Loukko by 
Since winning the Finlandia Prize, Finland’s highest-profile literary award, last week, Jussi Valtonen’s They Know Not What They Do (Tammi, September 2014) has become a massive bestseller. The book, published just this fall, is currently in its 6th printing, with 80,000 copies printed to date.
An English sample of They Know Not What They Do will be available in mid-December. Please contact the Agency for a full English synopsis!
Professor Anne Brunila, who selected the Finlandia Prize winner, said:
“They Know Not What They Do is a mind-blowing work. It illuminates modern life with a rare sense of perception, without pointing fingers or moralizing…Valtonen describes modern phenomena at a breath-taking speed; his outstanding storytelling keeps the reader in its grasp…his book opens new doors into Finnish literature, both in terms of content and in terms of style.”
Praise for They Know Not What They Do:
“Valtonen engages in a necessary conversation about a world in which even authenticity is made into a commodity….the book believes in the idea that a human is, underneath all of his or her roles, a vulnerable creature with needs – that a person’s hope is in another human and not in a machine.”
– Savon Sanomat newspaper, Finland
“A comprehensive picture of our time and a diagnosis of what is ailing this brave new world.”
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland
“They Know Not What They Do is a novel that is strongly rooted in our time and its phenomena; its partially dystopic techno world may be closer than we can imagine.”
– Kirjavinkit literature blog, Finland
“Contemporary literature simply doesn’t get better than this. A stunning work.”
– Jukka Petäjä, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, “Critics’ Favourites 2014”
About the author:
Jussi Valtonen (b. 1974) is an author and psychologist from Helsinki. He has studied neuropsychology in the United States and screenwriting in the UK. His previous works include two novels and a short story collection. His novel, Carried by Wings (Siipien kantamat, Tammi 2007) was given second place in Bonnier’s novel competition, and received a warm reception from both critics and bloggers.
RIGHTS SOLD:
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
Reading materials:
English synopsis
English sample available in December!
Finnish edition
Contact: info@ahlbackagency.com
