News

Author Ulla Donner will attend the Rencontres de la Bande-Dessinée et de l’Illustration in Bastia, Corsica. The festival was established in 1993 and takes place on a yearly basis, boasting a program dedicated to comics and illustration. This year the festival will take place between March 26th and March 29th.

Ulla Donner (b. 1988) is a Swedish-speaking Finnish illustrator, cartoonist and a graphic designer. Her first graphic novel Spleenish (2017) was awarded the Stipend of the Swedish-Speaking Finnish Society of Authors, in addition to the The Most Beautiful Book award and a nomination to the Finlandia Prize for the best graphic novel. Her second graphic novel Crap (2018) was a critical success and received the Finlandia prize for the best Finnish graphic novel. Donner is also running for the Runeberg Junior Prize for her debut picture book, Stop the Thief!

Her latest graphic novel The Natural Comedy was awarded the Puupäähattu Prize, the Urhunden Prize, was nominated for the Most Beautiful Book of the Year, the Finlandia Comics Award, and has already travelled to Poland and Germany.  The Natural Comedy is a playful twist on Dante’s Divine Comedy from the perspective of the creatures of a forest that has been destroyed by humans’ exploitation. Donner’s works are published in Finland by Schildts & Söderströms.

Don’t miss out on this title, and mark your calendars!

Gyldendal Astra has secured the Swedish rights to the Adel Sisters series by Ann-Christin Antell in a three-book deal.

Wonderful news for our queen of historical romance Ann-Christin Antell: Gyldendal Astra has secured the Swedish rights to her Adel Sisters series in a nice three-book deal.

The series follows three sisters, Thyra, Lily, and Kitty, as they leave home and embark on journeys and pursue careers in male-dominated fields, meeting plenty of challenges but also finding love along the way.

The first book White Lily (Adel Sisters #1) follows middle child Lily, who is a budding artist and receives the unique chance to travel to Florence and work on her art with the very best of teachers. Before she leaves a childhood friend proposes to her, and she promises to give him an answer upon her return, but in Florence Lily soon understands there’s no going back to her old life. White Lily was an immediate #1 bestseller upon its release, and was nominated for the Storytel Awards in the category romance.

The second book Hidden Star (Adel Sisters #2) focuses on eldest daughter Thyra, a mathematically gifted introvert who dreams of pursuing studies in astronomy. When her mother sends her to spend the summer with her maternal grandmother – whom Thyra has never met – a chain of unexpected events is set in motion. A local lord takes a liking to Thyra, and her uncle turns out to be eccentric but just as mathematically gifted as Thyra, and willing to help. Could this be Thyra’s chance to pursue her academic dreams, or does her happiness lie elsewhere?

In Wild Bird (2027), Kitty, the youngest of the Adel sisters studies archaeology in the University of Helsinki. She spends her free time at their grandmother’s summer cottage by the sea where she suddenly meets her childhood love. Unexpectedly, Kitty receives a possibility to travel to Greece to archaeological excavations where she falls in love, but which is more important to her: a career in research, or love?

Gyldendal Astra is a Nordic digital-first publisher with branches in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. They are the the home of, among others, Anne-Lil Vestgård, Kaisa Stål, and Ann-Catrin Mattson.

Ann-Christin Antell is a bestselling author of historical romance. Her previous series, The Cotton Mill trilogy, sold over 200.000 copies and spent a long time at the top of the bestsellers list. Antell has a background in archaeology, and strives to bring to life bygone times and places in a way that feels believable and fresh. Her books are published in Finland by Gummerus.

Warmest congratulations to the author and the publisher!

Danish translator Siri Nordborg Møller has received the Finnish State Award for Foreign Translators, a yearly award presented to a translator of Finnish literature. The Ministry of Education and Culture awards the Finnish State Award for Foreign Translators annually on the proposal of the Finnish Literature Exchange (FILI). The prize has been awarded since 1975 and is considered the highest recognition awarded to translators in Finland.

“Siri Nordborg Møller has an exceptionally wide‑ranging body of work as a translator. Through her active contribution she has introduced the richness and diversity of Finnish literature to readers in Denmark and increased the international presence of Finnish writing. Translators play a vital role in bringing Finnish literature to new audiences abroad,” says Minister of Science and Culture Mari‑Leena Talvitie.

Her versatility as translator is one of the pillars of her work, as she aims to accept every translation assignment offered to her so she can present Danish readers with as broad a range of Finnish literature as possible. Nordborg Møller has translated into Danish, among others, Matara by Matias Riikonen, the Mythicals series by Miila Westin, Heavensong by Pauliina Rauhala, Katie-Kate by Anu Kaaja, and Leena Krohn‘s works.

Warmest congratulations!

We’re delighted to share that The Crown of Dreams (Eternal Winter #2) by Niilo Sevänen has hit the shelves and is already off to a wow-worthy start: the title scored a glowing review on Savon Sanomat newspaper, with the reviewer stating that”If you were to make a belittling assessment, you could say that Sevänen writes fantasy literature of international caliber”.

The Crown of Dreams is the second instalment in the Eternal Winter series, one of the most anticipated fantasy titles on the Finnish literary scene. The adventure whisks the reader into a complex world that feels real and draws from medieval history, superbly combining mythologies from different regions with the imagined. As the narrative unfolds, themes of loss, identity, and the tension between humanity and the supernatural emerge.

Niilo Sevänen (b.1979) has studied literature and cultural history at the University of Turku. His first novel The Path of Eternal Winter was one the most eagerly anticipated fantasy novels in 2024, and the narrative will continue in a trilogy. Before these novels, Sevänen published an awarded fantasy short story, ‘Winter’s Gate’, which appeared in a new form in 2023 and immediately became a success. Sevänen is also a singer, bassist, composer and lyricist in the group Insomnium, a melodic death metal band. His novels are published in Finland by Gummerus.

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

Hopelessness by Susanna Hast has been nominated for the European Union Prize for Literature.

We’re delighted to share that Hopelessness by Susanna Hast has been nominated for the European Union Prize for Literature.

The European Union Prize for Literature, established in 2009, was created by a consortium formed by the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), and the European Writers’ Council (EWC). Each year, a list of nominees representing countries of the Union and beyond is published and among these a winner and two honourable mentions are picked. The 2026 EUPL Prize laureate and the two special mentions will be revealed on 29 May 2026 at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, during the city’s annual book fair. All shortlisted authors will be continuously promoted on the European stage, aiming to reach a wider and international audience, as well as connect with readers beyond their national and linguistic borders.

Hopelessness explores maternal rejection, diving deep into the subconscious and showing the institution of family and the concepts that hold it together – inheritance, gift, father, mother – in a merciless light. The work approaches the internal violence of intimate relationships, the necessity of separation and the horror of duality. It is a novel that stings from beginning to end.

Susanna Hast works as a researcher and Associate Professor at Uniarts university in Helsinki. She has researched war, compassion and corporality. Her debut novel Body of Evidence was awarded the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize for the best debut of the year in 2022. Hopelessness is her second novel, and it was nominated for the prestigious Runeberg Prize.

Both her novels are published in Finland by Kustantamo S&S.

Warmest congratulations to the author and the publisher!