Award news for Tommi Kinnunen’s award-winning and bestselling Pine Bark!

We are thrilled to let you know that Tommi Kinnunen’s latest novel Pine Bark, which has sold more than 60,000 copies in Finland in just eight months and won the Readers’ Favorite of the Finlandia Prize of 2024, has just received the Adlibris Prize of 2024!

The Adlibris Prize is awarded by Adlibris, the biggest online bookstore in the Nordic Countries. The nominees for the prize are selected by a jury and the winner is selected based on the readers’ votes.

Tommi Kinnunen’s Pine Bark is a densely atmospheric story about women’s war, about the difiiculty of letting go, and about how the closeness of death changes a person. It dives deep into complex interpersonal relationships, into big emotions, and is utterly convincing with its arresting storytelling.
– Adlibris Prize jury motivation

Pine Bark is also one of the nominees for the Lapland Literature Prize! The Lapland Literature Prize, established in 2017, is awarded by the public libraries of Lapland either to an outstanding novel depicting Lapland or a Finnish novel written by an author hailing from Lapland. The award sum is 3,000 € and the Lapland Literature Prize of 2025 will be announced on March 19th, the national library day.

Download materials for PINE BARK here!

Pine Bark

Tommi Kinnunen

A densely atmospheric and arrestingly written novel about women’s fates in times of war, the difficulty of giving up, and how the proximity of death can change a person 

A person cannot return to being who they once were without knowing who they have been.

In 2001, three siblings – Martti and twin sisters Eeva and Marja – meet in a small village in Northern Finland. Their mother Laina, an old woman who has been through the Second World War, is dying and the children have gathered to arrange the funeral. Even though the siblings have always been on good terms, Martti has always felt aloof, the odd man out. All of them reminisce about their childhood, but Martti remembers things slightly differently than the sisters.

As the novel progresses, the readers are transported through the decades and through Laina’s story, culminating in the Soviet partisan attack during the summer of 1944 that irrevocably changed Laina’s life. She has refused to recall the events and, at the same time, has denied her children the opportunity of remembering and recovering. “One can only talk about men’s war, as the women’s war is soundless and forbidden.”

As his mother’s death grows nearer, Martti reaches out to connect with his siblings and attempts to fill in the gaps in the story, but is it already too late?

PINE BARK
KAARNA
WSOY, 2024, 205 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
German sample

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
JAPAN: Shinchosha

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

Bibliography


2024, Literary Fiction

Pine Bark

Tommi Kinnunen


2022, Literary Fiction

Dark Moons

Tommi Kinnunen


2020, Literary Fiction

Defiance

Tommi Kinnunen


2018, Literary Fiction

The Glass River

Tommi Kinnunen


2016, Literary Fiction

The Light Behind the Eyes

Tommi Kinnunen


2014, Literary Fiction

Where Four Roads Meet

Tommi Kinnunen

Three Ahlback Agency authors nominated for Lapland Literature award

We are happy to announce that three authors represented by the Ahlback Agency have been nominated for the Lapland Literature award! The nominees are Pine Bark by Tommi Kinnunen, The Investigations of a Certain Cat by Katja Kettu and Firstborn by Maria Peura.

The Lapland Literature Award is a prize awarded jointly by the libraries of Lapland to a Finnish-language work on a topic related to Lapland or written by an author from Lapland. With the award, libraries want to highlight high-quality literature from Lapland. The award ceremony, open to all, will take place on Libraries Day 19.3.2025 at Kolari Library.

Sculptor Kirsi Kaulanen selects the winner of the Lapland Literature Prize from six finalists.

Pine Bark by Tommi Kinnunen

2024 Finlandia Prize nominee in Fiction! Sold over 60,000 copies!

A densely atmospheric and arrestingly written novel about women’s fates in times of war, the difficulty of giving up, and how the proximity of death can change a person

A person cannot return to being who they once were without knowing who they have been.

In 2001, three siblings – Martti and twin sisters Eeva and Marja – meet in a small village in Northern Finland. Their mother Laina, an old woman who has been through the Second World War, is dying and the children have gathered to arrange the funeral. Even though the siblings have always been on good terms, Martti has always felt aloof, the odd man out. All of them reminisce about their childhood, but Martti remembers things slightly differently than the sisters.

As the novel progresses, the readers are transported through the decades and through Laina’s story, culminating in the Soviet partisan attack during the summer of 1944 that irrevocably changed Laina’s life. She has refused to recall the events and, at the same time, has denied her children the opportunity of remembering and recovering. “One can only talk about men’s war, as the women’s war is soundless and forbidden.”

As his mother’s death grows nearer, Martti reaches out to connect with his siblings and attempts to fill in the gaps in the story, but is it already too late?

The Investigations of a Certain Cat by Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu’s stunning novel spins through ages whilst surrendering to the wilderness of nature and the deep yearning for offspring.

Can one find solace and meaning in life from the past once the future no longer exists?

An Author has a miscarriage and loses their ability to speak and write. From the Investigative Bureau of Heavens, a Detective is sent to the scene, but something goes awry. Soon, in the corner of the room, there appears Cat who starts examining a mysterious diary that once belonged to the Author’s Great Grandmother.

When a new life has been lost, the Author turns their gaze to the past and to the age-old words of creation in the old Finnish outskirts. The one who knows them, Great Grandmother, has the power of healers. The Great Grandmother’s diary sheds light on birth and death, love towards children, and the strength of heritage in one’s blood.

Combining autofiction and elements of magical realism, Katja Kettu’s latest novel also sheds light on the history of the Finnish frontiers.

Firstborn by Maria Peura

A heartrending autobiographical novel about one’s own child being placed in an institution and about feeling out of place as a child

The author starts putting together the story of her firstborn child – a child whose ill-being and problematic behavior eventually led to him being placed in a child protection institution. Only now, when everything is okay, does the author dare to put her own distress and guilt into words. “What mistakes did I make? How was I trespassed against and why has my child ended up broken because of me being broken?

Maria Peura’s autobiographical novel is a relentlessly honest and lyrically beautiful depiction of the cycles of trauma, of the effects of violence, and the chance for light and survival.

Pine Bark
Kaarna, Tommi Kinnunen, 2024, 205 p.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
JAPAN: Shinchosha

The Investigations of a Certain Cat
Erään kissan tutkimuksia, Katja Kettu, 2023, 380 p.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: Argo
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ESTONIA: Koolibri
GERMANY: Weissbooks
HUNGARY: Gondolat
ITALY: Mondadori
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
POLAND: Swiat Ksiazki
ROMANIA: Humanitas
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers

Firstborn
Esikoinen, Maria Peura, 2023, 320 p.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

About author


Katja Kettu

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

Her debut novel Surujenkerääjä (2005) was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and won the Tiiliskivi Prize, but her breakthrough came with The Midwife (orig. Kätilö, 2011), which won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Runeberg Prize and the Thank You for the Book Medal. The rights for the novel have been sold to 19 countries, it has sold more than 160,000 copies in Finland, and in 2015 it was adapted into a film.

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

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

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

Katja Kettu's literary works:

Surujenkerääjä, 2005 WSOY

Hitsaaja, 2008 WSOY

Kätilö, 2011 WSOY

Piippuhylly, novelleja, 2013 WSOY

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

Yöperhonen, 2015 WSOY

Peräkammarin poika, illustrated by Jan Andersson, 2015 Otava

Rose on poissa, 2018 WSOY

Erään kissan tutkimuksia, 2023 Otava

About author


Maria Peura

Maria Peura is a prize-winning author and dramaturge. She received the prestigious Young Aleksis Prize and was nominated for the Finlandia Prize for her debut novel Your Love Is Infinite (On rakkautes ääretön) in 2001. It also received the Olvi Foundation Award and the Good Deed for Children Award and was met with critical acclaim in Spain. At the Edge of Light (Valon reunalla) received stellar reviews in Finland, the Czech Republic, and in the UK, where it was published in 2007. Among Peura’s other works is a collection of poetry for children.

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

10 titles represented by Ahlback Agency nominated for Storytel Awards

We are thrilled to let you know that ten different titles represented by the Ahlback Agency have been nominated for the Storytel Awards 2025 in three different categories!

Storytel will honour the best audiobooks of the year and their readers in Finland at the Storytel Awards Gala in March 2025, now for the sixth time. The Storytel Awards and the Great Audiobook Prize aim to promote the development of the audiobook market, share the joy of listening and raise awareness of the importance of professional authors in creating listening experiences. The awards will be presented and the winners announced at the Storytel Awards on March 13th, 2025.

Storytel picks the most listened to and best reviewed audiobooks from January to December 2024. Only books published during 2024 are included. The five most voted books in each category will go through to the final and a jury selects the winners. You can vote for the nominees on Storytel’s website from January 20th to February 3rd.

On the fiction category our nominees are:

Pine Bark by Tommi Kinnunen

How We Met Your Mother by Kaj Korkea-aho

Treatment by Hanna-Riikka Kuisma

Push, Pace, Position, Pray by Miika Nousiainen

On Children’s Fiction and Young Adult category our nominee is:

Dad Man and the Doppelgänger Disaster by Arttu Unkari and Kai Vaalio

On Crime and Thrillers category our nominees are:

How to Face Death by Elina Backman

The Eagle by Tuomas Oskari

Milo by Max Seeck

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #2: Alone by Kaisu Tuokko

The Stager by Arttu Tuominen

About author


Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen lives in Pori and works as  an environmental inspector. During the evenings, he writes dark and tough crime novels. Tuominen is skilled at giving a strong voice to both sides of the law, a humane and a recognisable voice.

About author


Arttu Unkari

Arttu Unkari is a teacher from Helsinki and a Master of Education (University of Helsinki, 2015) who majored in ethics and philosophy.  He combines his educational background and experience as a teacher in his books – his stories are anarchist and zany, but at the same time the humour often revolves around profound and intriguing concepts such as honesty, obedience, and morality in ways that speak to children in their own language. His books are enjoyed by adults as well because they contain layers that open up differently to readers of all ages. This is one of the reasons Dad Man is such a great series for the whole family.

As an author Unkari is a Runeberg prize nominee 2023 for the third instalment of the Dadman series: Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis (Isämies ja hyytävä hypnoosi, Otava 2022). The Runeberg Prize is a literary prize awarded by the newspaper Uusimaa, the City of Porvoo, the Finnish Writers' Union, the Finnish Critics' Association and the Finland’s-Swedish Writer’s Association. The prize was established in 1986 and it is awarded annually in Porvoo on 5th February, the day when Finland celebrates their national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.  All of his previous books (Dad Man and the Exploding poop, Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother,  Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis and Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp) have been nominated for best children’s audiobook in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Finnish Storytel awards. He’s also participated in making a Finnish language schoolbook (Loikka 3, Otava 2022).

Unkari is a sought after inspirational speaker in his home country. He’s visited schools all over Finland advocating for the importance of reading.

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 Saana 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


Hanna-Riikka Kuisma

Hanna-Riikka Kuisma (b. 1978) is a Pori-based writer, art critic and columnist. Kuisma is known for exploring the darkness of the human mind and our contemporary society. She has published seven novels and a collection of short stories. Her latest novel Treatment was nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize in Fiction.

Kuisma's fifth novel, High-Rise, was nominated for the Finlandia Prize for Fiction in 2019, and in the same year she was awarded the Satakunta Arts Council's Art Prize. In 2021, she was awarded the Nortamo Prize for Literature.

Kuisma's debut collection of short stories, Elinkautinen, was published in 2005. Since then, she has published the novels Snake's Nest, Heart Shadow, White Light, Fifth Season, High-Rise, Guilty and Treatment. The Fifth Season was nominated for the Tiiliskivi Literary Prize.

The blackly intense atmosphere and surgical precision of Kuisma's works are counterbalanced by colourful visuals and poetic language. Her literary contemporaries include Juha Seppälä, Asko Sahlberg and Hanna Marjut Marttila.

About author


Kai Vaalio

Kai Vaalio (b. 1986) is an illustrator, comic artist, and a bit of a cosmopolitan as well. He’s written and illustrated underground comic books for adults about his travels in South-East Asia and Latin America — the latter won Mondo magazine’s Travel book of the year award back in 2014. Recently he’s ventured into the world of illustrating children’s books mainly with Arttu Unkari’s Dad Man Series. Together they’ve made several books about this goofy detective and his clever little posse. The Dad Man Series has received Storytel Awards and Runeberg Junior 2023 award nominations. Vaalio’s been on and off in the graphic industry since 2005 when he graduated as a graphic designer from Lahti College of Arts and Crafts. In 2018 he got his bachelor’s degree from Lahti University of Applied Science.

About author


Kaisu Tuokko

Kaisu Tuokko’s aim is to create a series where interpersonal relationships and the idyll of a small town are mixed with cruel events – using psychological tension to build stories about how badly we know the families or friends of our neighbors, of our loved ones. Everyone has secrets, but some of them are more dangerous than others.

Tuokko loves the stories of strangers, secrets of small towns, rainy autumn evenings, and the Swedish language. She lives in Helsinki, and has named her main character after her grandparents.

About author


Kaj Korkea-aho

Kaj Korkea-aho (b. 1983) is a writer, columnist and a comedian. Moreover, he has a career as an actor and a host in TV and radio. In his varied acting roles, he has often taken a stand for the rights of queer people, and his texts often discuss themes such as growing up, sexual minorities, religious revival communities and literature.

Korkea-aho has published four novels: Se till mig som liten är (God Who Holds The Little Dear) (2009), Gräset är mörkare på andra sidan (The Grass Is Darker on the Other Side) (2012), Onda boken (The Evil Book) (2015) which has been already translated into six languages and sold to Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, and Röda rummet (The Red Room) (2021). His books have attained wide readership in Finland and have scored several prizes, such as the The Swedish Literary Society’s prize in 2010 and 2013, the Thanks for the Book Award in 2016 and the Längmans Cultural Foundation’s prize in 2018. In 2017, Korkea-aho’s YA book Virala genier (Viral Geniuses) was nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize for children’s and young adult’s literature.

Since 2005, together with Ted Forsström, Korkea-aho has created comedy in Swedish for radio, TV and plays, whilst also writing the YA series Zoo! (the basis for the TV series Virala genier). Together, they also run the Ted & Kaj podcast, one of the biggest podcasts in Finland.

Kaj Korkea-aho was born and raised in the small town of Esse in Ostrobothnia, but now lives in Helsinki.

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


Miika Nousiainen

Miika Nousiainen (b. 1973 in Säynätsalo) has worked as a news and current affairs journalist for MTV3's news department. In addition, he has written for several popular TV-shows.

Nousiainen’s debut novel, Raspberry Boat Refugee (2007), tells the story of Mikko Virtanen, a man who desperately wants to become Swedish at any cost. In this tragicomic work, Nousiainen makes sharp observations about our western neighbor and illustrates that we’re all self-proclaimed experts on Sweden.

Roots (2016) follows the search for a missing father, taking readers across continents from Lieksa, Finland, to Australia. The book was also well-received internationally.

In Facelift (2020), Nousiainen gently explores themes of family and the longing for connection.

In addition, he has written The Danger of the Long Distance Runner (2009) and Forrest Giant (2011).

Nousiainen's novels have been adapted countless times and translated into languages such as Swedish, German, Dutch, Italian, and Estonian.

Miika Nousiainen have been awarded with: Laila Hirvisaari Foundation Grant (2008), Kalevi Jäntti Prize (2009) and Honorable Mention in the Sports Museum Foundation’s Sports Book of the Year Competition (2010)

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

About author


Tuomas Oskari

Tuomas Oskari is the international pen name of Tuomas Niskakangas, a crime author and a politics and economics journalist for Helsingin Sanomat, the biggest newspaper in Finland. He has a Master in Economics. Formerly Niskakangas has worked in Washington, D.C. as the USA correspondent for Helsingin Sanomat.

Award and Film News for Tommi Kinnunen!

Tommi Kinnunen’s keeps getting accolades! His latest novel, PINE BARK, won the Readers’ Favorite Finlandia Award from the Finnish Book Foundation! The Readers’ Favorite is part of the overall prestigious Finlandia Prize.

Here is the Finnish Book Foundation’s description and praise:

The work gives a voice to the forgotten victims of war, women and children, alongside the official war stories. It describes the impact of traumatic experiences on the human being in a concise way: what cannot be talked about cannot be released; one must grow a shelter, which also becomes a prison. Piece by piece, the work opens up the multiple dimensions of the tragedy that defines the lives of the characters and the multiple dimensions of the name motif.

Click here to download all reading materials for PINE BARK!

 

In addition, we have some very exciting film news for Tommi Kinnunen! His acclaimed novel DARK MOONS has been optioned for a film adaptation by Solar Films Inc. Oy! Having collaborated Solar Films  before, we are excited to put a Kinnunen literary classic in their capable hands. We can’t wait to see the end result on the silver screen!

About DARK MOONS:

A crystal-clear and shining novel about a woman who thought she knew who she was

In 1947, Elna Suorajärvi, a teacher in her sixties, is given a teaching post by the remote Niemi school close to the Finnish-Soviet border. Nothing is as it should be: the school building turns out to be a barracks abandoned by the Germans, and an illness ravages her body. Of her sister Salli, Elna only has memories of bitter arguments and blows to her temple. Nevertheless, Elna gets on with it because she knows how to teach, even though some people find her difficult. Even then, the lonely winter weighs heavily on her mind and brings forth things that she’d rather not think about.

Click here to download all reading materials for DARK MOONS!

PINE BARK
Publication Info:
Kaarna, WSOY 2024, 205pp

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
JAPAN: Shinchosha

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

DARK MOONS
Publication Info:
Pimeät kuut, WSOY 2022, 287 pp

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
FILM: Solar Films Inc. Oy

Reading Materials:
English sample and synopsis

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

Bibliography


2024, Literary Fiction

Pine Bark

Tommi Kinnunen


2022, Literary Fiction

Dark Moons

Tommi Kinnunen


2020, Literary Fiction

Defiance

Tommi Kinnunen


2018, Literary Fiction

The Glass River

Tommi Kinnunen


2016, Literary Fiction

The Light Behind the Eyes

Tommi Kinnunen


2014, Literary Fiction

Where Four Roads Meet

Tommi Kinnunen

Five of our talented authors nominated for the Adlibris Prize

We are delighted to announce that five of our authors have been nominated for the prestigious Adlibris Prize 2024! These nominations celebrate outstanding achievements in suspense, fiction, and children’s literature.

Fiction Category

  • Finlandia nominee Kaj Korkea-aho for his autobiographical novel HOW WE MET YOUR MOTHER.
  • Finlandia nominee Tommi Kinnunen for his sixth novel PINE BARK.

 

Children’s Category

    • Riikka Jäntti, whose beloved LITTLE MOUSE series has been translated into 21 languages, for her latest book LITTLE MOUSE GOES ON A CRUISE.

Suspense Category

  • New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck for his MILO.
  • Spiegel bestseller Arttu Tuominen for his THE STAGER.

About the Adlibris Prize

The winner is chosen by readers across Finland. The Adlibris Prize was launched in Finland last year, and this year’s winners in each category will be revealed on February 5. Congratulations to all the nominees!

Congratulations to all the nominees!

About author


Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen lives in Pori and works as  an environmental inspector. During the evenings, he writes dark and tough crime novels. Tuominen is skilled at giving a strong voice to both sides of the law, a humane and a recognisable voice.

About author


Kaj Korkea-aho

Kaj Korkea-aho (b. 1983) is a writer, columnist and a comedian. Moreover, he has a career as an actor and a host in TV and radio. In his varied acting roles, he has often taken a stand for the rights of queer people, and his texts often discuss themes such as growing up, sexual minorities, religious revival communities and literature.

Korkea-aho has published four novels: Se till mig som liten är (God Who Holds The Little Dear) (2009), Gräset är mörkare på andra sidan (The Grass Is Darker on the Other Side) (2012), Onda boken (The Evil Book) (2015) which has been already translated into six languages and sold to Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, and Röda rummet (The Red Room) (2021). His books have attained wide readership in Finland and have scored several prizes, such as the The Swedish Literary Society’s prize in 2010 and 2013, the Thanks for the Book Award in 2016 and the Längmans Cultural Foundation’s prize in 2018. In 2017, Korkea-aho’s YA book Virala genier (Viral Geniuses) was nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize for children’s and young adult’s literature.

Since 2005, together with Ted Forsström, Korkea-aho has created comedy in Swedish for radio, TV and plays, whilst also writing the YA series Zoo! (the basis for the TV series Virala genier). Together, they also run the Ted & Kaj podcast, one of the biggest podcasts in Finland.

Kaj Korkea-aho was born and raised in the small town of Esse in Ostrobothnia, but now lives in Helsinki.

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


Riikka Jäntti

Riikka Jäntti, a 2003 graduate of University of Industrial Art of Helsinki, now part of Aalto University, is a Helsinki-based illustrator and author who has created art for both nonfiction and fairy tale books for children. Her first children’s book was published in 2005. Jäntti is best known for the adorable Little Mouse series that has publishers in 20 territories, including Australia, Nepal, and China!

In her illustrations, she uses pen and ink as well as watercolor and gouache. In 2009 Jäntti won the first-ever Tieto-Lauri, an award for children’s and juvenile non-fiction, for her illustrations in Viidakkotanssi (Jungle Dance). The book was written by Markku Löytönen about the explorer Rafael Karsten in Ecuador.

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

PINE BARK by Tommi Kinnunen nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize!

We are very thrilled to announce that PINE BARK, the latest title by acclaimed, award-winning author Tommi Kinnunen, has been nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize in Fiction!

Kinnunen’s bestselling novel, which has already sold over 30,000 copies, marks his sixth book and his fourth nomination for Finland’s most prestigious literary award. His works have been translated into 20 languages. and PINE BARK has been acquired by Varrak in Estonia and Shinchosha in Japan.

The jury praised the novel:

The book gives a voice to the forgotten victims of war, women and children, bypassing official war narratives. It describes, in a compact and carefully crafted manner, the impact of traumatic experiences on a person: what cannot be spoken of cannot be escaped; one must build a shield that also becomes a prison. Piece by piece, the work tensely unveils the tragedy that defines the characters’ lives and explores the multifaceted dimensions of the title motif.

Click here to download all materials for PINE BARK.

Finlandia Prize is the most prestigious literary award in Finland, worth 30 000 euros. The winner will be chosen by Golden Globe-nominated actress Alma Pöysti, star of Aki Kaurismäki’s Cannes-winning film Fallen Leaves. The announcement will take place on November 27.

PINE BARK

Tommi Kinnunen

A densely atmospheric and arrestingly written novel about women’s fates in times of war, the difficulty of giving up, and how the proximity of death can change a person

A person cannot return to being who they once were without knowing who they have been.

In 2001, three siblings – Martti and twin sisters Eeva and Marja – meet in a small village in Northern Finland. Their mother Laina, an old woman who has been through the Second World War, is dying and the children have gathered to arrange the funeral. Even though the siblings have always been on good terms, Martti has always felt aloof, the odd man out. All of them reminisce about their childhood, but Martti remembers things slightly differently than the sisters.

As the novel progresses, the readers are transported through the decades and through Laina’s story, culminating in the Soviet partisan attack during the summer of 1944 that irrevocably changed Laina’s life. She has refused to recall the events and, at the same time, has denied her children the opportunity of remembering and recovering. “One can only talk about men’s war, as the women’s war is soundless and forbidden.”

As his mother’s death grows nearer, Martti reaches out to connect with his siblings and attempts to fill in the gaps in the story, but is it already too late?

Publication Info:
Kaarna
WSOY, April 2024, 204 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
JAPAN: Shinchosha

Reading materials:
English sample and synopsis
German sample
Finnish edition

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

Bibliography


2024, Literary Fiction

Pine Bark

Tommi Kinnunen


2022, Literary Fiction

Dark Moons

Tommi Kinnunen


2020, Literary Fiction

Defiance

Tommi Kinnunen


2018, Literary Fiction

The Glass River

Tommi Kinnunen


2016, Literary Fiction

The Light Behind the Eyes

Tommi Kinnunen


2014, Literary Fiction

Where Four Roads Meet

Tommi Kinnunen

PINE BARK by Tommi Kinnunen nominated for Botnia Literature Prize!

More award news: Tommi Kinnunen’s PINE BARK has been nominated for the Botnia Literature Prize! The Botnia is worth 15,000 EUR and goes to one selected literary novel published by a commercial publisher, with the writer coming from North Ostrobothnia. PINE BARK, published by one of the biggest houses in Finland, certainly qualifies.

PINE BARK was nominated from a record number of 99 other works and will compete with 7 others. This year the biggest factor for nomination was, in the jury’s words, strong narrative “that moved and carried me away” and that this is “a year of writing about wounds”. Like all of Tommi Kinnunen’s work, PINE BARK gives a voice to women and others who have historically suffered in silence.

Praise for PINE BARK on Mun Oulu media’s website:

Tommi Kinnunen’s characteristic sensory descriptions and polished expression form a lifelike and touching whole that does not let the reader go easy. PINE BARK kicks the legs out from under you and knocks the wind from your lungs.”

The winner will be chosen on November 9th 2024 – lots of onnea to Tommi Kinnunen!

Click here to download all materials for PINE BARK.

About PINE BARK:

A person cannot return to being who they once were without knowing who they have been.

In 2001, three siblings – Martti and twin sisters Eeva and Marja – meet in a small village in Northern Finland. Their mother Laina, an old woman who has been through the Second World War, is dying and the children have gathered to arrange the funeral. Even though the siblings have always been on good terms, Martti has always felt aloof, the odd man out. All of them reminisce about their childhood, but Martti remembers things slightly differently than the sisters.

As the novel progresses, the readers are transported through the decades and through Laina’s story, culminating in the Soviet partisan attack during the summer of 1944 that irrevocably changed Laina’s life. She has refused to recall the events and, at the same time, has denied her children the opportunity of remembering and recovering. “One can only talk about men’s war, as the women’s war is soundless and forbidden.”

As his mother’s death grows nearer, Martti reaches out to connect with his siblings and attempts to fill in the gaps in the story, but is it already too late?

Kaarna
WSOY, April 2024, 204 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
JAPAN: Shinchosha

Reading materials:
English sample and synopsis
German sample
Finnish edition

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

Bibliography


2024, Literary Fiction

Pine Bark

Tommi Kinnunen


2022, Literary Fiction

Dark Moons

Tommi Kinnunen


2020, Literary Fiction

Defiance

Tommi Kinnunen


2018, Literary Fiction

The Glass River

Tommi Kinnunen


2016, Literary Fiction

The Light Behind the Eyes

Tommi Kinnunen


2014, Literary Fiction

Where Four Roads Meet

Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen secures new international deals: ‘PINE BARK’ to Estonia and ‘DEFIANCE’ to Hungary

Following the recent success in acquisition of the Japanese rights for PINE BARK and the DEFIANCE film news, we are thrilled to share more exciting news about our award-winning #1 bestselling author, Tommi Kinnunen:

The Estonian rights to PINE BARK have been acquired by Varrak. Additionally, Hungarian rights to DEFIANCE, Kinnunen’s 2020 masterpiece, were secured by Magyar Napló Publishing Company. DEFIANCE will be translated from Finnish to Hungarian by Béla Jávorszky. These two deals were closed by Julia Bogen.

PINE BARK topped Finland’s bestseller list within a month of its debut with over 30,000 copies sold. It is a densely atmospheric and arrestingly written novel about women’s fates in times of war, the difficulty of giving up, and how the proximity of death can change a person.

Rights to Tommi Kinnunen’s previous novels have sold to 22 territories, and rights for PINE BARK and for DEFIANCE are still available in the UK/US, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands…

We invite you to click here to download all reading material for PINE BARK.

Click here to download material for DEFIANCE.

 

Pine Bark:
Publication Info:
Kaarna, 205 p., April 2024

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
JAPAN: Shinchosha

Defiance:
Publication Info:
Ei kertonut katuvansa, 351 p., 2020

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Hena
DENMARK: Gyldendal/Cicero
ESTONIA: Varrak
HUNGARY: Magyar Napló Publishing Company
LATVIA: Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Alma Littera
NORTH MACEDONIA: Antolog
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
POLAND: Poznanskie

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

Bibliography


2024, Literary Fiction

Pine Bark

Tommi Kinnunen


2022, Literary Fiction

Dark Moons

Tommi Kinnunen


2020, Literary Fiction

Defiance

Tommi Kinnunen


2018, Literary Fiction

The Glass River

Tommi Kinnunen


2016, Literary Fiction

The Light Behind the Eyes

Tommi Kinnunen


2014, Literary Fiction

Where Four Roads Meet

Tommi Kinnunen

Japanese rights for PINE BARK sold to Shinchosha; DEFIANCE adapted to film by Oscar nominee Selma Vilhunen!

We have lots of exciting news to share about our award-winning #1 bestselling author of PINE BARK and DEFIANCE, Tommi Kinnunen:

First up, Japanese rights to PINE BARK have been acquired! Our co-agents at Tuttle-Mori Japan loved the title from the start and, in their able hands, PINE BARK found its home with the renowned publisher Shinchosha, who are especially passionate about literary fiction. This deal was closed by Julia Bogen at the Ahlback Agency.

PINE BARK topped Finland’s bestseller list within a month of its debut with over 30,000 copies sold. It is a densely atmospheric and arrestingly written novel about women’s fates in times of war, the difficulty of giving up, and how the proximity of death can change a person.

Segueing to another masterpiece by Tommi Kinnunen, Oscar-nominated Finnish filmmaker Selma Vilhunen will adapt Kinnunen’s novel DEFIANCE for the big screen with production company Dionysos Films and distributor Nordisk Film! It is under the title She Did Not Show Remorse, a more literal translation of the original Finnish title Ei kertonut katuvansa.

One of the biggest magazines in the entertainment industry, Variety, interviewed Selma Vilhunen and discussed the upcoming film plans. Click here to read the full article!

Speaking to Variety, Vilhunen was “won over by Kinnunen’s angry and sometimes merciless’ novel. ‘The women in the story only have bad options to choose from. In this film, I feel I’m opening the door to all the anger and despair that is also true in this world and in myself.'”

Rights to Tommi Kinnunen’s previous novels have sold to 22 territories, and rights for PINE BARK are still available in Germany, France, the Netherlands…

We invite you to click here to download all reading material for PINE BARK.

Click here to download material for DEFIANCE.

Publication Info:

Kaarna, 205 p., April 2024

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.), JAPAN: Shinchosha

About author


Tommi Kinnunen

Tommi Kinnunen (1973) was born in Kuusamo in northeastern Finland and currently lives in Turku, where he works as a teacher of Finnish language and literature. His works include novels, opera librettos, short stories, and a non-fiction title on the changes taking place in the Finnish school system.

Kinnunen’s novels give a voice to those whose stories have been kept untold. He made a stellar debut with Where Four Roads Meet (orig. Neljäntienristeys) which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Young Aleksis Prize in 2015. The following novels The Light Behind the Eyes (orig. Lopotti), The Glass River (orig. Pintti), and Defiance (orig. Ei kertonut katuvansa) have been both critical and commercial successes. His books have been translated into 20 languages.

During his spare time, Kinnunen likes to refurbish old buildings.

Bibliography


2024, Literary Fiction

Pine Bark

Tommi Kinnunen


2022, Literary Fiction

Dark Moons

Tommi Kinnunen


2020, Literary Fiction

Defiance

Tommi Kinnunen


2018, Literary Fiction

The Glass River

Tommi Kinnunen


2016, Literary Fiction

The Light Behind the Eyes

Tommi Kinnunen


2014, Literary Fiction

Where Four Roads Meet

Tommi Kinnunen