Author: Anastasia

We are very excited to announce that Marisha Rasi-Koskinen was awarded this year’s Runeberg Prize for her original and multilayered novel REC!

The jury stated about the novel:
“REC is an exceptionally courageous work of fiction: a piece of art, weaving together the narrative, form and space, and experimenting with each of them; it reminds us about the dangerous potential of storytelling. The novel contemplates the use of power in relationships between people and on various levels of narration; in the end, the main protagonist might always turn out to be fiction. (…)
REC is intellectually challenging, but at the same time, clear and approachable. Rasi-Koskinen’s masterpiece is a wild, serious game, a mystery and an experience that opens up differently with each reading – and the reader cannot avoid the change either.”

REC is an atmospheric, post-modern dive into the fragmented reality we are living today. When teenager Lucas meets a peculiar boy named Cole, it is a start of a decades-long on-and-off friendship, where real and fictional characters are present simultaneously, where images and stories begin many times, in various places, and where dark, possessive and manipulating side of humans take over with irrevocable outcomes – unless… nothing is true. As the author herself describes the book, “it is a love letter to fiction”, where the reality is not unambiguous and the understanding of it is rather formed in people’s minds, stories and images.

Marisha Rasi-Koskinen has published six works of fiction. In 2019, her first YA book The Dark Side of the Sun won the most prestigious literary prize of the year, Finlandia Junior, and novel REC was recently awarded The Torch-Bearer Prize.

The Runeberg Prize is a prestigious literary prize named after the Finnish national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg. It is one of the most important literary awards in Finland, second only to Finlandia Prize. The prize, worth 10,000 euros, is given out in two categories: fiction and children’s books. This year, 246 adult fiction titles were submitted, and 8 made it to the shortlist.

Warmest congratulations to the author!

International award news: Selja Ahava’s wildly successful novel Things that Fall from the Sky (2015) is now longlisted for the prestigious Dublin Literary Award! The novel was translated into English by Emily and Fleur Jeremiah and published by Oneworld.

As stated on DLA website: “The DUBLIN Literary Award is presented annually for a novel written in English or translated into English. The Award promotes excellence in world literature and is  solely sponsored by Dublin City Council, and administered by Dublin City Libraries.”

The prize fund is 100,000 euros making it the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English. Nominations include 18 novels in translation with works nominated by libraries from 30 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, the US & Canada, South America and Australia & New Zealand.

Previous winners include such internationally acclaimed authors as Anna Burns, Jim Crace, Michelle Houellebecq, Hertta Müller and others.

The shortlist for the prize will be announced on the 23rd of March. You can read more about on DLA official website.

Things that Fall from the Sky has been one of the most internationally successful Finnish works of fiction, with foreign rights sold to 24 territories. Ahava’s latest novel, The Woman Who Loved Insects, was recently sold to Hungary and optioned in France, and the Danish edition is due to be published in a few weeks time.

Congratulations to the author and fingers crossed!

We are thrilled to announce that Karin Erlandsson’s newest children’s novel Night Express has been awarded with one of the most prestigious literary awards in Finland, Runeberg Junior Prize.

The award is special for the fact that the winner is voted by the readers themselves: children aged 6 to 9. The jury stated about the book:

“Night Express is an enriching reading experience: a capturing, exciting and multilayered book that opens completely new dimensions to its readers. (…) Erlandsson writes about loneliness, longing and loss, and the book offers a platform for conversation. Peter Bergting’s graphic novel-style illustrations complete the whole wonderfully.”

Erlandsson herself has stressed that, through the book, she was hoping to communicate a message of hope and the importance of community. “I wish that this book would be read out loud, both together with adults and among children,” Erlandsson said.

This is the second time Erlandsson wins the prize: in 2018, Runeberg Junior Prize was given to The Pearl Fisher, the first book in the magical Song of the Eye Gemstone series, recently sold to the UK. Neither it is the first Runeberg Junior for Erlandsson’s publisher Schildts & Söderströms: the previous winners include Eva Frantz’s ghost and spook story for the middle grade readers, Raspberry Hill (2019), as well Fantastic Alfredo (2017) from Malin Klingenberg’s hilarious The Senior Squad series.

Runeberg Prize is a prestigious literary prize named after the Finnish national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg. It is one of the most important literary awards in Finland, second only to Finlandia. The prize, worth 10,000 euros, is given out in two categories: fiction and, since 2017, children’s books. The winner in the adult fiction category will be announced tomorrow, the 5th of February, on The National Runeberg’s Day.

In January, HLA is celebrating its 4th anniversary. We had our ups and downs along the way, but from the beginning, one thing has been consistently praised: our style. Our agents would hardly have a meeting where a publisher wouldn’t mention how elegant and beautiful our catalogue or logo is. The man behind it is one of the top typographers in Finland, Petri Latvala – someone who seems to have come straight out of a 19th century novel, somehow ending up in our time. For his 50th anniversary, we interviewed Petri about visual, literary, and existential things.

In January, HLA is celebrating its 4th anniversary. We had our ups and downs along the way, but from the beginning, one thing has been consistently praised: our style. Our agents would hardly have a meeting where a publisher wouldn’t mention how elegant and beautiful our catalogue or logo is. The man behind it is one of the top typographers in Finland, Petri Latvala – someone who seems to have come straight out of a 19th century novel, somehow ending up in our time. For his 50th anniversary, we interviewed Petri about visual, literary, and existential things.

Read the interview here and find out how typography is connected to philosophy and linguistics, what makes a good book cover, who is Petri’s favourite HLA-represented author and what does his favourite word – ματαιοπώγων – mean.

The Little Pike is up for an award in its native land! Juhani Karila’s hilarious novel is among the six nominees for the Lapland Literature Prize!

Lapland Literature Prize is given every second year for the best fiction title either set in Lapland or written by an author born in Lapland or currently living there. The prize is jointly funded by Lapland’s libraries. Additionally, the audience is invited to vote for their favourite among the nominees: the prize itself is 3000 euros and the winner of the public vote is rewarded a symbolic sum of 500 euros. Among the previous winners is a well-known Finnish author Rosa Liksom.

Last year’s dark horse, Fishing for the Little Pike won the prestigious Jarkko Laine Literature Prize, Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize and Tähtifantasia Prize, and was nominated for the Tolkien Society in Finland Literary Prize.

Foreign rights have so far been sold to 6 territories, including German, World French and others, and in November, Juhani Karila was our podcast guest discussing myths in Finland and about Finland.

The winner of the prize will be announced on the 19th of March when we celebrate The Library Day!

Congratulations to the author and fingers crossed!