Photo: Thron Ullberg
The Bonnier Publishing Group and Lars Kepler are selling Storytellers Agency to the Salomonsson Agency
The Bonnier Publishing Group and Lars Kepler are selling Storytellers Agency to the Salomonsson Agency.
The literary agency Storytellers Agency, of which 70% is owned by the Bonnier Publishing Group and 30% by authors Alexandra and Alexander Ahndoril, is being sold to the Salomonsson Agency. The change of ownership means that the Salomonsson Agency will henceforth act as agents for Lars Kepler in all territories and in all formats.
The collaboration upon which the Bonnier Publishing Group and authors Alexandra and Alexander Ahndoril (the writers behind the pseudonym Lars Kepler) embarked in 2009 has grown into a sizeable international business incorporating book publication and film and television production in more than 40 countries. In 2013 Alexandra and Alexander Ahndoril and the Bonnier Publishing Group set up, on the initiative of the authors, the joint agency Storytellers, which is now being sold to the Salomonsson Agency.
Håkan Rudels, MD, Bonnier Publishing Group:
“This sale to the Salomonsson Agency, the market-leading agency for Scandinavian authors, is a stage in the development of Kepler’s authorship internationally, in all formats.”
With the acquisition of the agency Niclas Salomonsson will take over as MD of Storytellers. Elisabet Brännström, head of Bonnier Rights and formerly head of Storytellers, will remain in her post at Bonnier Rights. The change of ownership comes into force immediately.
Niclas Salomonsson, MD, Salomonsson Agency:
“We are incredibly proud to have been entrusted with the task of further developing one of the most successful crime-writing authorships of our time, Lars Kepler, on the international market. The acquisition is an offensive investment, and we see immense future potential for this authorship.”
Alexandra and Alexander Ahndoril:
“We could never have dreamed of the journey we were embarking on together with the Bonnier Publishing Group when we posted the manuscript of The Hypnotist through the letterbox in the spring of 2009. Six books on, we love writing about Joona Linna more than ever, and that’s what we’ll be concentrating on in future. Our collaboration with the Bonnier Publishing Group has always been characterised by innovative thinking, and our shared agency was part of that. It was created from an author’s perspective – and the fact that we are now taking the step to combine our perspective with the Salomonsson Agency’s unique expertise feels exactly right.”
The parties have agreed not to make public the financial details of the exchange.
Photo: Pekka Holmström
New Author – Pajtim Statovci
Pajtim Statovci (b. 1990) moved from Kosovo to Finland with his family when he was two years old. His debut novel, My Cat Yugoslavia, relates in sensitive and finely tuned prose the inner conflict and questions about one’s identity that immigration, homosexuality, and the past might stir. The novel, published in 2014, received widespread acclaim among critics and readers alike, and Statovci won the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize in the category ‘Best Debut’. The awarding jury praised the still only 24-year old author’s ability to combine the dreamlike with the realistic, and give old symbols new meaning and power. At present, Pajtim Statovci studies comparative literature at the University of Helsinki, and screenwriting at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
Leif GW Persson awarded the Vilhelm Moberg Society’s Prize
Leif GW Persson will be awarded the Vilhelm Moberg Society’s Prize for, “like in the spirit of Vilhelm Moberg, knowing how to tell a good story credibly and with sharp prose,” as well as sharing Vilhelm Moberg’s “fearlessness and analytical clarity when it comes to criticizing the abuse of the individual by those in power.”
The prize sum is 30 000 kronor, and the award ceremony will take place at the Society’s annual meeting at the House of Emigrants in Växjö, Sweden, in August.
‘A Man Called Ove’ No. 3 on The New York Times Best Seller List
Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove hits No. 3 on the New York Times Best Seller List in its 14th consecutive week on the list.
Jørn Lier Horst awarded with ‘Special Award for Excellence in Crime Fiction Writing’
Jørn Lier Horst, author of the Wisting Quartet, has been awarded the Special Award for Excellence in Crime Fiction Writing 2016. Presented by the city of Pila’s Chief of Police in connection with the Crime Fiction Festival held in the Polish city, the award was given to Horst for his “high level of artistry, aesthetic sensibility, and essential credibility in creating a literary image of police work.”
‘Ordeal’ tops both pocket and eBook bestseller lists
Jørn Lier Horst’s Ordeal, the fourth installment in his Wisting Quartet, comes in at No. 1 on both the pocket and eBook bestseller lists in Norway.
‘Britt-Marie Was Here’ No. 6 on the Indie Next List
Fredrik Backman’s Britt-Marie Was Here is No. 6 on the American Booksellers’ Association’s Indie Next List for May. Carol Schneck Varner of Schuler Books & Music, Michigan, hails Backman’s authorship in her motivation:
“Backman’s incomparable novels celebrate and revolve around unlikely protagonists: a curmudgeonly widower in A Man Called Ove; a girl on the autism spectrum in My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry; and now, Britt-Marie, an order-obsessed, cleanliness-loving woman of a certain age. Having left her two-timing husband, Britt-Marie takes a job in the small, depressed town of Borg, and magic begins to happen. Britt-Marie Was Here is another warm-hearted delight!”
Photo: Timm Vladimir
New Author – Katrine Engberg
Katrine Engberg (b. 1975) had already attained the status of acclaimed dancer and choreographer when she made her writer’s debut as a non-fiction author in 2006. Engberg has continued to contribute to the Arts since, both as a director and a choreographer, working within television and theatre. Her authorship has likewise blossomed into one full of sensitive portrayals and ingeniously intertwined plot threads. The Courser is Katrine Engberg’s first crime fiction novel, and the start of a new series hailed for its artful originality.
Photo: Dag G. Nordsveen
New Authors – Jørn Lier Horst & Hans Jørgen Sandnes
Norwegian writer Jørn Lier Horst (b. 1970) and illustrator and animator Hans Jørgen Sandnes (b. 1979) have together created the bestselling children’s book series Detective Agency No. 2 for ages 6-9. Jørn Lier Horst has won multiple awards for his crime fiction books for adults, and is also the author behind the highly praised CLUE series for children aged 9-12. Horst’s ability to create charming and believable characters has resulted in a rich universe full adventure and mystery. Together with Hans Jørgen Sandnes’ award-winning illustrations, the Detective Agency No. 2 series’ universe and its lovable young detective duo are brought to vivid life before the reader.
‘A Man Called Ove’ No. 6 on The New York Times Best Seller List
Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove makes its 13th consecutive appearance on the New York Times Best Seller List, coming in at No. 6 for the second week straight. A hit also in the eBook market, the novel additionally features in the list’s “Combined Print and eBook” category.