Rights & Brands appointed foreign rights agent for Arto Paasilinna Estate
30 September 2024
Rights & Brands appointed foreign rights agent for Arto Paasilinna Estate
Press Release 30 September 2024
Rights & Brands is proud to announce its publishing representation of the works of Arto Paasilinna.
Arto Paasilinna (1942-2018) was one of Finland’s most successful authors, a giant in Finnish literature, and a literary pioneer. During his 50-year career, Arto Paasilinna penned thirty-five novels and twelve non-fiction works, cementing his authorship as one full of creative vision, humour, and uplifting portrayals of man’s relationship with nature. One of Finland’s most well-known writers, his works have been translated into over 40 languages and have sold over 8 million copies worldwide. His unique and quirky work has been hugely popular outside Finland and reached a broad readership across Europe, including Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, and Italy. He has also reached readers as far as Asia.
Arto Paasilinna’s works include titles such as the cult classic The Year of the Hare, The Howling Miller, A Charming Mass Suicide and The Sweet Poison Cook.
The award-winning book and beloved The Year of the Hare is widely considered Arto Paasilinna’s best work and a Finnish literary classic. The novel in which a man – with the help of a hare – realises what’s important in life was first published by Weilin & Göös in 1975, and since then, numerous editions have been released worldwide. The book was adapted for film in France in 2006 (dir. Marc Rivière) and Finland in 1977 (dir. Risto Jarva). It has also been adapted for stage and will be presented for the first time in Finland at the Finnish National Theatre (dir. Kristian Smeds) this autumn. The UNESCO Collection of Representative Works classified it as a masterpiece of world literature. In 2025 the internationally bestselling novel celebrates its 50th Anniversary since first publication.
International Literary Properties (ILP) acquired a majority stake in the Arto Paasilinna Estate in 2023. Since then, ILP has managed the author’s work and in collaboration with the Arto Paasilinna Estate, has begun a comprehensive programme of work to reinvigorate and champion Paasilinna’s work globally.
“I am honoured by what ILP has already done for Arto Paasilinna’s publication. I’m very pleased, that now with the help of Rights & Brands, his lifework will really get a chance to reach new readers around the world. I know, that Arto would be so proud and pleased with all of this,” says Petteri Paasilinna, son of Arto Paasilinna.
“It is a privilege for ILP to start a long-lasting cooperation with Rights & Brands to build and keep Arto Paasilinna’s impressive authorship alive and active,” says Mary Durkan, the Executive Vice President of Global Acquisitions.
Rights & Brands is honoured to represent the author’s legacy and welcome new audiences to the whimsical world of Arto Paasilinna.
“Arto Paasilinna’s books are modern classics, and they present an excellent opportunity for Rights & Brands to, together with ILP, grow one of Finland’s most beloved authors. We value the cooperation highly,” says Fredrik Rahka, Chief Operating Officer at Rights & Brands.
For more information, please contact:
Fredrik Rahka
Chief Operating Officer, Rights & Brands
fredrik.rahka@rightsandbrands.com
+358 40 838 8246
Rights & Brands Literary Rights team
publishing@rightsandbrands.com
About Rights & Brands
Rights & Brands is a Scandinavian agency promoting art, literature and design brands that aim to inspire a global audience with stories and a vision for a better world.
Rights & Brands operates a worldwide network of over 30 sub-agents and 800 clients and represents iconic brands, artists, and authors. R&B is the worldwide master agent on behalf of Moomin Characters and represents the likes of Stig Lindberg, Carl Larsson-gården Sundborn, Astrid Lindgren & Ilon Wikland, Maxi & Helium, The Beatles, The Smurfs, Tove Jansson, Sofie Sarenbrant and many more.
R&B is ranked as the top 20 licensing agency worldwide, with an estimated retail value of 900M Euro. We develop and create collaborations and brand extensions with leading brands such as H&M, Uniqlo, Adidas, Fiskars Group, Happy Socks, RIMOWA and Finnair.
Rights & Brands headquarters is in Stockholm, with local branches in Helsinki, Oslo, Hong Kong, London and Tokyo. R&B was founded in 2016 and has a yearly turnover of 270M SEK.
About International Literary Properties
International Literary Properties is a global company that invests in, acquires, manages and enhances literary estates.
ILP’s team, based in the US, UK, and Europe has decades of experience in literary, TV, film, and theater management. It works with authors, their heirs and estate managers to help realize the value of literary properties, protect their legacy and build their visibility and appeal with contemporary audiences. The company prides itself on finding bespoke solutions and providing financial certainty for each estate.
ILP owns and nurtures a substantial number of literary catalogues in all genres, fiction and non-fiction, many of which are household names. Working in close collaboration with existing literary agents and author representation, the team uses its industry expertise and contacts to create new opportunities for authors’ writing to be enjoyed across all media platforms.
https://www.internationalliteraryproperties.com/
