We are thrilled to share that one of Sweden’s largest and oldest publishers, Norstedts, have acquired the Swedish rights to Riikka Sandberg’s critically acclaimed debut novel Ørja in a pre-empt. The deal was closed by Anna Kappauf at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Norstedts is celebrating its 200-year anniversary this year, looking back on many successes such as publishing 30 Nobel Literature Laureates and other bestselling authors including Stieg Larsson, J.R.R Tolkien, Elena Ferrante, Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami, Dolly Alderton, Marian Keyes, Fríða Ísberg, Kate Atkinson, Leila Mottley, and Jenny Colgan.

Ørja was published in Finland in January 2023 by Otava to great media praise:

“In her debut novel, Riikka Sandberg (b. 1989) has crafted a miniature world with a tight atmosphere. [–] The net of the relationships is woven to a tighter shape page by page. [–] Sandberg’s debut is a detailed and carefully finished piece of work in which no clue is unimportant and evert scene builds on the lifelike miniature world of the novel. Ørja is a gripping debut.”
-Outi Hytönen in Suomen Kuvalehti magazine

”The novel is filled with fantastic nature descriptions. The author has written it with such detail, that the reader can sense the rippling of waves on the pier and the stormy swelling of the sea against the harsh rocks. [–] The colourful nature descriptions accompany the bleak human destinies which the reader follows with excitement until the end.”
-Jari Olavi Hiltunen in Satakunnan kansa newspaper

”Riikka Sandberg paints in her debut a lavish and exciting plot around the lives of the people living on a barren island. [–] For a debut, Ørja is surprisingly mature. Even when reaching to many differing directions, Riikka Sandberg manages to keep hold of everything.”
-Marjatta Hietaniemi in Ilkka-Pohjalainen newspaper

Riikka Sandberg’s debut is perfect for fans of The Sixteen Trees of the Somme (Svøm med dem som drukner) by Lars Mytting, A Land of Snow and Ashes by Petra Rautiainen, My Brother (Jag for ner till bror) by Karin Smirnoff, and Black Water (Händelser vid vatten) by Kerstin Ekman.

Be the next to snap up the rights to this powerful upmarket novel!

Download the materials for Ørja here!