Author: Anastasia

We are happy about the ever increasing number of quality Finnish literature published in Turkey!

We have recently sold Turkish rights for Anna Härmälä’s charmingly curious travel book for the smallest ones, Postcards From Grandma Flyaway, and adventurous children fantasy series Rotation by Vuokko Hurme.

Postcards From Grandma Flyaway is an inventive and light-hearted book that tells a story of a journey around the world in postcards. Looking at the details of the postcards, children and adults together can try to guess where Granny Flyaway will travel next! Even before it was published, the book has gained a lot of attention from abroad and was praised for its warm illustrations. Turkish rights have been sold to Dinozor Çocuk | Ayrıntı Yayınları.

Rotation is a new fantasy series with two books published accordingly in 2017 and 2018: Upside Down and Right-Side Up. It tells about the adventures of Lenna and her best friend Jaan, and their life in Kardum city; the incident that everyone refers to as “The Rotation” has changed everything, but people have learned to get along in their upside down world. But the supply of fresh water begins to run out. Will they have the courage to look for a future in another world that may be somewhere below them – in the sky? Turkish rights of the series have been sold to one of the leading publishing houses in the country, CAN.

Congratulations to the authors! Stay tuned for some more exciting news in our August Newsletter!

We are continuing our creative literary interviews series with HLA’s writers! This time, it’s Mirjam Lohi, the author of the warm and cheerful Mrs Suominen Arranges series. Find out here how Mrs Suominen was born and what profession Mirjam would not like to do.

Photo: Heli Sorjonen

We are continuing our creative literary interviews series with HLA’s writers! This time it’s Johanna Laitila, the author of the enchanting Lilium regale. Find out here what’s exceptional to Northern Finnish writers and what Lilium regale tells about its reader. And of course, the entertaining questionnaire!

Photo: Marek Sabogal

Finnish publishing house Siltala is partnering with publishers Gummerus, Teos and Schildts & Söderströms in ownership of Helsinki Literary Agency, which sells the foreign rights of books by Finnish authors.

Helsinki Literary Agency is acquiring a new stakeholder, as Siltala transfers management of its authors’ foreign rights there. The authors include figures such as Kari Hotakainen, Aki Ollikainen, Leena Lander, Pirkko Saisio, Hannu Raittila and Teemu Keskisarja.

“This addition to the agency’s list will strengthen it with numerous award-winning and rising authors,” says Helsinki Literary Agency chair Anna Baijars.

“Interest in Finnish literature is constantly growing around the world. It’s important to offer foreign publishers as wide a range of quality writing as possible.”

Siltala Publishing was founded in 2008 with a focus on high-quality literary fiction and narrative non-fiction by Finnish authors and also by international names including Lena Andersson, Jonathan Franzen, Herman Koch, George Saunders, Patti Smith, Timothy Snyder, Lyudmila Ulitskaya and David Foster Wallace.

“Recent years have shown that Finnish literature also has all the earmarks for significant international success. HLA has quickly established itself as an interesting and important agency for new Finnish writing. This concentration of forces will make sure that our work gains stronger resources,” says publisher Touko Siltala.

“Siltala’s involvement will strengthen the agency’s position in a field where there aren’t many Finnish players,” adds Helsinki Literary Agency CEO Urpu Strellman.

Helsinki Literary Agency opened in 2017 with the aim of representing Finnish writing internationally. At present it has some 60 authors on its list, including Selja Ahava, Eva Franz, Juha Hurme, Ulla-Lena Lundberg, Riikka Pelo, Mikko Rimminen and Minna Rytisalo.

For more information, please contact Urpu Strellman

+358 40 7375535 | urpu@helsinkiagency.fi

We are continuing our creative literary interviews series with HLA’s writers! This time it’s the author of bestseller Maybe This Summer Everything Will Change, Sisko Savonlahti!

Find out here how to write a successful generation novel and what gives hope to Sisko in our uncertain world. And of course, the entertaining questionnaire!

Photo: Marek Sabogal