Loukko by 
Author Emmi Itäranta’s Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja, Teos 2012) has received a stellar review from The Washington Post. Read the full review here.
“New Qian rules most of what once was Europe, and soldiers patrol the cities to enforce water rations. Amid that chaos, 17-year-old Noria Kaitio trains to be a tea master, like her father, never questioning how it is that he has more and better-tasting water than anyone else in town. But the arrival of a new senior officer forces her father to divulge a secret his family has kept for centuries…Itäranta’s lyrical style makes this dystopian tale a beautiful exploration of environmental ethics and the power of ritual.”
–The Washington Post, “Best Science Fiction and Fantasy in June,” June 17th
Prior to its U.S publication in June, Memory of Water received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. In addition, respected literary publication Kirkus Reviews published a feature on Itäranta on June 11th.
“I didn’t set out to write a post-apocalyptic novel…I started out with the main image of a young woman in a future world, preparing tea with the little water that remained. Because it already contained the main character, it contained the world, and the image just grew. It just sort of came naturally,” Itäranta said in the interview.
Beyond Finland, the U.S and UK, Memory of Water has been published in the Czech Republic by Albatros Media/Plus, in Estonia by Koolibri, in Arabic by Dar Al Muna and in Spanish by Ediciones B. Rights have been sold in 14 languages. Itäranta is currently writing her independent follow-up, City of Woven Streets.
Set in a dystopian future where water has become a prized commodity, Memory of Water tells the story of 17-year-old Noria who is set to become the next tea master in her village. When her father dies, she assumes the dangerous responsibility of guarding a hidden spring. Will she be able to safeguard this secret, or will it become exposed with disastrous consequences?
MEMORY OF WATER
WORLD ENGLISH, HarperCollins (2-book deal)
ARABIC, Dar Al Muna
BRAZIL, Record (2-book-deal)
CZECH, Albatros Media/Plus
DENMARK, Turbine
ESTONIA, Koolibri
FRANCE, Place des Editeurs (2-book deal)
GERMANY, DTV/Reihe Hanser
HUNGARY, Metropolis Media (2-book deal)
ITALY, Piemme
JAPAN, Nishimura Shoten (2-book deal)
SPAIN, Ediciones B.
TURKEY, Dogan Egmont
CITY OF WOVEN STREETS
WORLD ENGLISH: HarperCollins
BRAZIL: Record
FRANCE, Place des Editeurs
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media
JAPAN: Nishimura Shoten
PRIZES:
Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013
Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012
Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011
Nominated for the Tähtivaeltaja science fiction award 2013
Original publisher: FINLAND, Teos
Reading material:
English edition
German edition
Contact: info@ahlbackagency.com
