Slovenian and Danish rights sold for A Giraffe’s Heart is Unbelievably Large; 5 more offers on the table

More more more lovely foreign rights news for our lovely children’s books: A Giraffe’s Heart Is Unbelievably Large, a children’s novel written by Sofia Chanfreau and illustrated by Amanda Chanfreau, has been sold to Slovenia (KUD Sodobnost) and Denmark (Straarup & Co.)

Moreover, offers from China, Spanish World, Korea, Italy and Estonia are now on the table!

A Giraffe’s Heart won the most prestigious literary award in Finland, Finlandia Prize, in the category of children’s and YA books. It is now also nominated for Runeberg Junior Prize.

A Giraffe’s Heart is Unbelievably Large (2022)

This illustrated novel for the middle grade readers is a tale of longing to be part of a family, to find one’s place in the world, and to be loved as one is; a story of childlessness and dreams that fade or morph into nightmares. Page by page, it swells with inevitable force into a horror story that firmly holds the reader in its agonizing grip. 

Whenever a ten-year-old Vega, who has always lived with her father, tries to ask about her mother, the only answer she gets is mysteries. Once a not-so-nice girlfriend starts dating her father, and Vega gets an unexpected pen pal, she decides to set out on an adventure to find out more about her mother. The book is a superb read for a child alone or for parents and children together.

The book has already sold close to 10,000 copies in Finland altogether.

Congratulations to the authors!

We’ll Just Ride Past Sold to Korea

Wonderful news for our books for young readers continue! YA novel We’ll Just Ride Past, by the awarded Ellen Strömberg, has been sold to Bluemoose Books in Korea!

We’ll Just Ride Past (2022)

Bluemoose Books is a children’s publisher for all age groups, with a list of children’s and YA novels, as well as picture books. We thank Amo Agency for the Korean deal.

This is second foreign rights sale for Strömberg’s book, as Italian rights were acquired by Terre di Mezzo just before the end of last year.

Published jointly by Schildts & Söderströms in Finland and Rabén & Sjögren in Sweden, We’ll Just Ride Past has been both readers’ and critics’ favourite since day one: in November, it was awarded the most prestigious literary award in Sweden, Augustpriset (August Prize), and it was also a nominee for the most prestigious literary award in Finland, Finlandia Junior Prize.

Don’t forget to check out our Literature from Finland podcast episode YOUTH, where Strömberg discusses writing for young adults. A short interview with the author will give you a better picture of her previous work.

Congratulations to the author!

The Mystery of Helmersbruk Manor sold to France; The Mystery of Raspberry Hill travels to Denmark

Exciting news in the department children’s literature: two more titles by the author of spooky novels for the middle grade readers, Eva Frantz, are travelling abroad!

Frantz will now have a publisher in France, as her Christmas-themed spooky children’s novel The Mystery of Helmersbruk Manor (illustrated by Elin Sandström) has been acquired by Rageot. Rageot is one of the best-established children’s publishers in France, with the list of more than 400 titles, including the books for all age groups.

This is the 5th foreign rights deal for the title.

Meanwhile, in Denmark, ABC forlag acquired Frantz’s debut children’s novel, The Mystery of Raspberry Hill (2018), awarded the prestigious Runberg Junior Prize. The Danish house has previously published The Queen of the Night (2020), by the same author.

This is the 6th foreign rights deal for this title.

Eva Frantz (photo: Marica Rosengard)

Eva Frantz rose to prominence with her adult crime series about detective Anna Glad. The books have sold over 55,000 copies in Finland altogether, and foreign rights have been sold to 5 territories. The second book in the series, The Eighth Maiden (2018), was awarded The Crime Novel of the Year in 2019, and nominated for the Glass Key Award, along with authors such as Jo Nesbø.

Frantz published her first book for children in 2018, to great success. Check out our Literature from Finland podcast episode ATMOSPHERES, where Frantz discussed writing for both adults and children.

In Finland, Frantz is published by Schildts & Söderströms.

Congratulations to the author for the deals!

World English and Danish rights sold to The Blue Yarn

Great news for the beginning of the year: Karin Erlandsson’s wonderful narrative nonfiction, The Blue Yarn – What I Know About Knitting, has been sold to Denmark and Great Britain (World English)! Erlandsson’s publisher in Finland is Schildts & Söderströms.

The Blue Yarn (2022)

The Danish publisher will be Straarup & Co., a lovely house that, from HLA’s list, has previously published Karin Erlandsson’s novel for children, The Night Express, as well as the Christmas-themed mystery novel for children, The Mystery of Helmersbruk Manor, written by Eva Frantz and illustrated by Elin Sandström.

The Blue Yarn will be published in the English world will be Dedalus, who is also the publisher of Erlandsson’s The Song of the Eye Gemstone series.

The Blue Yarn: What I Know About Knitting, by award-winning novelist Karin Erlandsson, is an inspiring book seasoned with knitting humour about the history of knitting, women who knit, and its enduring appeal. Erlandsson weaves together a nonfiction book, in which personal memories expand into sharp observations about the effects of knitting on the knitter, those close to them, and society at large.

In it, knitting is presented not only in terms of clothing and preserving tradition, but also as a means of creating and conveying something new. As the world around us burns, it can be a way to survive – or to break the ranks. For those who are busy and stressed, it can be a means of recovering and finding balance. 

These are the first foreign rights deals for the book.

Congratulations to the author!