News

Jensen & Dalgaard has acquired the Danish rights to the first three books in the A Dog Called Cat series by Tomi Kontio & Elina Warsta (ill.)

Wonderful news for our children’s list: Jensen & Dalgaard has secured the rights to the A Dog Called Cat series by Tomi Kontio & Elina Warsta (ill.) in a three-book deal for the first three books in the series: A Dog Called Cat, A Dog Called Cat Meets a Cat, and A Dog Called Cat Looking for a Home.

This marks the 12th foreign language area for this successful series, whose last instalment A Dog Called Cat Says Farewell won the Finlandia Junior Prize, the largest and most prestigious literary award in the country, last year.

The series of A Dog Called Cat is a touching story about finding friendship and dealing with the hardship of life with compassion. It tells the tale of a small dog, who is called Cat by her mother, because cats are independent, and the young one must learn to be independent. Soon, however, Cat that being independent can mean being very lonely. But one day things change, and then Cat is not alone anymore: a man called Weasel steps into her life, and along the series they meet new friends, including a cat called Dog, and form an unlikely but happy family bound together by genuine affection and acceptance of their mutual differences. In Finland the series is published by Teos.

Jensen & Dalgaard is an independent publisher based in Nyborg whose list includes a carefully curated selection of literary titles ranging from picture books and children’s literature all the way to fiction and classics. They are the Danish publisher of, among others, Suliko by Pirkko Saisio, Matara by Matias Riikonen, and Destruction by Iida Rauma.

Congratulations to the authors and the publisher!

Almayer has secured the Spanish rights to Icebound by Jukka Tuhkuri in the first foreign deal for this title.

The ice has been broken: Jukka Tuhkuri‘s Icebound: The Search for Endurance and the Real Reason It Sank is starting its journey out into the world as Almayer has secured the Spanish rights to this title.

Icebound: The Search for Endurance and the Real Reason It Sank follows the journey of the Endurance22, the expedition that in 2022 set out to locate and research the wreck of Endurance, lost to the water and the ice of the Wedell Sea 100 years prior. Endurance was one of the most famous ships of its time and the leader of the expedition, Ernest Shackleton, was determined to make history with his journey. Instead, Endurance became of the most famous shipwrecks of all time, and its sinking was shrouded in mystery for a century, but no more.

Jukka Tuhkuri was part of the scientific team aboard the Endurance22 as expert in arctic and ice research, and in his book he combines reflections on the myth of Shackleton’s ship, bringing the original expedition back to life, as well as disclosing the progress and findings of the Endurance22 journey. The result is a page-turning work where history, adventure, and science are blended beautifully. Given his scientific background, the author also sheds light on the impact of climate change on ice as we know it today.

Jukka Tuhkuri (b.1960) is a professor of solid mechanics at the Aalto University, where he researches ice mechanics and arctic marine technology. His research, which includes fracture of ice, has taken him to both the Arctic and the Antarctic, and in 2023 the University College London named Jukka Tuhkuri Honorary Professor.

Almayer is an independent publishing house based in Barcelona, and their project is to explore the magnitude of the sea and adventure through narrative and essays. They are the Spanish home of, among others, Hanna Stowe, Justin Scott, and Francesca de Tores.

Warm congratulations to the author and the publisher!

Mirabilis by Anni Kytömäki is travelling to Hungary, where it will be published by Typotex.

Mirabilis by Anni Kytömäki continues to enchant international publishers: this title is now travelling to Hungary, where it will be published by Typotex. This is the fourth foreign deal for this title, already pre-empted by Marsilio in Italy, People’s in Denmark, and Norstedts in Sweden.

Set at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Mirabilis describes the transformation of the worldview when natural science shows that man is not, after all, the crown of creation. This powerful literary adventure takes us from the years of the Finnish famine, by sea to the mountains and wild forests of Amurland, and back to the ridge landscapes of Finland. In Mirabilis, the fates of humans and animals intertwine in mysterious ways. Through the stories of an outsider mother and daughter where one is an involuntary mother and the other a restless soul, the relationship between nature and man is explored in terms of domination, assimilation, corporeality and transformation through Kytömäki’s particular storytelling skills.

Kytömäki’s inimitable way of portraying people and animals, and their fates, is captivating. The result is world-class literature, where the magic of narration sinks into the depths of the mind and makes you look at the fragility and power of nature with new eyes. The book has been received with enthusiasm in Finland, and sold over 15 000 copies in its first few months on the market.

Typotex is a Hungarian publishing house with a broad selection of literary fiction in translation. They are the Hungarian publishers of, among others, fellow Nordic authors Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen, a few titles by Kari Hotakainen, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, Peter Høeg.

Warm congratulations to the author and the publisher!

Welcome to Grandma’s by Nora Lehtinen & Mari Nikula is travelling to Denmark, where it will be published by Gads.

Wonderful news from our children’s list: Gads has secured the Danish rights to Welcome to Grandma’s by Nora Lehtinen & Mari Nikula, marking the first deal for this title.

Welcome to Grandma’s is the first in a series of picture books that celebrates the unique bond between children and grandparents. For little Miisa, spending time at Grandma’s is her favorite thing in the world: at Grandma’s there’s always something fun to do. Miisa, Grandma and Grandpa play, eat, and enjoy the garden together.

As the story advances, readers are encouraged to step in and play with Miisa bringing out their inner detective and finding objects in the pictures. The book is both sweet and highly entertaining, offering just the right balance between action and coziness to make this book an instant favourite for young readers and their (grand)parents.

Nora Lehtinen is a children’s and young adult author and communications educator. She is particularly interested in special education, plain language, and functional storytelling.

Mari Nikula is an illustrator and graphic designer whose illustrations have previously been featured in publications such as Koululainen magazine.
Welcome to Grandma’s is their first collaboration, and the book is published in Finland by Orava Books, a children’s imprint of Siltala Publishing.

Gads is an independent Danish publishing house, whose list boasts a selection of literary fiction and non-fiction titles for adults, and a collection of children’s literature for all ages.

Warmest congratulations to the authors and the publisher, and don’t miss out on this title!

Radio Popov is travelling to Japan, where it will be published by Mizuiro Books, marking the 26th foreign language territory for this title.

Mizuiro Books have secured the Japanese rights to Radio Popov by Anja Portin, one of the most successful children’s books of the last decade, marking the 26th foreign language territory for this title. Radio Popov follows Alfred, a nine-year-old boy who lives virtually alone. His father is constantly busy with work and business trips, and his mom isn’t in the picture. During one of his dad’s prolonged absences Alfred is left alone for so long he runs out of food, and electricity is cut off.

When everything seems lost, Alfred is saved by a mysterious stranger who delivers food and woollen socks in lonely children’s letterboxes. It is the beginning of a wonderful adventure that will lead Alfred to a new family, and to saving more forgotten children. Alfred’s story is moving, and touches on social issues, but also contains joy, friendship, and a happy ending.

Anja Portin has quickly become a favourite among children’s authors with her middle grade novel Radio Popov. She writes about children who take matters into their own hands when grownups do not want to take responsibility or are not there to do it. 

Mizuiro Books is a Japanese publishing house with a special focus on high-quality literature from the Nordics. They are the Japanese home of timeless classics like Sinuhe The Egyptian by Mika Waltari and several contemporary Finnish titles.

Warm congratulations to the author and the publisher!