Fiction and Non-Fiction, Autumn 2013

Contact: Hanna Kjellberg, Foreign Rights Manager • Mobile +358 40 5480 841 • [email protected]

Uudenmaankatu 10, 00120 Helsinki, Finland, +358 9 19961, [email protected], otava.fi/oga OGA represents foreign rights for Otava Publishing Company Ltd and Like Publishing Ltd.

OGA RIGHTS CATALOGUE – SELECTED TITLES AUTUMN 2013

FICTION 2-11LAILA HIRVISAARI: WE, THE EMPRESS

ANTTI TUURI: THE ALCHEMISTS. EARTHLY LOVE

ANJA SNELLMAN: CAPITAL

RIIKKA ALA-HARJA: HOLE

JOEL HAAHTELA: STAR-BRIGHT, SNOW-WHITE

PASI PEKKOLA: THE DREAM-SNATCHER

VIRPI HÄMEEN-ANTTILA: MARIONETTES

SARIANNA VAARA: THE MORNING BELL GIRL

GRANTA 1 : FOOD

CHICK-LIT 12-14PIA HEIKKILÄ: OPERATION LIPSTICK

LAURA PALOHEIMO: OMG

CRIME FICTION 15-19REIJO MÄKI: THE INDIAN

TAAVI SOININVAARA: THE SECOND BEAST

MILLA OLLIKAINEN: AND THE ICE BLED

OUTI PAKKANEN: THE LOVER

COMICS 20-22MAURI KUNNAS: MAC MOOSE AND THE CASE OF JAG MIGRAINE

MARIA BJÖRKLUND: PLANET Z - WORMHOLES

NON-FICTION 23-27MIA KANKIMÄKI: THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER

MARKKU JOKISIPILÄ - JANNE KÖNÖNEN: THE GUESTS OF THE THIRD REICH

JUHA POHJONEN - OULA SILVENNOINEN: THE UNKNOWN LARRY THORNE

LIISA LIIMATAINEN: THE OTHER FACE OF SAUDI ARABIA: BRAVE WOMEN

AND CYBER YOUTH



FICTION 2-11LAILA HIRVISAARI: WE, THE EMPRESS

ANTTI TUURI: THE ALCHEMISTS. EARTHLY LOVE

ANJA SNELLMAN: CAPITAL

RIIKKA ALA-HARJA: HOLE

JOEL HAAHTELA: STAR-BRIGHT, SNOW-WHITE

PASI PEKKOLA: THE DREAM-SNATCHER

VIRPI HÄMEEN-ANTTILA: MARIONETTES

SARIANNA VAARA: THE MORNING BELL GIRL




Laila HirvisaariWE, THE EMPRESS (Me, Keisarinna)

The autocratic empress recalls her victorious years as Russia’s sovereign, but also reveals her lonely ruminations and feminine fears

Moscow, 1762. Catherine II is crowned Empress of Russia amid sumptu-ous spectacle. The 33-year-old ruler places the crown wrought by court goldsmiths on her head herself.

Troubles beset the new empress immediately upon her coronation. Plotters abound and the people are unpredictable. Ivan VI, imprisoned at Oreshek, poses a continuous threat; many consider him Russia’s sole lawful ruler.

Catherine’s concerns about her children and grandchildren and feminine fears about her fading allure touch with their humanity.

The facades come crashing down as the aging empress recounts her years as ruler to her faithful chamberlain, and painful memories that can no longer be ignored arise from the past.

I, CATHERINE (Minä, Katariina; 2011)

”I never could have imagined how heavy the crown of an empress could be, and how it weighs equally on my head and my soul.”

Laila Hirvisaari’s historical novel I, Catherine was a Finlandia Fiction Prize nominee and the best-selling novel in Finland in 2011. The second work in the series, We, The Empress draws a fascinating portrait of an enlightened, humorous, sharp-tongued, jealous and sensual woman, lover and mother.

Laila Hirvisaari is one of Finland’s most popular and most loved authors. She has written almost forty novels, with sales of over 4 million books in Finland.

WE, THE EMPRESS APPROX. 600 PAGES / 145 X 215 MM / SEPTEMBER 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE I, CATHERINE 607 PAGES / 145 X 215 MM / 2011 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH IS AVAILABLE

PUBLISHED IN ESTONIAN BY VARRAK

The monumental sequel to the hit historical novel

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Antti TuuriTHE ALCHEMISTS. EARTHLY LOVE (Alkemistit. Maallinen rakkaus)

Occultism, adventure, affairs of the heart and the ever-present threat of bankruptcy – this high-spirited historical novel is based on the eventful lives of two 18th-century Finns who devoted themselves to alchemy

August Nordenskjöld is introduced to alchemy at his home, Frugård Manor, by an uncle attempting to make gold. A student at the Academy of Turku, August delves into the writings of Swedenborg and continues his studies in alchemy in Stockholm and London.

In the winter of 1787, August starts making gold in the Finnish town of Uusikaupunki with his faithful assistant, surveyor Carl Fredrik Bergklint. The process is challenging: the alchemists must keep a fire burning in their furnace for at least twelve months without interruption. But they run out of funds, and August flees his debtors to Stockholm.

Bergklint stays behind in Uusikaupunki until his love story comes to a tragic end, at which point he follows August to Stockholm. The alche-mists place their hope in King Gustav III of Sweden-Finland, who has promised to underwrite their enterprise.

Antti Tuuri (b. 1944) is one of the most highly regarded Finnish writ-ers of his generation. His works have been translated into over twenty languages. Tuuri’s historical novels are known not only for their deft period descriptions but their touching and unvarnished narration, which skilfully shines a spotlight on universal, timeless facets of humanity and human nature. Antti Tuuri is a winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize (1985) and the Finlandia Fiction Prize (1997). The Alchemists will appear in two parts, of which Earthly Love is the first. The second half will appear in autumn 2014.

APPROX. 400 PAGES / 140 X 202 MM / SEPTEMBER 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

The astonishing tale of two gold-makers

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Anja SnellmanCAPITAL(Pääoma)

”As I examine my gene map and the small coloured dots that show me my opportunities and threats, I reflect that this is my sole investment portfolio, given to me at birth. On moving airport walkways, I still feel immortal. I fly towards the gate without taking a step, ignorant of what the future holds.

You could have been my sister. I could have been your brother or your father. We could have a child together. My sister could have been born into your family. Your family’s story could have been part of my history. Accident. Mistake. Surprise. Betrayal. Everything depends on so little. A double helix or a double bond. A cry for help or a squeal of pleasure.

When I was little, I caught a disease. Its name was Maru.”

Anja Snellman returns to Karelia, to war and life as a refugee, to her fa-ther’s alcoholism and her parents’ teetering marriage. She writes about her sister’s never-discussed disability, about cruel silence and the life not lived. What it is like to break free of a family that is ailing in many ways, to have the nerve to grow more whole, bigger than your big sister, to dare to dream yourself free of nightmares and fears – and, in the end, to take tender care of your sibling, who before her death has become the little sister.

Anja Snellman (b. 1954) is one of the brightest stars in Finland’s liter-ary firmament, whose intensely topical novels have repeatedly risen to the focus of public attention and catalysed passionate debate. Contem-porary readers identify with and adore the multi-stranded world of her novels, making her the favourite author of a large readership. In her work Capital, Anja Snellman takes her older sister’s life as a starting point for rewriting her family history, which was preliminar-ily sketched in Snellman’s debut novel, Sonja O. Was Here (1981) and further fleshed out after her mother’s death in A Time for Skin (1993). Capital is Anja Snellman’s most personal work to date. Anja Snellman’s novels have been translated into more than 20 languages.


An intimate autobiographical portrait from a master of the topical novel

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A superb collection of short stories from a perceptive, keen-eyed observer

Riikka Ala-HarjaHOLE (Reikä)

”The belfry bell strikes twelve. By itself, the belfry is beautiful. If you close one eye and see nothing but the belfry, it looks quite lovely.

But the belfry and the church don’t go together. The belfry was built much later; the two buildings, as they say, ‘clash.’ They represent different styles. Together they make a monstrous couple.”

In Riikka Ala-Harja’s short stories, heights are scaled, a Christmas tree being tossed out is bought, and anger is dissipated through ice swimming. A child anticipates a mother’s temporary release from the hospital and a mother anticipates a son’s visit. The longest story tells of Tarmo, who is turning fifty, and his small but unrealised dreams. In a shorter piece, Asser’s life partner is turning 30 and threatens to kill herself unless she has rid herself of her husband before then.

Hole is a hilariously rich collection of short stories grounded in precise observation. In it, Ala-Harja observes life and its warped beauty from many angles, with many eyes. As we gaze outwards, we gaze inwards – as shamelessly as if it looking at a Facebook wall.

Riikka Ala-Harja (b. 1967) has published six novels to date; Hole is her first collection of short stories. When praising her 2012 novel Normandy, the Finlandia Fiction Prize nomination board noted that its language and narration ”underscore the heart-wrenching depiction of angst and what it feels like to be buffeted by impossible waves of extreme emotions – anger, love, rage and hope”.

“Ala-Harja’s text is written with a gratifying mastery. The characterisa-tions are vibrant and perceptive down the line (…) You will turn page after page without being able to put this book down.” - KESKISUOMALAINEN ABOUT

NORMANDY

150 PAGES / AUGUST 2013 LIKE PUBLISHING AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

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A dive into the collapse of a beautiful, reflective mind, into grief and alienation

Joel HaahtelaSTAR-BRIGHT, SNOW-WHITE (Tähtikirkas, lumivalkea)

A fragile but forceful statement on behalf of those living at the fringes

The year is 1889, and a student who has experienced tragedy keeps a diary in Paris. The young man advances to correspondent at a news agency and leads the reader on a mesmerising journey to a seething Berlin and its intoxicating nights, and eventually to the colonised Far East.

But are there things we cannot escape, that catch up to us – even if decades down the road?

One of the young man’s descendants acquires the diaries and tran-scribes them. He comes to realise that the life erased by history was not meaningless, and its trail leads to the present day.

Author and physician Joel Haahtela (b. 1972) is known as a master of subtle, tantalisingly enigmatic prose. His novels Elena and Vanishing Point were Finlandia Fiction Prize nominees. Haahtela’s novels have been published in German and Estonian.

“Haahtela is an utterly fascinating writer and unashamedly literary.“ - KAUPPALEHTI OPTIO

269 PAGES / 125 X 202 MM / AUGUST 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

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Pasi PekkolaTHE DREAM-SNATCHER (Unelmansieppaaja)

Is there a price too high to pay for a dream come true?

Roosa is a thirty-year-old literature student who has moved to Helsinki for love. Even more than her master’s degree, Roosa longs for the mo-ment when Jani will devote himself to her. Tapio is a former professional basketball player with a glorious future behind him; all that lies ahead are sluggish, hung-over days. His national championship medals clink in his pocket, exchanged for coins at the pawnshop. The past is also home to a small boy who starts appearing to Tapio with intensifying frequen-cy. And Aki has two goals: to be the strongest man in Finland, and to win the heart of Henna, who works at the corner store.

When a writer jumps under a metro at the Kamppi subway station, all of their lives shudder into irreversible motion.

Pasi Pekkola (b. 1981) is a former professional basketball player who played for teams such as Lahden Namika, winning two national cham-pionships. He has a master’s degree in political science and is pursu-ing a PhD at the University of Helsinki. Pekkola has also worked as a journalist and is currently a CEO in China, heading up the subsidiary of a Finnish company. The Dream-Snatcher is Pasi Pekkola’s debut novel.

APPROX. 350 PAGES / 140 X 202 MM / AUGUST 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

A resonant, powerful debut knits three lives into a dramatic story

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Virpi Hämeen-AnttilaMARIONETTES (Marionetit)

A novel about the captivating world of puppet theatre, the circus and the art of pantomime plumbs the trying relationship between two sisters and ponders the life choices we make

Emma and Janne are a forty-year-old couple. Their marriage, career choices, and lifestyle appear to be arid compromises. Emma’s older sis-ter Julia and Janne’s best friend Mikael have, on the other hand, boldly striven for ambitious goals and achieved them.

Emma and Janne’s shuttered life is thrown into turmoil when Julia unexpectedly returns to Finland. The hopes and goals of the past come flooding back, and crossed loves and sisterly rancour are resurrected.

It is time for the sisters to consider why they are where they are. Is it still possible for them to steer life in a different direction – and where would that lead them?

Virpi Hämeen-Anttila (b. 1958) is a multi-faceted cultural figure and well-loved story-teller as well as an Indologist, non-fiction writer, illustrator and translator. Her debut novel The Year of the Wolf, set in a university milieu, has been made into a movie, and her novel The Thir-teenth Child has been published in German.

“Hämeen-Anttila knows how to entertain, but she can also write about serious matters even-handedly and with great understanding” - ME NAISET

An irresistible story-teller’s entertaining novel about the choices we make – and their consequences

APPROX. 320 PAGES / 140 X 202 MM / AUGUST 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

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A touching, personal examination of the life of a girl forced to shoulder overly great responsibility

Sarianna VaaraTHE MORNING BELL GIRL(Huomenkellotyttö)

”Honey. Now. You. Must help. Me.”

When Mom’s eyes turn inwards and her voice grows steely, Anna knows things aren’t as they should be. At times like these, Mom isn’t doing well, and anything can happen.

Anna lives with her psychologically ill, pill-addicted writer mother. Their relationship is close and intimate, in both good and bad. The daughter is forced to shoulder heavy burdens and responsibility, but life is also full of joy, spontaneity and tenderness.

Their strong bond is put to the test when Anna begins to grow up. How do you shrug off a parent who clings to you? How can you remain close and yet far enough to survive on your own?

”Her tone is like a magician’s or hypnotist’s or enchanter’s, it is at that precise frequency that goads people into action. It makes me feel that I am the sole cause of all her suffering. It makes me feel that I am the one who should make everything up to her. That I should go. That I should do. That I should come right away. That I should feel the same suffer-ing she does. That I should defend her to the ends of the earth. That I should, I suppose, be an inseparable part of her.”

Sarianna Vaara (b. 1961) is an Oulu-based nurse who works in the field of children’s and youth welfare. The Morning Bell Girl is a debut novel based on her personal experiences. Sarianna Vaara’s mother Ma-ria Vaara was a writer from north-eastern Finland.

280 PAGES / SEPTEMBER 2013 LIKE PUBLISHING AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

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The periodical Granta, whose contributors include top Finnish and foreign writers and whol-ly new acquaintances, never fails to spark debate – making it a true treasury for readers.

GRANTA 1: FOOD(Granta 1: Ruoka)In the first Finnish issue of the acclaimed periodical Granta, top au-thors reveal their passion for food. Food is a necessity for life; food is an indulgence. It is also theme that has been the source of extraordinary controversy: what one can or cannot, should or should not eat. The say-ing ”You are what you eat” applies on many levels.

Granta’s texts open up passions, values, and attitudes related to food in fresh and unexpected ways. Even though eating is a prominent presence in these texts, the issue offers much more than a symphony of tastes and scents: Granta sings the praises of culinary pleasures, but does not ignore the grotesque corporality of food.

The Finnish contributors to this issue are Riikka Ala-Harja, Pirjo Hassinen, Juha Itkonen, Meri Kuusisto, Rosa Liksom, Miki Liukkonen, Leena Parkkinen, Anu Silfverberg, Miina Supinen, Philip Teir, Antti Tuuri and Merja Virolainen. Foreign contributors include Nicole Krauss, Doris Lessing and Olga Tokarczuk.

Granta, established by the students of Cambridge University in 1889, has solidified its status as one of the most influential literary journals in the world. Granta’s Finnish edition is part of an international net-work currently being built under the leadership of the original, English-language Granta. The editor-in-chief of Finnish Granta is Otava’s Aleksi Pöyry.

APPROX. 300 PAGES / 145 X 210 MM / SEPTEMBER 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY EXCERPTS IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE



CHICK-LIT 12-14PIA HEIKKILÄ: OPERATION LIPSTICK

LAURA PALOHEIMO: OMG




Pia HeikkiläOPERATION LIPSTICK (Operaatio Lipstick)

Grenades aren’t the only things going off in Kabul – if you’re a single girl and a war correspondent, there’s no better place to be stationed

Thirty-two-year old war correspondent Anna is on assignment in Kabul. When she’s not sniffing out scoops, Anna is hunting for love, but finding Mr Right amid military operations and explosions is even more chal-lenging than usual.

Sex, on the other hand, is plentiful – the peace-keeping troops and aid organisations are teeming with single guys who are always ready to strip off their bullet-proof vests.

When it turns out that a man who has treated Anna’s friend Kelly poorly is involved in the illegal arms trade, the women decide to expose his shady dealings: they embark on Operation Lipstick, which takes them into increasingly dangerous waters – and spots that are hot in more than one sense…

Pia Heikkilä (b. 1970) is a journalist who has over fifteen years of experience in international media. She has worked for Al Jazeera, CNN, CNBC, The Nation, and The Guardian. She has lived in South Asia since 2008, reporting on conflicts in regions such as Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Palestine. She currently resides and works in Mumbai.

283 PAGES / 140 X 215 MM / JUNE 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN ENGLISH EDITION BY RANDOM HOUSE INDIA AVAILABLE

”The Unknown Soldier meets Bridget Jones – and then they jump into bed.” - HELSINGIN SANOMAT

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Laura PaloheimoOMG(OMG)

Bouquets, cakes and averted catastrophes – wedding planner OMG at your service!

Anna and her best friend Karla run a wedding planning company called OMG. They turn out decorations, rent doves and rouse passed-out grooms, because every client deserves the perfect wedding. Further layers to the madness are brought by off-the-wall partners and Anna’s bumbling family members.

As she witnesses other women’s wedding frenzy on a daily basis, Anna tries to get her single life in order. Every time she opens a new bag of alphabet candies, she hopes the letters will predict a brighter future. In the end, Anna dares to seek out a soul mate from an online dating service. And sure enough, she finds all kinds of guys there – but only one seems too good to be true

KLAUKKALA – THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME (Klaukkala, 2012)Julia, who loves the luxurious life and vintage bags, has returned to Finland from a stint abroad and ends up at working at a TV production company as she waits for the wedding bells to start ringing.

When a dream engagement with a wealthy heir falls apart, her entire shimmering house of cards comes crashing down. But something familiar lies gleaming there in the wreckage – her hometown of Klauk-kala, where despite the stubbornly unfashionable clothes and hairstyles, things aren’t what they used to be.

All roads lead to Klaukkala! Laura Paloheimo (b. 1971) is a former show dancer who has invented and written stories her entire life. Her debut novel, Klaukkala - There’s No Place Like Home, was the fulfilment of a dream. Like it, OMG offers life-affirming entertainment for mass consumers of international chick lit and rom com movies.

OMG 318 PAGES / 128 X 190 MM / AUGUST 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE KLAUKKALA - THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME 319 PAGES / 128 X 190 MM / 2012 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY

”An light-fiction writer is born.” – AAMULEHTI

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CRIME FICTION 15-19REIJO MÄKI: THE INDIAN

TAAVI SOININVAARA: THE SECOND BEAST

MILLA OLLIKAINEN: AND THE ICE BLED

OUTI PAKKANEN: THE LOVER




“Reijo Mäki is like hot dogs on the grill - without him you might as well skip summer andjust go straight to October.” - KAUPPALEHTI

reijo mäkiTHE INDIAN(Intiaani)

A homicide in Airisto archipelago that shocks the entire nation. A strange crime on the Crow Nation Reservation in Montana, US. What is the common denominator?

A connection boat drifts in the mist of the Turku archipelago without a helmsman. Jussi Vares and his female companion happen to steer their boat to the scene, and are confronted with the worst nightmare of their lives.

Over the coming weeks the boat is continuously in the papers. At the same time far away in Crow territory in Montana, a woman who has fled Turku has to look the cruellest evil from eye to eye.

The New Pharmacy pub is where Mister Crow, who has travelled a long way, meets Jussi Vares for the first time. And Vares receives a mission...

Reijo Mäki (b. 1958) is the brightest star among Finland’s suspense writers. His hit series, the Vares detective novels, have entertained Finns for almost three decades. His 2012 work The Sheriff was granted The Clue of the Year award by The Finnish Whodunnit Society. Mäki’s books have been consistent sales successes and show up on the best seller lists year after year. Jussi Vares even has his own fan club, and eight movies have been made based on the Vares novels.

“Reijo Mäki can even get Finnish men to read. Mäki’s incredibly clever language draws the reader in.” – ILKKA

461 PAGES / 140 X 202 MM / 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

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“Soininvaara is a successor of John Le Carré - a writer who likes a good storyconnected to global hot-button issues.” - KOUVOLAN SANOMAT

TAAVI SOININVAARATHE SECOND BEAST(Toinen peto)

Chief Inspector Arto Ratamo is back!

When Arto Ratamo returns to work after a long illness, Finnish Security Intelligence Service no longer feels the same. Soon there is something else to focus on beside the slow decline of his career, when Ratamo comes across two strong-willed women: a mother, living in Finland as an immigrant with no documentation, and a relentless young reporter.

At the same time, news begins to trickle in across the world regard-ing top physicist assassinations, reaching even as far as Finland; some-one is attempting to put a stop to the nuclear weapons race at any cost. Ratamo realises he has become mixed up in a large-scale conspiracy, and the reaction from his superiors baffles him.

A satellite phone crackles in a remote cabin in Northern Karelia. John Jarvi, US army sniper “Satan of Falluja” who has been in hiding for years gets instructions from his boss. It’s time to avenge.

Taavi Soininvaara (b. 1966), fromer corporate lawyer, now earns a living as a writer. His debut thriller, the critically-acclaimed novel Ebola – Helsinki was published in 2000 and immediately won the hearts of all lovers of quality action thrillers. This was soon followed by a series of top-notch crime novels featuring the same main character, Chief Inspector Arto Ratamo.

Soininvaara’s thrillers delved into current issues around international politics, the economy and crime, and soon claimed an indisputable posi-tion in the highest ranks of the genre in Finland. The third part of the Arto Ratamo series, The Revenge Commission (2002) was named Best Crime Novel of the Year by the Finnish Crime Authors’ Association.

Arto Ratamo of the Finnish Security Police has a large fan base in Ger-many as well, where Taavi Soininvaara’s books are published by Aufbau.

384 PAGES / 140 X 202 MM / JULY 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

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A chilling debut detective novel reveals the deepest secrets of Lapland’s fells

milla ollikainenAND THE ICE BLED(Veripailakat)

”When the pool has grown large enough, it starts moving in a single wave wherever the floor happens to be slanted. All it takes is one strong gust of wind from the right direction and the whole pool surges towards the crack between the floor and the door.

The first falling drops are nothing but spray; they disappear into the blindingly bright slope as if into a white void. Then another gust of wind, a sway, and a long, serpentine trail of red forms in the whiteness.” In her crime novel set at a Lapland ski resort, Milla Ollikainen blends a classic whodunnit with Finland’s fascinating folk traditions and re-pressed recent history. The result is intensely visual: a masterful depic-tion of a milieu in which enviably vivid figures fit deftly into a detective story that maintains edge-of-your-seat suspense until the very end.

And the Ice Bled is as bracing and deadly as a freezing night in the heart of winter.

Milla Ollikainen (b. 1974) won the 2012 Crime Pays writing competi-tion sponsored by Like Publishing and the Finnish Whodunnit Society. In 2001-12, Ollikainen lived in Lapland, working as editor-in-chief of the Luoteis-Lappi newspaper. And the Ice Bled is her debut novel.

230 PAGES / AUGUST 2013 LIKE PUBLISHING AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE



As spring awakens, the day of vengeance dawns

Outi PakkanenTHE LOVER(Rakastaja)

What happens when an old flame is re-ignited? When a food club brings former neighbours together, sparks fly in unexpected directions

Heiress Veera Halme lives in a modernist building in downtown Hel-sinki. Sworn to the single life, she runs an interior design import agency as a hobby, plans a completely new genre of blog, and dreams of writing a romance novel.

Back when Veera still lived in the suburbs, another single woman and two couples lived in the same stretch of row-houses. They barbecued, hung out, and did yard work together. As everyone moved away, the group lost touch. Now the former acquaintances decide to start a food club, complete with tasting trips to cheese and wine destinations. But sparks begin to fly and two of them strike up an affair. Or was some-thing already going on way back when?

As spring awakens, things come to a head and the day of vengeance dawns. April shows its cruelty once again.

Outi Pakkanen (b. 1946) is known for her stylish detective novels depicting urban life and a Helsinki in flux. Many star graphic artist and home chef extraordinaire Anna Laine, who comes to the aid of the po-lice and solves the crime. Pakkanen’s first crime novel, After the Murder, a Commercial Break, appeared in 1973. Pakkanen’s detective novels have also been published in German and Czech.

”Pakkanen is well-versed in the warp and weave of detective novels.” – HÄMEEN KANSA


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COMICS 20-22MAURI KUNNAS: MAC MOOSE AND THE CASE OF JAG MIGRAINE

MARIA BJÖRKLUND: PLANET Z - WORMHOLES




Mauri KunnasMAC MOOSE AND THE CASE OF JAG MIGRAINE(Mac Moose ja Jagge Migreenin tapaus)HELP! I CAN’T STAND IT… JAG MIGRAINE AND KEETH BRITCHES FROM THE ROLLING GALLSTONES… SUPERHEROES… BUBBLE-LIPS AND DR. FRANKENSTEIN’S PET, THE MEDICAL MIRACLE …The biggest charity concert in the history of the world is in danger… The leads of the mega-famous band The Rolling Gallstones are being brainwashed in the Alps… A terrorist group is weaving its plots in a sub-marine at the bottom of San Francisco Bay… Will the resourceful Mac Moose succeed in saving the concert and securing world peace? Or will killer dentures make short work of him before he gets a chance?

Mauri Kunnas’ rock-and-roll comic book album appeared in black-and-white in 1995, and now Jag Migraine and his band steal the show in all colours of the rainbow.

”All in all a rocking story. Buy it. Don’t wait!” – THE AUTHOR

Mauri Kunnas is a beloved children’s book author and renowned comic book artist. Beatles With an A. Birth of a Band, which came out last year, is the best selling Finnish comic book of all time (over 60 000 sold copies) and was nominated for the Comics Finlandia Prize. As the nomination board notes: ”Rarely is a work of history, even one dealing with popular culture, so entertaining. Kunnas’ love for the subject shines through; only a true master would be capable of this!”

56 PAGES / 220 X 295 MM / FOUR-COLOUR ILLUSTRATIONS / OCTOBER 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

Get Powder-Mike off the stage!! Bring out The Gallstones!!

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Maria BjörklundPLANET Z – WORMHOLES(Planetta Z – Madonreikiä)

A hilarious comic book about the fantastic dimensions of nature

Planet Z is populated by seemingly familiar animals and plants that look cute from a distance, but up close are strangely human in their cruel impulses. Some of the characters were introduced in the strips that ap-peared in a weekly supplement to Finland’s largest newspaper, but now we get to observe life on Planet Z in a full-length story. Wildly, vividly glowing colours lure us in, compelling us to watch the creatures’ trans-formations and even enter a secret hole to a new dimension.

Maria Björklund (b. 1970) is a Helsinki-based comic book artist, ani-mator and illustrator. Her best-known comics are Planet Z and Together, which has appeared twice in album format. Björklund has participated in numerous group and joint comic exhibitions in various countries. Her animations have been shown on television and in festivals around the world. One of her most recent animations is the installation Kihi-Kuhi, which has toured museums and galleries in Berlin and in Finland

Björklund’s wordless four-paned strips are the most sympathetic I remem-ber having seen in quite some time.…They exhibit a fluency and expressive-ness that you generally won’t find in the works of artists with a more refined hand.…Bravo! – KESKISUOMALAINEN

120 PAGES / SEPTEMBER 2013 LIKE PUBLISHING

The elements come together in a pleasurable glimpse into colourful fantasy. – SUOMEN KUVALEHTI

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NON-FICTION 23-27MIA KANKIMÄKI: THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER

MARKKU JOKISIPILÄ - JANNE KÖNÖNEN: THE GUESTS OF THE THIRD REICH

JUHA POHJONEN - OULA SILVENNOINEN: THE UNKNOWN LARRY THORNE

LIISA LIIMATAINEN: THE OTHER FACE OF SAUDI ARABIA: BRAVE WOMEN

AND CYBER YOUTH




Mia KankimäkiTHINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER(Asioita jotka saavat sydämen lyömään nopeammin)

A book that seduces and tempts readers to join the author on a search for something beautiful and refined, yet also curious and unfamiliar

Thirty-eight-year-old Mia Kankimäki leaves her day job at a publish-ing house and heads out on the trail of one Sei Shōnagon, a Japanese lady-in-waiting and author who lived a thousand years ago. Mia knows no one in Kyoto and doesn’t speak the language, but she has read The Pillow Book in English and is certain she has discovered a soul sister: a modern woman whose observations about life could be Virginia Woolf’s. Sei also lists enchanting, irritating, elegant things, those things that make one’s heart beat faster.

Leaving everything behind isn’t easy, but Mia’s new life rapidly sucks her in. On her journey she is intoxicated by temples, cherry blossoms, the weeping willows of the Kamo River, kabuki, Zen meditation and tea ceremonies.

The experiences of the author-explorer develop into a true story that reads like the best fiction. On the trail of the lady-in-waiting she so admires, Kankimäki also comes to realise what she wants from life.

M.A. Mia Kankimäki (b. 1971) has worked at various publishing houses as an ad and copy editor. Japanese culture has been a hobby of hers for years, and she graduated as a teacher from the Sogetsu Ikebana school. Her research project on Sei Shōnagon led her not only to Japan, but also to her parents’ attic in Vihti, Finland, to the British Library in London, to Thailand to flee the ravages of a tsunami, and in the end to Normandy to write.

380 PAGES / 140 X 215 MM / JULY 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

“I dress in the 12-layer kimono of a Heian woman: as the layers pile on, I gradually come to understand that our fates are entwined in some universal way binding together women throughout the ages.”

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Markku Jokisipilä – Janne Könönen

THE GUESTS OF THE THIRD REICH. FINLAND IN THE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE OF HITLER’S GERMANY, 1933–1944 (Kolmannen valtakunnan vieraat. Suomi Hitlerin Saksan vaikutuspiirissä 1933-1944)

An account of Finland’s road to ally of Hitler’s Germany that dispels many myths

What did Field Marshal Mannerheim think about Hitler’s Germany behind the facades? What sort of influence did Reich Marshal Herman Göring wield in Finnish leaders’ decisions regarding the war? Why did Heinrich Himmler admire Finland? What was known about the holo-caust in Finland?

The book answers many fascinating questions about the collabora-tion between Finland and Hitler’s Germany before and during World War II. The behind-the-scenes establishment of military ties began in the mid-1930s, and both parties came to the same conclusions regard-ing the location of Leningrad.

D.Soc.Sci. Markku Jokisipilä (b. 1972) is a historian and Director of the Baltic Sea Region Studies program at the University of Turku. He is also one of Finland’s leading experts on the relationship between Finland and Hitler’s Germany.

M.A. Janne Könönen (b. 1977) is a journalist, a nonfiction author and a historian. In addition to Second World War history, he has extensively examined topics of national identity, religion and nationalism.

APPROX. 400 PAGES / 145 X 215 MM / PHOTOS / SEPTEMBER 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

A captivating plunge into the active relationships between the highest political and military decision makers of the Third Reich and Finland

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Juha Pohjonen – Oula SilvennoinenTHE UNKNOWN LARRY THORNE (Tuntematon Lauri Törni)

A critical biography delves into the legend behind the admired hero

The path of soldier Lauri Törni aka Larry Thorne, knight of the Man-nerheim Cross, led from the Winter and Continuation Wars into the German SS troops on two occasions, and from there to the US special forces during the Vietnam War. Due to his wartime accomplishments, Thorne received one of Finland’s highest medals of honour, but soon after the war he was convicted of treason and lost his military rank. He ended up an exile in Sweden, and eventually in a community of Finnish exiles in Venezuela.

How did Larry Thorne become a traitor, a prison escapee, an exile and eventually a hero known to all? Source material gathered from the United States, Germany, and Sweden brings stunning new information to light. Historians Juha Pohjonen and Oula Silvennoinen situate Thorne in his own era, fleshing out the bigger picture that contributed to determining the direction of his destiny.

PhD Juha Pohjonen (b. 1960) is a docent of history at the University of Eastern Finland and an expert in the political history of the era of Finnish independence. His awarded book No Mercy at Finland’s Expense: Those Expelled from Finland to the Soviet Union in 1944-1981, co-authored with Jussi Pekkarinen, has also appeared in Russia and Estonia.

PhD Oula Silvennoinen (b. 1970) is a researcher at the University of Helsinki. His academically acclaimed dissertation Secret Comrades-in-Arms: The Collaboration of the Finnish and German Security Police in 1933-1944 sparked furious debate upon its release, and has also been published in Germany and Estonia.

APPROX. 400 PAGES / 145 X 215 MM / PHOTOS / OCTOBER 2013 OTAVA PUBLISHING COMPANY AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

A gifted war hero or the devil in man’s guise?

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Liisa LiimatainenTHE OTHER FACE OF SAUDI ARABIA: BRAVE WOMEN AND CYBER YOUTH(Saudia Arabian toiset kasvot. Rohkeita naisia ja kybernuoria)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, one ruled by the Al-Saud family since 1932. For decades, the world’s most important energy producer has bought the consensus of its people with oil profits. However, there is no guarantee that the Saudis will be generous to their subjects forever.

Saudi Arabian society faces the same problems that recently led to up-risings in several Arab countries. Youth unemployment, housing short-ages, and poverty tell of the short-sightedness of Saudi leaders. Small-scale protests and the critical opinions expressed by young people via social media indicate that the potential exists for this wealthy oil nation to explode as well.

In Liisa Liimatainen’s book, dozens of women, young people and members of the Shia minority from the eastern energy province tell about the different Saudi Arabia that they hope for. Young people want better education, work, a decent income, but also the freedom to move around and meet each other. Women don’t want to be treated like eternal adolescents who can only go out in public under the escort of a father, brother, husband or son. They want jobs and the right to drive a car and vote. The Shia minority demands equal treatment in a Saudi Arabia that recognises human rights.

Despite these symptoms, millions of Saudis remain quite satisfied with their lives and are not prepared to pay the price of change. A minority of the population wants to purge Islam of ultra-conservative tribal culture and society of the corruption that holds it back. A small group is demanding a constitutional monarchy – and is paying for its courage with years in prison.

Liisa Liimatainen, a veteran journalist from YLE, Finnish national ra-dio broadcasting, cracks open the door to the future in the country that is the standard-bearer for Arab conservatism. As her 2009 book, Iran: The Veil and the Challenge, did for Iran, this book indicates a potential future for Saudi Arabia.

APPROX. 300 PAGES / 120 X 200 MM / OCTOBER 2013 LIKE PUBLISHING AN EXCERPT IN ENGLISH WILL BE AVAILABLE

What would a different Saudi Arabia look like?

Documents

Fiction and Non-Fiction, Autumn 2013