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We are thrilled to announce that German rights to Finlandia Junior Prize winner Maresi (Schildts & Söderströms 2014) by Maria Turtschaninoff have been acquired by Heyne Verlag, Verlagsgruppe Random House.
One of the largest publishing houses in Germany, Heyne is home to authors such as Stephen King and John Grisham. Its successful fantasy list includes works by Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin and Philip Pullman, among others.
Please contact the Agency for a full English text of Maresi!
Praise:
”Maresi takes the reader into a world full of wonder. And, most importantly, it tells us about the magical power of friendship. A truly enchanting story.“
– Junior Editor Stefanie Brösigke, Heyne Verlag, Germany
“Reminiscent of The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Maresi draws its inspiration from real problems encountered by real women today. The story is captivating and empowering, and contains some of the most likable and endearing female characters we have seen in a YA book in the last decade.”
– Editor Diana Crupenschi, Editura Univers, Romania
“Fierce and gentle, violent and tender, poetic and full of action – not one or the other, but both. Maresi instills a sense of will, hope and optimism in a reader and encourages her to walk towards the light without fear.”
– Director and writer Johanna Vuoksenmaa in the Finlandia Junior Prize announcement
About the Red Abbey Chronicles by Maria Turtschaninoff:
Maresi, Book I: The Red Abbey, located on the island of Menos, is a refuge and a community for women and girls. At the Red Abbey everyone is given the freedom to pursue and develop their own talents and areas of interest. Maresi, the main character and narrator, has realized that reading and learning are the two things closest to her heart.
One day Jai, a frightened girl, arrives on the island. It is gradually revealed that Jai is running from her father’s senseless fury; she has seen her sister get buried alive for speaking to a young man, and now her father and a crew of thugs are after her. The bravery of Maresi and her friends is put to the ultimate test when they have to fight to defend both Jai and their community.
A prequel to Maresi, Book II (Schildts & Söderströms) will tell the story of the First Sisters, and how they came to flee a harem in the faraway Eastern Lands and eventually establish the Red Abbey.
A sequel to Maresi, Book III (Schildts & Söderströms) will follow Maresi after she leaves the Red Abbey and sets out to establish a school in the oppressed province of Rovas.
About the author:
Maria Turtschaninoff (b. 1977) works full-time as a writer. Her sources of inspiration are Diana Wynne Jones, Lloyd Alexander, Philip Pullman, Michael Ende, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, C.S. Lewis and many others. She has become known for her ability to craft rich, historically inspired worlds that contain elements of mythology and fairy tales. Her accolades include the Finlandia Junior Prize, the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, and the Society of Swedish Literature Prize. She has also been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
RIGHTS SOLD: Maresi
Original publisher: FINLAND, Schildts & Söderströms
DENMARK, Turbine
FINLAND, Tammi
GERMANY, Random House/Heyne
ROMANIA, Editura Univers
SWEDEN, Berghs
Reading materials: The Red Abbey Chronicles
Book I, Maresi:
Full English text
Swedish edition
Finnish edition
Book II, sequel to Maresi:
English synopsis
Contact: info@ahlbackagency.com
