THE SECRET STAIRCASE by Salla Simukka and JP Ahonen nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize!

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We are very thrilled to announce that THE SECRET STAIRCASE by award-winning and bestselling Salla Simukka and illustrator JP Ahonen has been nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize in Children’s and Youth Literature!

Salla Simukka is the multiple award-winning, internationally bestselling author of the Snow White trilogy, sold in 53 countries and Hollywood. JP Ahonen is a comic book artist and the illustrator of the cult classic Belzebubs project. A month ago, the Estonian rights for THE SECRET STAIRCASE were acquired by Ühinenud Ajakirjad.

Finlandia Prize is the most prestigious literary award in Finland, worth 30 000 euros. The winner will be announced on November 27.

The jury praised the title:

In this tantalisingly evocative fantasy, the text and vivid illustrations merge into a fine, polished whole. The story is about solving mysteries, making great friends and adapting to huge changes, whether it’s family or the vastness of dimensional boundaries. The narrative is engaging and the illustrations add delicious detail with a lightness of touch that encourages the novice reader to move forward.

About THE SECRET STAIRCASE

An exciting and touching novel about two boys, who live in the same house but in different realities. Can their friendship cross the border separating two worlds?

10-year-old Alexis’ family moves to a house where he gets the attic room. Another 10-year-old-boy, Max, moves to a house, where a great basement room is waiting for him. Soon the boys notice something weird in their houses: Alexis hears voices under the floor, even though they don’t have a basement. Max’s ears pick up someone playing an instrument from the attic, even though no one is there.

When the two boys finally meet, they realize that they can visit each other’s worlds at night time. But will their friendship endanger everything when the worlds start to blur into each other?

Download all reading materials for THE SECRET STAIRCASE HERE!

Publication Info:
Poika ullakolla, poika kellarissa, Tammi 2024, 200 pp, b&w illustrations

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Ühinenud Ajakirjad

Rights still available in the US, UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands…

Reading Material:
English sample & synopsis, Finnish edition

About author


JP Ahonen

JP Ahonen (1981) is a comic book artist, illustrator, and the author of several newspaper strips in his native Finland. He is best known for his graphic novel SING NO EVIL and the critically acclaimed strip series BELZEBUBS, which has evolved from a humble webcomic into a unique cross-media project, interweaving comics, music and animation.

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About author


Salla Simukka

Salla Simukka is the author of the international success story The Snow White Trilogy: rights are sold in 53 territories and in Hollywood. She has written several novels for young readers and her accolades include the Topelius Prize 2013 and the Finland Prize 2013. Simukka has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award  every year 2021–2024. Where It All Begins, published in 2022, is her first novel for adults and in 2024 she started a collaboration with JP Ahonen on a middle grade novel.

Previously Simukka has written book reviews for the newspapers, translated all kinds of texts into Finnish, worked as an editor at a literary magazine and as a screenwriter for a popular TV show for young audiences.  She has also been working on the programme of Turku Book Fair in 2017–2020.

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