We are thrilled to announce that the World Spanish rights to Emmi Itäranta’s award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja, Teos 2012) have been acquired by Ediciones B. for publication in 2014 on the Bruguera imprint. Emmi Itäranta has received the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors, worth 16.000 euros in November 2012.
Rights sold in 8 languages so far:
WORLD ENGLISH, HarperCollins/Voyager: 2-book-deal
CZECH, Plus Publishers
ESTONIA, Koolibri
FINLAND, Teos
GERMANY, DTV/Reihe Hanser
ITALY, Piemme
SPAIN, Ediciones B./Bruguera
TURKEY, Dogan Egmont
Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize jury’s motivations:
Emmi Itäranta’s (b. 1976) debut novel Memory of Water tells the story of young Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. Following a great natural disaster, the world is under strict military rule and rapidly running out of water. Hiding water has become a punishable crime. Trained by her father, Noria carries on the duties of the tea master responsible for the traditional tea ceremony. Along with the task goes the responsibility of guarding a secret fresh water spring – a secret that is bound to result in trouble with friends and authorities alike. The novel develops into a mysterious allegory of the dilemmas of truth, freedom and loyalty. Emmi Itäranta’s dystopia is a skilful combination of science fiction and age-old utopian tradition that reflects the greatest social and environmental challenges of our time.
Please ask for reading materials :
Full English text of Memory of Water
Synopsis & sample of City of Woven Streets