Finlandia 2023 winner THE HORNED GOD by Magdalena Hai now sold to Denmark!

We are happy to announce that THE HORNED GOD by Magdalena Hai, winner of the Finlandia Prize 2023, has been sold to Denmark! ABC Forlag acquired the Danish rights in a deal closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Agency.

ABC Forlag is an independent Danish publisher for children’s books and YA titles and home of authors like Sofia Nordin, Jenny Jägerfeld and many others.

THE HORNED GOD is also nominated for Topelius Award 2024! Magdalena Hai has previously won the Finnish Literary Export Prize (2017), Kaarina Helakisa Prize (2020), and Kuvastaja Award (2022), and her books have been sold into 30 languages.

Praise for THE HORNED GOD:

“There is a strong atmosphere in this year’s winning book. In addition to the mood, there are fascinating, neat sentences and important themes in the book, such as the selflessness of parental love, self-accusations, anti-racism, coronavirus, the acceptance of loss. And horror. If I had to justify my selection with three sentences, I would not need three sentences. I don’t even need three words. [—] I would love to see this [book] as a film directed by Hayao Miyazaki.” – Herra Ylppö, Finlandia Literature Prize 2023 in children’s and YA literature grand juror

“17-year-old Lauri wakes up in hospital after a car accident. His mother has passed away, and father is in a coma in hospital. The horror story beautifully links the descriptions of recovering from a big loss, the grueling presence of awful things, the guilt caused by mistakes and the act of letting go. The novel which influences the reader on many levels also describes in a lively matter the everyday life of teenagers, experiences of mental health struggles, and racism. Below the horror elements there is an undercurrent that ties people together. At times in a painful way.” – Topelius Award Jury

”The author describes Lauri’s world and thoughts from inside his head [and] in this she succeeds well. [–] The language of the novel is incredibly nimble and illustrative. Magdalena Hai’s strong experience as an author support the novel’s mighty imagination and the surprising endings.” – Jari Olavi Hiltunen in Satakunnan kansa newspaper

The next application round for the FILI translation grants opens in early January 2024 – now is the perfect time to acquire the rights for this chilling title!