Author: Chiara Stanziani

Danish Straarup & Co has acquired in auction the Danish rights to The Sisters of the Desert (Chronicles of Gibat #1) by Malin Klingenberg.

Malin Klingenberg‘s new series The Chronicles of Gibat has started its journey out into the world: The Sisters of the Desert (Chronicles of Gibat #1) is now travelling to Denmark, where it will be published by Straarup & co, who have acquired the rights in auction.

The Sisters of the Desert is the first instalment in Malin Klingenberg‘s new fantasy trilogy The Chronicles of Gibat, and won the prestigious Runeberg Junior Prize in early 2025. The Sisters of the Desert follows Sarina and Saba, two sisters whose father is the leader of a wandering desert tribe where one day children start disappearing. Afraid they may be next, and suspecting their father may be involved, the two girls try to sneak away and meet another tribe, whose leader claims to have known their mother. The members of the other tribe believe in magic and claim that their mother, too, had magical powers. Could it be that their father has been hiding from them even more than they thought? And can the sisters stand up for what’s right and reveal the secrets from their past?

The Sisters of the Desert is a beautiful story of adventure, magic, friendship, and sisterly love in a world where some adults are ruthless and children are left to fend for themselves. The book is beautifully illustrated by Eeva Nikunen. The Chronicles of Gibat series will continue this May with the release of My Brother Brother, the second instalment in the series.

Malin Klingenberg is one of Finland’s most prominent Swedish-speaking authors. Her extensive production, ranging from picture books all the way to YA, has been loved, read, and translated into many languages all over the world. The Sisters of the Desert marks her fantasy debut, proving she can successfully add one more genre to her impressively polyhedric production. Her works are published in Finland by Schildts & Söderströms.

Straarup & Co. is a Danish publishing house whose list includes quality literature for young readers and a broad selection of fantasy titles. They are the Danish publisher of other internationally successful fantasy titles like Aisling Fowler’s Fireborn, Håkon Marcus’ Feral series, and Katja Brandis’ Woodwalkers series. They are the also the Danish home of our very own Night Express and Juno Lights The Moon by Karin Erlandsson, The Mythicals series by Miila Westin, Radio Popov and The Book of Misty Trees by Anja Portin, and more.

Warm congratulations to the author and the publishers, and don’t miss out on this title!

Beasts of the Sea has been nominated for the Premio Strega Europeo in Italy, the most prestigious literary award in the country.

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen continues to enchant the international literary scene: the Italian edition, in translation by Nicola Rainò and out with Neri Pozza, is now nominated for the Premio Strega Europeo in Italy.

The Strega Prize, established in 1947, is the most prominent literary award in Italy, and is awarded on a yearly basis by the Maria and Goffredo Bellonci Foundation. The Premio Strega Europeo (lit. “European Strega Prize”) established in 2014, is the international equivalent of the Strega Prize and is awarded on a yearly basis to a foreign work translated into Italian.

The winner is picked from a selection of five nominees, and will be announced at the Salone del Libro Book Fair in Turin this May. This year’s other nominees are: The Discovery of Holland by Jan Brokken, Muna, or Half a Life by Terézia Mora, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, and Theodoros by Mircea Cărtărescu.

Previous nominees and winners include Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, International Booker Prize laureates David Diop and Georgi Gospodinov, and more. Iida Turpeinen is the first Finnish author to receive a nomination since Rosa Liksom with her Compartment Number 6.

Beasts of the Sea is a literary achievement and a breathtaking adventure through three centuries. Approaching natural diversity through individual destinies, it’s a story of grand human ambitions and the urge to resurrect what humankind in its ignorance has destroyed. Steller’s sea cow, a sirenian lost to extinction centuries ago, is revived on the pages and is the red thread that ties together the individual fates of a group of people throughout the centuries. The novel is the winner of the Book Beat Newcomer Award, The Thank You for the Book Award, Finland’s booksellers’ prize, the best debut award, the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize, the Storytel award. Beasts of the Sea was also a nominee for Finland’s biggest literary award, the Finlandia Prize, as well as for the Torch-bearer Prize. Its international breakthrough has been acknowledged by the Bookseller.

In Finland, Beasts of the Sea is published by Kustantamo S&S, part of Schildts & Söderströms and it has already sold over 50.000 copies in Finland alone. Loved by readers and critics alike, Beasts of the Sea has also been crowned the Best Book of the Century in a Readers’ Selection list published by the largest Finnish newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat. The foreign rights have been sold for 28 language areas so far.

Iida Turpeinen (b. 1987) is a Helsinki-based literary scholar currently writing a dissertation on the intersection of the natural sciences and literature. As an author, she is intrigued by the literary potentials of scientific research and by the offbeat anecdotes and meanderings from the history of science.

Warmest congratulations to the author and the publishers, and fingers crossed!

White Lily (Adel Sisters #1) by Ann-Christin Antell is the #1 most sold title of the month in both printed and audio formats, establishing itself as an instant bestseller.

Ann-Christin Antell returns to the top of the bestselling lists in Finland, this time with White Lily, the first instalment in the Adel Sisters series, with which she has returned to the literary scene after the wonderful success of the Cotton Mill trilogy. Both series are published in Finland by Gummerus.

White Lily is currently the best selling domestic title in both printed and audio format, and is setting the bar high for the rest of the series.

The Adel Sisters trilogy follows three talented and charming sisters in the early 1900s Finland and on their travels in Europe as they try to find their way in the male dominated fields of art and science. 

The oldest daughter, Thyra, is an introverted soul focused on mathematics and astronomy. Middle child Lily loves art and aspires to become a painter like her beloved father. The youngest, Kitty, spends her days roaming about forests and lakes and dreams of becoming an archaeologist. 

In White Lily (2025) Lily gets to accompany their eccentric grandmother to spend the summer in Florence to further her studies and see the art treasures of the city.  It’s the 1910s and modern art is just starting to get a foothold in the art communities in Europe. Before the trip, Lily gets a tempting marriage proposal from a longtime friend, and promises to give an answer upon her return. In Florence, she meets a fetching Italian art patron and an enigmatic Swedish painter who inspire her to discover art, aesthetics, spirituality – and herself. There is no going back to her old ways.  

The Adel Sisters is an anticipated, new historical romance series by Ann-Christin Antell (b. 1973). One of the leading romance Finnish authors, Antell studied history and archaeology and worked as a librarian before embarking on her career as an author. Her popular Cotton Mill series spent a long time at the top of the Finnish bestseller lists and has been sold to five countries.

Warm congratulations to the author and the publisher, and don’t miss out on this title!

The Skeleton by Malin Klingenberg & Maria Sann is on display domestically and internationally: this Nordic Council Literature Prize nominated title is on tour throughout 2025 and 2026 in Finland, Sweden and Estonia.

You’ll find The Skeleton in exhibitions with the following timetable:

26.4-1.6.2025: Kulttuuritalo Valve, Oulu (Finland), with a vernissage on 26.4.2025
15.8-14.9.2025: Helsingin Taidehalli, Helsinki (Finland), with a vernissage on 14.8.2025
3.10.2025-10.1.2026: Örnsköldsvik konstmuseum, Örnsköldsvik (Sweden), with a vernissage on 3.10
12.2-19.4.2026: Nordiska akvarellmuseet, Skärhamn (Sweden), with a vernissage on 11.2.2026
2026: EKA, Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, Tallinn (Estonia)

The Skeleton tells the story of Teo, a young boy who is very afraid of skeletons and runs into one at a Halloween party. As a result, he runs in the opposite direction and falls, only to end up in hospital with a broken bone and the horrible news that there is a skeleton inside of him too. It is the premise of a witty, funny story about overcoming fears, growing up, and recovering from injuries.

Malin Klingenberg is an established Swedish-speaking Finnish authors, whose work has travelled to several territories. Illustrator Maria Sann made her debut in 2019 and has been receiving glowing reviews for her work since. This is their second collaboration.

The rights to The Skeleton has also been sold for German, Latvian, Korean and Dutch, and the book is published in Finland by Schildts & Söderströms.

YA enthusiasts rejoice: We’ll Just Ride Past by Ellen Strömberg has been shortlisted for the Andersen Prize in Italy, the most prestigious literary prize in the country.

We’ll Just Ride Past by Ellen Strömberg continues to stun the international literary scene: the Italian edition by Terre di Mezzo, in translation by Samanta Milton Knowles has been shortlisted for the Andersen Prize, the most prestigious literary prize for children’s literature in the country.

The Andersen Prize is Italy’s most prestigious literary prize for children’s literature, and it stands out as books are picked by the monthly literary magazine Andersen, along with a network of literary professionals. The prize is awarded in several categories (books for children aged 0-6, 9-12, 12+, and 15+, picture books, textless books, non-fiction, and comics) and all awarded books also compete for the Book of the Year Award (also known as Super Andersen Prize), dedicated to the memory of Gualtiero Schiaffino, the founder of both the Andersen magazine and prize.

We’ll Just Ride Past follows Manda and Malin, a duo of best friends in ninth grade. They are nicknamed The Bicycles as they cycle everywhere looking for fun and something to do in a small town where nothing ever happens. One day Malin develops a crush on a guy working at the local pizzeria, and a series on events – both fun and not so fun – begins to unfold. We’ll Just Ride Past is an accurate portrayal of a moment in life where it’s perfectly normal to change style and music taste every week and the world awaits. In Finland, the title it is published by S&S.

We’ll Just Ride Past won the August Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in Sweden, in 2022 and its rights has already been sold for Italian, Korean, Slovenian, Polish, and Catalan.

Ellen Strömberg is a Swedish-speaking Finnish author whose production ranges from picture books to novels. We’ll Just Ride Past was a domestic and international success and her latest YA novel No Beginning No End has been received with warm praise. It is the story of Benjamin, a shy teenage boy dealing with his mother’s death, as he grows close with Tristan, a mysterious boy.

Congratulations to the author and the publisher, and fingers crossed!