ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY by Tiina Raevaara sold to Mozaïek in the Netherlands!

We are happy to announce another deal for ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY:  A History of Coexistence Between Species by Tiina RaevaaraUitgeverij Mozaïek acquired the Dutch rights for this compelling narrative non-fiction title! The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Mozaïek is a boutique publishing house for both literary fiction and non-fiction. They are part of  the VBK Publishing Group, the biggest publishing group in the Netherlands, which also sells into the Belgian Flemish market. Their authors include amongst others Arthur Japin, Emi Yagi, Annika Norlin, and Sofia Samatar. They are planning to publish ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY in fall 2024:

This is such a charming eye-opener! I love the unique combination of personal story and big ideas.” – Julia Foldenyi, Commissioning Editor at Uitgeverij Mozaïek

ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY is the Finnish answer to Yuval Noah Harari and Rutger Bregman and combines a personal story of exhaustion with a fascinating and accessible deep-dive into humanity and its relationship with nature. Knesebeck will publish the title in Germany in spring 2024.

Would you like to find out more about this title? We have a nearly 100-page English sample for you to read!

Rights are available in the UK, US, Nordics, Poland, Czechia, France, Italy, Asian territories…

Download the English materials for ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY here!

MINÄ, KOIRA JA IHMISKUNTA
Lajien välisen yhteiselon historia
Otava/Like, February 2022, 317 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava/Like (orig.)
GERMANY: Knesebeck
NETHERLANDS: Mozaïek

Reading materials:
English sample and synopsis

About author


Tiina Raevaara

Tiina Raevaara (b. 1979) is a writer, science journalist, and biologist who received a PhD for her work in genetics. She received the State Award for Public Information and the Pro Scientia Prize from the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. She has published eight novels, three non-fiction books, and a novella collection which was awarded the Runeberg Prize. Her suspense novel Double Helix (2020), the opening chapter of a new thriller series, received the Laurin Kirja audio book award, and the second installment in the series, Polar Vortex (2021), has been widely praised.

Raevaara’s books combine grand perspectives of natural science with compelling literary expression. She draws inspiration from Nordic nature, the major questions of science, and the complexities of humanity.

Raevaara lives in Kerava, a small town in Southern Finland, and goes on daily walks in the forest with her two black dogs.

Bibliography


2022, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Me, My Dog, and Humanity: A History of Coexistence Between Species

Tiina Raevaara

ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY by Tiina Raevaara sold to Knesebeck in Germany!

We are thrilled to announce that the German rights for ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY:  A History of Coexistence Between Species have been acquired by Knesebeck in Germany! The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Knesebeck is a renowned publisher for narrative and illustrated non-fiction and children’s books and part of the international Média-Participations Group.

ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY is the Finnish answer to Yuval Noah Harari and Rutger Bregman and combines a personal story of exhaustion with a fascinating and accessible deep-dive into humanity and its relationship with nature.

Curious to find out more? We have a nearly 100-page English sample for you to read!

Rights are available in the UK, US, Nordics, Netherlands, Poland, Czechia, France, Italy, Asian territories…

Download the English materials for ME, MY DOG, AND HUMANITY here!

MINÄ, KOIRA JA IHMISKUNTA
Lajien välisen yhteiselon historia
Otava/Like, February 2022, 317 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava/Like (orig.)
GERMANY: Knesebeck

Reading materials:
English sample and synopsis

About author


Tiina Raevaara

Tiina Raevaara (b. 1979) is a writer, science journalist, and biologist who received a PhD for her work in genetics. She received the State Award for Public Information and the Pro Scientia Prize from the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. She has published eight novels, three non-fiction books, and a novella collection which was awarded the Runeberg Prize. Her suspense novel Double Helix (2020), the opening chapter of a new thriller series, received the Laurin Kirja audio book award, and the second installment in the series, Polar Vortex (2021), has been widely praised.

Raevaara’s books combine grand perspectives of natural science with compelling literary expression. She draws inspiration from Nordic nature, the major questions of science, and the complexities of humanity.

Raevaara lives in Kerava, a small town in Southern Finland, and goes on daily walks in the forest with her two black dogs.

Bibliography


2022, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Me, My Dog, and Humanity: A History of Coexistence Between Species

Tiina Raevaara

New reviews and 100pp English sample for Tiina Raevaara’s ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY

We are excited to share excellent new praise for ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY:
Multiple studies show clear evidence how spending time with pets lowers our stress levels and boosts our mental health.

In ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY, Tiina Raevaara explores the topic from a personal point of view but also draws on scientific research.

As a previous writer of both fiction and non-fiction, her text is easy to follow for everyone. We are happy to offer you a 100 pp English sample!

Download the long English sample and synopsis by clicking here


NEW FINNISH PRAISE:

“Raevaara’s text is easy to read, and the narrative style lightens the informative text. The reader might not even realize they’ve learned this and that about the behavior of ospreys when they’ve been excited to find out how Nuppu, Ahti, and other ospreys manage their nesting.”
– Elina Koivisto, Tieteessä Tapahtuu-magazine
*****
“I’ve admired the way many nature/biology writers can describe nature and humans as a part of it. With her book Me, My Dog and Humanity (Like, 2022) Tiina Raevaara also becomes a part of that inspiring group. [–] There’s something heartwarming in the book, which kindly boosts one’s self-awareness.”
– metsiensivuilla on Instagram
*****
“An interesting book combining personal and science in an easily understandable way. [–] Raevaara actually talks about the basic need for connection in her book, but from a wider perspective than usual.”
Kirsi Piha on Instagram
*****

EXCELLENT REVIEWS in FINNISH PRESS:

Faith in humanity is being tested at the moment. It is comforting to remember that we’re not alone on Earth. During the last years, the ability of humans to communicate with other animals has been explored a lot in literature: how we talk to animals and with them, how do we confront other beings, what do they mean to us. Biologist and writer Tiina Raevaara’s ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY starts with a personal experience, familiar from the works of Helen Macdonald. When Raevaara has a burnout, even close people feel burdensome, but a dog – never, despite how much care and attention a dog requires. From the friendship of the writer and a dog, and interesting survey of the history, causes, and consequences of the co-existence of species branches.
– Arla Kanerva, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

*****
In her book-long essay, Tiina Raevaara ponders the connection to other animals as part of humanity. The dog holds a special place, both in the common history of humans and animals, and in Raevaara’s own life. [—] By studying research literature and relying on her knowledge of genetics, Raevaara discusses the connection to animals as a trait of the human species. She goes through the shared history of humans and dogs which is full of unanswered questions. [—] Her aim is to understand the interaction [between humans and animals] and human nature. Raevaara also seeks answers from the perspective of animals and through the world of senses. The personal vein remains throughout the book. [—] Raevaara intriguingly depicts the enigmatic nature of humanity. In addition to the connection to animals, the approving way of living and being arises as a subject of the book. [—] For Raevaara, an appreciative and gentle attitude towards animals is good humanity.

– Outi Hytönen, Suomen Kuvalehti magazine


ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY
by Tiina Raevaara

In the Autumn of 2018, biologist and award-winning author Tiina Raevaara found herself exhausted and anguished, with her mind dark like a Finland November. She did, however, find comfort in the company of her dog, Igor. She started pondering the reasons for her exhaustion and, simultaneously, the evolution of the human species and its relation to other animals.

The current ascendancy of mankind is, according to Raevaara, not a result of humanity’s innate superiority, but, in fact, a result of its connections and relationships to other species. Ours is not a story of a purpose-driven humankind achieving its predominance in grand solitude, but of a humanity which has striven for connections with other animals.

In her new book Me, My Dog and Humanity, Raevaara compellingly describes the coexistence between humans and animals, both personally and from the perspective of humankind, and seeks answers to a number of questions:

• Why does an exhausted person prefer to spend time with their dog than other people?

• Why do animals arouse such strong empathy in us?

• What does the human-animal connection mean from the perspective of evolution and humanity?

The domesticated dog is a much older creation of humankind than agriculture, religion or even writing. Mapping out the mutual journey between humans and dogs, Raevaara sheds light on the most fundamental essences of humanity and its relationship with nature.

ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY
Minä, koira ja ihmiskunta
Otava, March 2022, 317pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava/Like (orig.)

About author


Tiina Raevaara

Tiina Raevaara (b. 1979) is a writer, science journalist, and biologist who received a PhD for her work in genetics. She received the State Award for Public Information and the Pro Scientia Prize from the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. She has published eight novels, three non-fiction books, and a novella collection which was awarded the Runeberg Prize. Her suspense novel Double Helix (2020), the opening chapter of a new thriller series, received the Laurin Kirja audio book award, and the second installment in the series, Polar Vortex (2021), has been widely praised.

Raevaara’s books combine grand perspectives of natural science with compelling literary expression. She draws inspiration from Nordic nature, the major questions of science, and the complexities of humanity.

Raevaara lives in Kerava, a small town in Southern Finland, and goes on daily walks in the forest with her two black dogs.

Bibliography


2022, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Me, My Dog, and Humanity: A History of Coexistence Between Species

Tiina Raevaara

3 new Fiction deals!

We are extremely happy to announce that Naklada Ljevak has acquired the Croatian rights for Johanna Sinisalo’s novel BLOOD OF ANGELS and Elina Hirvonen’s novel WHEN TIME RUNS OUT.

Finnish literature is conquering Croatia! Another prestigious publishing house in Croatia, Mala Zvona, has acquired the Croatian rights to Tiina Raevaara’s Runeberg Prize-winning novella collection I DON’T FEEL YOU BY MY SIDE. The deals were closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Naklada Ljevak praised both BLOOD OF ANGELS and WHEN TIME RUNS OUT:

Naklada Ljevak decided to publish the novel BLOOD OF ANGELS by award-winning Finnish author Johanna Sinisalo because its subject – environmental disaster caused by annihilation of the bees – becomes an increasingly urgent problem and because of the highest literary value of the novel that combines ecological warning, mythological themes and human relationships.

Naklada Ljevak is proud to announce publishing the Croatian edition of the haunting eco-thriller and psychological drama WHEN TIME RUNS OUT by one of the most esteemed Finnish writers, Elina Hirvonen. The timely and universal theme of the relationship within a family set against the backdrop of climate crisis will surely resonate with Croatian readers.
Nada Brnardic, Editor, Naklada Ljevak, Croatia


BLOOD OF ANGELS
ENKELTEN VERTA
by Johanna Sinisalo
Teos, 2011, 275 pp.

“The queen is dead. The bees are gone. Thus, the world is about to end. But if you follow the bees, there are doors in the air. And a desperate man is ready to go through one.”

Albert Einstein is claimed to have said that if bees disappear from the earth, mankind has four years left to live. When mass bee-vanishings of unprecedented scope and devastation hit the United States, Orvo, a beekeeper, knows all too well where it will lead. And one day, when Orvo goes to check on his hives, he is forced to witness something he wishes he had never lived to see. The queen is dead. The epidemic has spread to Europe. The world is coming to an end.

The light of Orvo’s life is his son, Eero, whose secret animal activist existence Orvo discovers far too late. Eero’s activities as a defender of animal rights and an ardent opponent of Orvo’s inherited way of life propel the family into irreversible, gutwrenching conflict. Orvo takes a desperate step onto a path where only he and the bees know the way… This novel is a magical plunge into the myth of death and immortality, a tale of human blindness in the face of overwhelming choices and inevitabilities.

Download the full English PDF here!


WHEN TIME RUNS OUT
KUN AIKA LOPPUU
by Elina Hirvonen
WSOY, 2015, 256 pp.

Helsinki, less than a decade in the future. Laura Anttila is lecturing at the university on climate change, hope, and the responsibility of humans. In the hallway, she is confronted by two police officers.

Laura’s daughter Aava encounters a woman who has just lost her daughter in a Somalian village. Having returned to her apartment, Laura hears that someone is shooting at people from the rooftop of the Lasipalatsi building in Helsinki.

When Time Runs Out is a powerful novel about parenthood, about finding your place, and about the responsibility of people to intervene in the course of events. Hirvonen wakes the reader to ponder what climate change and the lack of clean water can entail for humans in the future.

Download materials here!


I DON’T FEEL YOU BY MY SIDE
EN TUNNE SINUA VIERELLÄNI
by Tiina Raevaara
Teos, 2010, 260 pp.

A young man is looking for his fate while observing dragonflies, an unknown something takes the life of Matilda, and Mr. Gordon ends up in a birds’ hospital.

Tiina Raevaara’s I DON’T FEEL YOU BY MY SIDE is a novella collection, the texts of which, veering into the surreal, take the reader on a journey to the confluences of man and nature, dreams and subconsciousness, the circle of death and life. In this collection of 14 novellas, Raevaara shines the spotlight on the human mind and the forces tearing through its realities. The feelings of alienation and longing combine with a clear language and different narrators, each of whom wants to connect with themselves or someone next to them before it’s too late.

Request materials here!

ENKELTEN VERTA
Teos, 2011, 275 pp.

Reading materials:
English manuscript

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
BULGARIA: Perseus Publishing House
CROATIA: Naklada Ljevak
DENMARK: Jensen & Dalgaard
FRANCE: Actes Sud
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group
POLAND: Foksal Publishing Group
UNITED KINGDOM: Peter Owen Limited

 

KUN AIKA LOPPUU
WSOY, 2015, 256 pp.

Reading materials:
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Naklada Ljevak
CZECH REPUBLIC: Omega Publishing
ESTONIA: Varrak
LITHUANIA: Baltos Lankos
SWEDEN: Leopard Förlag
UK: Manilla

 

EN TUNNE SINUA VIERELLÄNI
Teos, 2010, 260 pp.

Reading materials:
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
CROATIA: Mala Zvona

About author


Elina Hirvonen

Elina Hirvonen is an award-winning author and documentary filmmaker whose works have been translated into many languages. Hirvonen’s debut novel, When I Forgot, made the front page of The New York Times Book Review, and received rave reviews from the Independent, Guardian, Financial Times and Globe and Mail.

Hirvonen has won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Young Aleksis Prize, has been nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize. She has received the prestigious 2023 Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö Literary Foundation Award, recognizing the artistic independence and high standard of her writing.

Her new novel, The Logbook of Love, was published in Finland in August 2023. The Logbook of Love is the first part of a trilogy of novels that create their world through conversations.

About author


Johanna Sinisalo

Johanna Sinisalo (b. 1958) is a Finlandia Prize-winning superstar of Finnish speculative fiction. In addition to her nine novels, she has also written short fiction and film and television screenplays. Her works have been translated into twenty languages.

Sinisalo has won several literary prizes also abroad, such as the 2004 James Tiptree, Jr. Award and the 2017 Prometheus Award, and was nominated for the Nebula Award in 2008, the Prix Escapades in 2012, and the Grand Prix de L’Imaginaire in 2017. In 2022, Johanna Sinisalo was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal for services to Finnish literature.

About author


Tiina Raevaara

Tiina Raevaara (b. 1979) is a writer, science journalist, and biologist who received a PhD for her work in genetics. She received the State Award for Public Information and the Pro Scientia Prize from the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. She has published eight novels, three non-fiction books, and a novella collection which was awarded the Runeberg Prize. Her suspense novel Double Helix (2020), the opening chapter of a new thriller series, received the Laurin Kirja audio book award, and the second installment in the series, Polar Vortex (2021), has been widely praised.

Raevaara’s books combine grand perspectives of natural science with compelling literary expression. She draws inspiration from Nordic nature, the major questions of science, and the complexities of humanity.

Raevaara lives in Kerava, a small town in Southern Finland, and goes on daily walks in the forest with her two black dogs.

100pp English sample and new reviews for Tiina Raevaara’s ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY

We are extremely happy to let you know that we now have available a 100pp English sample for ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY!

Also, take a look at the excellent reviews!

Multiple studies show clear evidence how spending time with pets lowers our stress levels and boosts our mental health.

In ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY, Tiina Raevaara explores the topic from a personal point of view but also draws on scientific research. As a previous writer of both fiction and non-fiction, her text is easy to follow for everyone.Download the long English sample and synopsis by clicking here


FINNISH PRAISE:

Faith in humanity is being tested at the moment. It is comforting to remember that we’re not alone on Earth. During the last years, the ability of humans to communicate with other animals has been explored a lot in literature: how we talk to animals and with them, how do we confront other beings, what do they mean to us. Biologist and writer Tiina Raevaara’s ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY starts with a personal experience, familiar from the works of Helen Macdonald. When Raevaara has a burnout, even close people feel burdensome, but a dog – never, despite how much care and attention a dog requires. From the friendship of the writer and a dog, and interesting survey of the history, causes, and consequences of the co-existence of species branches.
– Arla Kanerva, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

*****
In her book-long essay, Tiina Raevaara ponders the connection to other animals as part of humanity. The dog holds a special place, both in the common history of humans and animals, and in Raevaara’s own life. [—] By studying research literature and relying on her knowledge of genetics, Raevaara discusses the connection to animals as a trait of the human species. She goes through the shared history of humans and dogs which is full of unanswered questions. [—] Her aim is to understand the interaction [between humans and animals] and human nature. Raevaara also seeks answers from the perspective of animals and through the world of senses. The personal vein remains throughout the book. [—] Raevaara intriguingly depicts the enigmatic nature of humanity. In addition to the connection to animals, the approving way of living and being arises as a subject of the book. [—] For Raevaara, an appreciative and gentle attitude towards animals is good humanity.

– Outi Hytönen, Suomen Kuvalehti magazine


ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY
by Tiina RaevaaraIn the Autumn of 2018, biologist and award-winning author Tiina Raevaara found herself exhausted and anguished, with her mind dark like a Finland November. She did, however, find comfort in the company of her dog, Igor. She started pondering the reasons for her exhaustion and, simultaneously, the evolution of the human species and its relation to other animals.

The current ascendancy of mankind is, according to Raevaara, not a result of humanity’s innate superiority, but, in fact, a result of its connections and relationships to other species. Ours is not a story of a purpose-driven humankind achieving its predominance in grand solitude, but of a humanity which has striven for connections with other animals.

In her new book Me, My Dog and Humanity, Raevaara compellingly describes the coexistence between humans and animals, both personally and from the perspective of humankind, and seeks answers to a number of questions:

• Why does an exhausted person prefer to spend time with their dog than other people?

• Why do animals arouse such strong empathy in us?

• What does the human-animal connection mean from the perspective of evolution and humanity?

The domesticated dog is a much older creation of humankind than agriculture, religion or even writing. Mapping out the mutual journey between humans and dogs, Raevaara sheds light on the most fundamental essences of humanity and its relationship with nature.

 

FILI GRANTS REMINDER

We are thrilled to remind you that the latest application period for Finnish Literature Exchange (FILI) translation and printing grants has opened and will last until May 1st!

It’s a perfect time to acquire exciting Finnish titles and apply for translation grants!
Don’t have a Finnish translator yet? Find them here!

In the last application period in Winter 2022, 63 projects earned a grant with 113,000€ awarded in total. See the previously awarded projects here!

Translation grants
Up to 70% of translation costs from Finnish or Finland-Swedish can be covered by a FILI translation grant. There are 3 application periods in a year, and the Spring application period is 1.4.-1.5.2022.

ME, MY DOG AND HUMANITY
Minä, koira ja ihmiskunta
Otava, March 2022, 317pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava/Like (orig.)

About author


Tiina Raevaara

Tiina Raevaara (b. 1979) is a writer, science journalist, and biologist who received a PhD for her work in genetics. She received the State Award for Public Information and the Pro Scientia Prize from the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. She has published eight novels, three non-fiction books, and a novella collection which was awarded the Runeberg Prize. Her suspense novel Double Helix (2020), the opening chapter of a new thriller series, received the Laurin Kirja audio book award, and the second installment in the series, Polar Vortex (2021), has been widely praised.

Raevaara’s books combine grand perspectives of natural science with compelling literary expression. She draws inspiration from Nordic nature, the major questions of science, and the complexities of humanity.

Raevaara lives in Kerava, a small town in Southern Finland, and goes on daily walks in the forest with her two black dogs.

Bibliography


2022, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Me, My Dog, and Humanity: A History of Coexistence Between Species

Tiina Raevaara