Talking of foreign authors, I have some good news from Finland. Tero Ykspetäjä reports that Finnish writer, Emmi Itäranta, has been signed to a two-book deal with HarperVoyager. Like Hannu Rajaniemi, Emmi lives in the UK, so she may be doing the translations herself, or they may still be looking for someone. The first book, Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja in the original Finnish), will be published in spring 2014. According to to the official HarperVoyager press release:
The book is set in a future Scandinavian Union where clean water is in short supply and most people survive on desalinated rations from the new government. There are serious consequences for water crime: if found guilty, people simply disappear, leaving behind a mysterious blue circle which appears on their doors.
The book has already been a success in Finland. Last week Emmi was one of three writers to be awarded the €16,000 Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors.
Could you put me in touch with Emmi Itäranta?I have rashly agreed to help the Helsinki worldcon bid at Eastercon.
I don’t have her email. I suspect that Jukka or Eemeli will be able to help.
Email sent.
Yay for Emmi!
Oddly enough, Emmi has written her book both in English and in Finnish at the same time! It was part of her Master of Arts studies in University of Kent – but he also wanted her Finnish writerfriends to be able to read it.