News

After years of discussing Finnish literature with agents and publishers from all over the world, we realised that it is still somewhat of an enigma to others: northern, but not Scandinavian; western, but unlike anything you will find in Germany, France, English world or anywhere else. So we decided to take the matter into our own hands.

This autumn, HLA launches a new podcast. In each episode spanning ca. 30 minutes, we will discuss the topic of the month with a studio guest and try to find out why indeed, literature from Finland is so unique. Above all, we hope to bring you joy, laughter and at least one new thing you didn’t know about Finland and its literature.

The release of the first episode is scheduled for Friday, the 23rd of October, and you will be able to find and subscribe it wherever you usually listen to your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast’s Facebook page or go check it out on our website, tab Podcast, to find the most recent episode updates.

In the meantime, we would like to thank our beloved and talented long-time collaborator Petri Latvala for the logo design and the young jazz star, drummer and music producer Alessandro D’Anna for the wonderful, atmospheric theme tune.

We are very excited (and nervous, to be honest!) and we hope you will join us every month as we sit down with the finest literary minds of Finland to discuss the qualities and quirks of Finnish literature and other literary topics!

At the end of a very busy Frankfurt week, we are thrilled to announce that the Estonian rights for Juhani Karila’s hilarious novel Fishing for the Little Pike was sold in auction to Hea Lugu!

Hea Lugu has been in the market for almost 20 years, and established itself as one of the leading publishers in the country known for its selection of quality fiction, eye-opening nonfiction and an exquisite list of children’s books.

It has previously published such internationally famous Finnish authors as Olli Jalonen, Joel Haahtela, Tove Jansson and Timo Parvela, and is proud to have such classics of world literature as Herman Hesse, Virginia Woolf, Vladimir Nabokov and Aleksandr Solženytsin on its list.

Karila’s novel won The Kalevi Jäntti’s Literature Prize, Tähtifantasia Literature Prize and Jarkko Laine Literature Prize earlier this year, and is now nominated for the Tolkien Society in Finland Literary Prize. In addition to Estonia, the rights have been sold to Canada (World French), Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Poland.

Congratulations to the author and to the travelling little Pike!

We are thrilled to announce the first foreign rights sale for Kari Hotakainen’s new novel Story! Italian rights were sold to Iperborea.

As the publisher states: “In this novel, as always, Hotakainen has managed to point his critique towards many phenomena of our times in a very sharp and original way without ever losing his unique humour and rhythm, and his amazing talent for storytelling.”

Hotakainen’s novel received an overwhelming critical response and made news selling over 20,000 copies in just five weeks after the title was published in Finland.

Congratulations to the author, publisher and those lucky Italian readers!

This little pike is on fire! Just last weekend awarded the prestigious Jarkko Laine Literature Prize, Juhani Karila’s hilarious novel is now nominated for the Fantasy Literature Prize.

The award is given by the Finnish Tolkien Society to the best fantasy book of the year. Karila’s book is competing with four other nominees, and the winner will be announced on November 6th.

The fact that, during the past year, Fishing for the Little Pike has been nominated for four very different awards (so far winning three) proves just how versatile Karila’s novel is, as well as beloved among a wide range of readership. Earlier in the year, it also won Kalevi Jäntti’s Literary Prize as well as Tähtifantasia Prize.

The rights have so far been sold to Canada (World French), Denmark, Hungary, Poland and most recently, Germany.

Congratulations to the author and fingers crossed!

Juhani Karila’s hilarious novel Fishing for the Little Pike won the Jarkko Laine Literature Prize!

According to the jury, the novel, set in the Finnish Lapland, is “magic realism at its best” and “is exceptionally fresh in drawing its power from folk beliefs”.

“The book, full of original characters, is as entertaining as a picaresque novel, with a masterfully entwined murder mystery. The hilarious storytelling only emphasises the serious topics instead of hiding them: a human relation with nature, searching for self, the feelings of guilt and love.“

Jarkko Laine Literature Prize is given every second year to the most extraordinary and challenging fiction work published in the last three calendar years. The prize is 10,000 euros.

Karila’s novel has been so far sold to Canada (World French), Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Poland, and running the third print in Finland. It also won The Kalevi Jäntti’s Literature Prize and Tähtifantasia Literature Prize earlier this year.

Congratulations to the author!