News
Slowing down for summer
Posted on 26/06/2020 in Blog
Four months after the dreaded c-word unfolded and we are now looking forward to enjoying a long summer break, albeit with continued social distancing. In Sweden we count ourselves very lucky to be able to take several weeks off to read for pleasure, indulge in our hobbies (mine will be learning to sail and renovating a sailboat) and gather our energies for what will be a bustling autumn, in whatever shape it will take.
My home office has come into its own with the warm weather as I’m fortunate enough to be able to inhale the fresh country air outside on the deck with my laptop, and trusty cat Pebbles reminding me when it’s time for a snack or to lay down tools for the day.
Besides working with a host of wonderful Swedish writers, another part of my role entails selling rights to our Finnish authors’ books, working with colleagues in Helsinki. This spring we’ve had fantastic success with crime writer Arttu Tuominen’s crime series; an uplifting, prize-winning debut women’s fiction by Marja Kangas; and Tiina Laitila Kälvemark’s fascinating novel about a woman with active side personalities and a penchant for free diving. On the non-fiction side, we’ve been finding solace in psychotherapist Maaret Kallio’s latest book on the power of hope.
Another professional hat of mine is selling film and tv rights for our authors. The pandemic has had a stark impact on cinemas as well as production due to travel restrictions and social distancing, but I’m happy to say that our ongoing projects haven’t been overly impacted and so we look forward to being able to share some more exciting updates on specific projects soon.
In a couple of weeks it will be time to turn my focus away from the laptop and take a break from social media to focus on my summer reading, including more essential reading on becoming a stronger ally to ending racism, and some quality time at the beach to recharge the batteries for what will be an exciting but full autumn ahead.
Thank you to all the authors, publishers, editors, translators, scouts, readers and other champions of literature who make what we do so enjoyable. Have a healthy and fun summer, and see you again in August!
