here.

About author


Emmi Pesonen

Emmi Pesonen (1977) is a Helsinki-based writer, screenwriter and actress. She graduated in 2001 as a Master of Theater Arts and has worked as an actor in several in theaters, movies, and TV series. Pesonen is bilingual (Finnish-Swedish) and she has translated and dramatized Swedish-language plays. She is also the screenwriter of a movie The Violin Player (Violinist, Mjölk Movies), which premiered in Finland in 2018, and has toured successfully at more than 20 film festivals around the world (including Gothenburg, Moscow, Singapore, Kaliningrad). The film deals with power structures in the art world, passion and giving up.  The Most Beautiful Word (Otava, August 2020) is Pesonen’s debut novel. The book tells a story of a patchwork family from the point of view of the new step-mother. It’s a story of endless love, irreversible decision and learning new things. The movie rights have been optioned by Aurora Studios and a film is currently being developed.

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

About author


Minna Lindgren

Minna Lindgren (b. 1963) is a freelance journalist and columnist known for her whimsical writing style and fearless approach to topics as strange as opera and death. In addition to novels, she has authored nonfiction books on classical music. In 2009, Lindgren won the Bonnier Journalism Prize for her article entitled “Father’s Death” (“Isän kuolema”).

Lindgren is best known for the Sunset Grove trilogy, which has been sold to 18 territories, and the final part, The End of Sunset Grove, was nominated for the International Dublin Literature Award in 2019. She has also written four standalone novels and a non-fiction book about the history of opera.

Minna Lindgren’s books have been critical and commercial successes, in Finland and internationally.

About author


Sara Medberg

Sara Medberg is a historian currently writing her doctoral dissertation about the education of highborn girls in the 18th century. The ideas for her novels come from her research. In her thesis she studies young womens' conduct manuals in Sweden in the 18th century from the perspective of the modernising ideals for women and the upbringing of girls.

Sara has received academic scholarships from the Swedish Cultural Foundation, Waldemar von Frenckell's Foundation and the Swedish Literature Society. Including others, her literary work is sponsored by the Finnish Author Association and Otava's Book Foundation.

Medberg enjoys costume dramas, fashion from the past, castles, mansions, shopping and running. Her novels have sold over 90,000 copies across all territories.

Two new deals for Miika Nousiainen!

We are more than excited to announce that Eesti Raamat from Estonia has pre-empted 2 titles of Miika Nousiainen: FACELIFT (2020) and ROOTS (2016).
The first title  – ROOTS  – will most likely be published already in 2021 and FACELIFT will follow.


FACELIFT
by Miika Nousiainen

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.

But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.

“Nousiainen comes to grips with profound topics, managing them with an ease and wits that keeps readers hooked from the page one. In “Facelift”
the modern superficiality gets pointed out in the most entertaining manner.”
– Reet Trummal, editor, Eesti Raamat, Estonia

Ask for English materials for FACELIFT by clicking here


ROOTS 
by Miika Nousiainen

Onni Kirnuvaara left to get groceries when his son was just a child – and never returned. The father was never mentioned again. Years later, during a root canal treatment, the son finds out that in addition to his bad dental karma he has a dentist brother, left behind as a child just like him.

The brothers embark on a journey to find out the truth about their father. After many detours they find themselves in the Australian outback. Lousy fathers are fathers too, after all.

“Nousiainen´s novel about the laws of life is truly enjoyable: both amusing and thought-provoking, sharp and warm. Life has its own unique ways to make us face the problems that are not necessarily the most comfortable to face. With or without anesthesia – one simply cannot bypass his roots!”
– Reet Trummal, editor, Eesti Raamat, Estonia

Ask for English materials for ROOTS by clicking here

Rights sold: ROOTS

FINLAND, Otava (Original publisher)

CZECH REPUBLIC, XYZ
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY, Nagel & Kimche
HUNGARY, Kossuth
ITALY, Iperborea
LITHUANIA, Alma Littera
NETHERLANDS, Prometheus
SWEDEN, Brombergs

 

Rights sold: FACELIFT

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat
GERMANY: Kein & Aber

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

Finest Feel-good Fiction from Finland!

The summer is coming with feel-good titles!

It is already the middle of May and we have some excellent feel-good titles to match with the sunny weather!
Find the funniest, happiest titles with the best atmosphere for your publishing house below.
CHARLOTTA by Sara Medberg

Strict class hierarchy and fabulous silk ruffles rule in 19th-century Turku, where seamstress Charlotta is looking for her own Mr. Darcy.
When baron Ridderlöw of Starfire Manor hires seamstress Charlotta Silke as a lady’s maid for her sister, their lives change for good.Charlotta gets her hands on Jane Austen’s newly published Pride and Prejudice and it alters the way she sees her role as a woman. But the book’s ideas of modern love, marriage and early feminism are put to the test as the bitter war-torn baron Ridderlöw becomes romantically interested in Charlotta. Can an ordinary lady’s maid have it all: a meaningful life and the man of her dreams?

Ask for the English sample for Charlotta by clicking here.


 

FACELIFT by Miika Nousiainen

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sanni, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.

Ask for the English sample for Facelift by clicking here.


 

HOPE NEVER DIES by Minna Lindgren

Marja Vehmarvarsi is a 62-year-old teacher, on the verge of retirement. The schools in Finland have been privatized at a brisk pace, and in order to get any work hours Marja has to come up with new learning games for phenomenon-based learning curriculum, and organize weekly meetings for cross-subject synergies.

Marja’s parents Aina and Toivo are almost 100 years old, but nevertheless passionate YouTubers, whose goal is to save the Finnish school system – whatever it takes. Marja’s popularity among the students grows as her parents’ radical plans spread over the internet.

Ask for the English synopsis for Hope Never DIes by clicking here.


 

ANGRY WIDOW by Minna Lindgren

For the past 12 years, 74-year-old Ulla has cared for her paralyzed husband, a mean and slightly alcoholic man. At his funeral, all she can think is: finally! She reconnects with old friends and starts living every day as if it were her last. Her adult children try to stop her newfound debauchery in many ways – but the biggest change comes along in the guise of an older gentleman.

The Angry Widow is an amusing and entertaining story about how friendships and love affairs change when you grow old. With warmth and sarcasm Lindgren examines the questions of what it means to be seventy in a world where everyone over 65 ticks the same age box in a survey.

Ask for the English sample and synopsis for Angry Widow by clicking here.


SUNSET GROVE TRILOGY by Minna Lindgren

1st book: Who could imagine that anything illegal – whether it be suspicious deaths, thefts or the covert trading of medications – could happen in Sunset Grove retirement home? Its 90-year-old residents Siiri and Irma certainly can’t.
Death in Sunset Grove is a devilishly funny and suspenseful story about old age, friendship and life in a relatively ordinary retirement home. Here the only fate worse than death is being drugged up and locked away inside the dementia ward. Even the sharpest senior can’t decipher all the nuances of this place; thankfully a few young people, including members of the biker gang and a grandchild’s boyfriend, offer some help.
2nd book: Residents Siiri, Irma and Anna-Liisa, all older than 90, decide to move from the retirement home into a shared apartment in the exotic neighbourhood of Hakaniemi
3rd book: The final part of the trilogy marks a return to the retirement community. But the place no longer feels like home, and has turned into a state-funded, technology-driven pilot project in elderly care. The conclusion brings together characters lost along the way, and murky details are brought to light. Legal justice is also served – in unexpected ways. A natural, long-awaited death finally collects some, but still not all, of our main characters.

Ask for the full English pdfs for Sunset Grove trilogy by clicking here.


ROOTS by Miika Nousianen

Onni Kirnuvaara left to get groceries when his son was just a child – and never returned. The father was never mentioned again. Years later, during a root canal treatment, the son finds out that in addition to his bad dental karma he has a dentist brother, left behind as a child just like him.

The brothers embark on a journey to find out the truth about their father. After many detours they find themselves in the Australian outback. Lousy fathers are fathers too, after all.

On their way to Darwin, secrets are revealed, new family members are found, and lengths of dental floss are needed. Digging to the roots hurts, but under the Southern Cross the ache starts to ease.

Ask for the English sample and synopsis for Roots by clicking here.

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

About author


Minna Lindgren

Minna Lindgren (b. 1963) is a freelance journalist and columnist known for her whimsical writing style and fearless approach to topics as strange as opera and death. In addition to novels, she has authored nonfiction books on classical music. In 2009, Lindgren won the Bonnier Journalism Prize for her article entitled “Father’s Death” (“Isän kuolema”).

Lindgren is best known for the Sunset Grove trilogy, which has been sold to 18 territories, and the final part, The End of Sunset Grove, was nominated for the International Dublin Literature Award in 2019. She has also written four standalone novels and a non-fiction book about the history of opera.

Minna Lindgren’s books have been critical and commercial successes, in Finland and internationally.

About author


Sara Medberg

Sara Medberg is a historian currently writing her doctoral dissertation about the education of highborn girls in the 18th century. The ideas for her novels come from her research. In her thesis she studies young womens' conduct manuals in Sweden in the 18th century from the perspective of the modernising ideals for women and the upbringing of girls.

Sara has received academic scholarships from the Swedish Cultural Foundation, Waldemar von Frenckell's Foundation and the Swedish Literature Society. Including others, her literary work is sponsored by the Finnish Author Association and Otava's Book Foundation.

Medberg enjoys costume dramas, fashion from the past, castles, mansions, shopping and running. Her novels have sold over 90,000 copies across all territories.

January fiction deals: Memory of Water and Raspberry Boat Refugee

With the beginning of the new year, we’d like to extend our thanks to our cooperation partners of 2017, and we look forward to new, exciting projects in 2018.

Grants & book fairs
FILI’s grant application round for translation of Finnish titleshas begun, and the deadline for the applications is February 1st 2018. Read more on FILI’s website.

We are attending both London and Bologna Book Fairs, and scheduling meetings now. For meeting requests please contact: info@ahlbackagency.com.

Fiction deals
Among the newest fiction deals we have a German deal for Raspberry Boat Refugee by Miika Nousiainen, whose 2016 novel Roots has been a runaway success in Germany, now in its 4th hardback printing. The Swiss publisher Nagel & Kimchewas glad about the acquisition of the 2007 novel, previously sold to Sweden and made into a movie in 2014:

“A Finn desperately wanting to be a Swede and walking over dead bodies for it? Doesn’t sound like an international issue. But read the first pages of this novel and you just don’t want to stop. Nousiainen: that stands for esprit, wit, ideas, clever entertainment. This author is definitely my personal discovery of last year – and hopefully more years to come,“ said Dirk Vaihinger, publisher of Nagel & Kimche, Zürich.

On the other side of the world, Emmi Itäranta’s Memory of Water has charmed yet another publisher. Sichuan People’s Publishing House acquired the simplified Chinese rights to Itäranta’s 2012 debut, which has been previously sold in 21 territories; also an English-language film is in the progress.

If you’re interested, please request reading materials by clicking here!

RASPBERRY BOAT REFUGEE rights sold:
FINLAND, Otava (Orig. publisher)
GERMANY, Nagel & Kimche
SWEDEN, Brombergs

ROOTS rights sold:
FINLAND, Otava (Orig. publisher)
CZECH REPUBLIC, XYZ
GERMANY, Nagel & Kimche
HUNGARY, Kossuth
ITALY, Iperborea
LITHUANIA, Alma Littera
NETHERLANDS, Prometheus
SWEDEN, Brombergs

MEMORY OF WATER rights sold:
FINLAND, Teos (Orig. publisher)
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. Her latest novel The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) was published in September 2020.

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.

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Roots rights and reviews

We hope that some of Miika Nousiainen’s bestseller success in Finland with the recently-published paperback edition of Roots (Juurihoito) – debuting at #1 and currently still dominating the top of the Finnish bestseller list – will rub off on the forthcoming German paperback edition, which an esteemed paperback publisher snapped up in a sub-rights deal with Nagel & Kimche for publication in 2019.

Miika has been busy promoting his book, including a recent trip to Gothenburg Book Fair in September, where he participated in readings and discussions about his work. Here are some recent review highlights from the press and book bloggers all around Europe:

Roots is a particularly amusing novel with a high feel-good content.” – Hebban.nl website, the Netherlands

“An amusing family story you read with a smile.” – Tsum literary blog, the Netherlands

“A cock-and-bull story that touches difficult questions.” – Göteborgs-Posten, Sweden

“Cool page-turner about men in crisis.” – Upsala Nya Tidning, Sweden

“Recommended for anyone who has teeth and a dentist to say thanks to.” – Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany

“The novel is hilarious and melancholic at the same time.” – Freie Presse, Germany

 

Rights sold:
FINLAND, Otava (Original publisher)
CZECH REPUBLIC, XYZ
GERMANY, Nagel & Kimche
HUNGARY, Kossuth
ITALY, Iperborea
LITHUANIA, Alma Littera
NETHERLANDS, Prometheus
SWEDEN, Brombergs

About author


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen writes sharp, gentle and often tragicomical novels about surprising themes like long-distance running, the desire to be Swedish, and dentistry. He works as a journalist and writes also for television.

Bibliography


2024, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Push, Pace, Position, Pray

Miika Nousiainen


2020, Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Facelift

Miika Nousiainen


2016, Humor

Roots

Miika Nousiainen


2007, Humor

Raspberry Boat Refugee

Miika Nousiainen

October deals & reviews round-up: The Guardian Angel and The Core of the Sun

New deals for Hansen’s psychological thriller

The Guardian Angel, Einar Hansen’s psychological thriller, has sparked a lot of interest from Frankfurt. We currently have first offers in Denmark – where the story takes place – and a newly-closed deal in Serbia with Vulkan, whose list includes high-profile thriller authors such as Paula Hawkins and Stephen King, with plans for a film tie-in for the Serbian premiere of The Guardian Angel, the movie.

Rights also sold in Italy to Piemme, at auction, last month. In Finland, the book will be published by WSOY in spring 2018.

Hansen’s novel, which has been written alongside an eponymous feature film, directed by Arto Halonen as a Finnish-Danish-Croatian co-production, is based on real events of the so-called ‘hypnosis murders’ that shook Copenhagen in the early 1950s.

Turkey and Denmark acquire a feminist dystopia

Meanwhile, Johanna Sinisalo’s Prometheus Award-winning dystopian novel The Core of the Sun has just been sold in two territories, coinciding with its longlisting for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award.

In Denmark, indie publisher Jensen & Dalgaard acquired the rights, and in Turkey rights sold to Ithaki Yayinlari. The prominent Turkish publisher of speculative and general fiction acquired Johanna’s topical dystopian novel, which has received a stream of great press attention since its publication in English:

“Margaret Atwood and Aldous Huxley get down with Carlos Castaneda in The Core of the Sun, an adventurous and original dystopian satire which isn’t likely to be forgotten in a hurry… It’s dark, biting, unlike anything you’ll read this year and, ultimately, a triumph,” The Herald (Scotland) wrote.

 

LATEST REVIEWS

Highlights of recent foreign and Finnish press for our authors’ books…

Undertaker by Marko Kilpi:
“At the top of its genre.” – Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
Undertaker is also a work of art.” – Kauppalehti, FinlandThey Know Not What They Do by Jussi Valtonen:
“This hugely ambitious work of contemporary realism offers a dramatic warning about the influence of digital culture.” — Booklist,USA
“A contemporary novel that doesn’t lose sight of perennial dilemmas.” – Kirkus Reviews, USA

Roots by Miika Nousiainen:
“A quirky Nordic story that’s simply fun!” – Brigitte Extra, Germany
“Quirky humour, a good story, a happy end. Reading is rarely as deliciously amusing while also educative about dental hygiene and public health.” – NDR Kultur, Germany

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL
Rights sold:

FINLAND, WSOY
ITALY, Piemme
SERBIA, Vulkan

Reading material:
English manuscript

THE CORE OF THE SUN
Rights sold: 

FINLAND, Teos
CZECH, Euromedia
DENMARK, Jensen & Dalgaard
FRANCE, Actes Sud
GERMANY, Klett-Cotta
LATVIA, Petergailis
TURKEY, Ithaki
WORLD ENGLISH, Grove Atlantic

Reading material:
English & Finnish editions