World Spanish rights to Memory of Water acquired by Ediciones B

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We are thrilled to announce that the World Spanish rights to Emmi Itäranta’s award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja, Teos 2012)  have been acquired by Ediciones B. for publication in 2014 on the Bruguera imprint. Emmi Itäranta has received the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize for young authors, worth 16.000 euros in November 2012.

Rights sold in 8 languages so far:

WORLD ENGLISH, HarperCollins/Voyager: 2-book-deal
CZECH, Plus Publishers
ESTONIA, Koolibri
FINLAND, Teos
GERMANY, DTV/Reihe Hanser
ITALY, Piemme
SPAIN, Ediciones B./Bruguera
TURKEY, Dogan Egmont

Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize jury’s motivations:

Emmi Itäranta’s (b. 1976) debut novel Memory of Water tells the story of young Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. Following a great natural disaster, the world is under strict military rule and rapidly running out of water. Hiding water has become a punishable crime. Trained by her father, Noria carries on the duties of the tea master responsible for the traditional tea ceremony. Along with the task goes the responsibility of guarding a secret fresh water spring – a secret that is bound to result in trouble with friends and authorities alike. The novel develops into a mysterious allegory of the dilemmas of truth, freedom and loyalty. Emmi Itäranta’s dystopia is a skilful combination of science fiction and age-old utopian tradition that reflects the greatest social and environmental challenges of our time.

Please ask for reading materials :
Full English text of Memory of Water
Synopsis & sample of City of Woven Streets

 

 

About author


Emmi Itäranta

Emmi Itäranta (b.1976) holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012 to great accolades, followed by The Weaver (Kudottujen kujien kaupunki) in 2015, and The Moonday Letters (Kuunpäivän kirjeet) in September 2020. Her new title Snowsinger (Lumenlaulaja) was published in 2025.

Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin. Her honours include the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize 2013, the Kalevi Jäntti Literary Prize 2012 and first place in the Teos Fantasy and Sci-Fi Literary Contest 2011.

Memory of Water has sold to over 25 languages to date, and it has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award recognizing the best science fiction novel published in the UK in 2014, and the Golden Tentacle award. In addition, Itäranta has been included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award).

Itäranta’s CV is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, press officer and dramaturge. Her poems, short stories, articles and essays have appeared in anthologies, film magazines and science fiction magazines in the UK and Finland. She now lives in Finland after 14 years in the United Kingdom.

Photo credit: Liisa Takala

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Literary Fiction, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Snowsinger

Emmi Itäranta


2020, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Moonday Letters

Emmi Itäranta


2015, Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Weaver

Emmi Itäranta


2012, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Memory of Water

Emmi Itäranta

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