Rights and Brands Podcast

It’s time for episode 10, the last episode of season one of the Rights and Brands podcast. This time listeners are in for a ride with a page-turning, unputdownable political thriller, Their Turn to Burn written by debut author Thomas Oscar. A young woman’s secret. A nation divided by the economic crisis. A secret plan against the government. Young prime minister Leo Koski has one weekend to get to the bottom of things and figure out the plot that could cost thousands of lives and the entire future of the country. This West Wing meets Jo Nesbo, a skillfully plotted fast-paced political thriller that takes place in only 24 hours and demonstrates how easily inequality and the division of a population can escalate.  Thomas Oscar and podcast host Leenastiina Kakko talk about the topical story and its starting point, the book’s multidimensional characters as well as the choice of the timeframe and locations. Thomas Oscar writes for the economics and politics resorts in Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and spent four years as their correspondent in Washington DC. He shares how his career in journalism inspired his writing and how his years in Washington D.C reflected in his debut. We also hear how the genre and other thriller authors have influenced Thomas Oscar.  To wrap up the final podcast episode of the season Leenastiina puts Thomas Oscar on the hot seat with the Quick Five. Any idea with whom the author would spend an entire day?  Listen to find out!

2021 brings along a revised Rights and Brands podcast. In this episode, the multi-talented Johanna Laitila, one of our newest authors sits down to talk about her second novel Hatching (Synty) together with her agent Leenastiina Kakko. This episode is special as it also introduces the new format, the intriguing “Quick Five”, a quick-fire round of questions that reveal a bit more about our guest.  Hatching is a chilling and stirring literary novel about the complexity of gender in an era where there were no words for the experience. Set in the historical scenery of 1917’s Helsinki the novel leads the reader to the doorstep of Aleksanteri, a German translator who lives a secluded life. He spends his days in a small apartment located by the seaside of Finland’s boiling capital where daily life is becoming increasingly grim. He immerses himself in playing Chopin on the piano and translation work and is wrapped up in inner thoughts about the surrounding world. Two women - housekeeper Hilda and lover Elna are his only connections to the outside world until his attention is caught by a mysterious new neighbour, a Russian journalist. The two soon form a peculiar and conflicting relationship as they become entangled in a power struggle where irresistible addiction and contradictory hatred constantly crosses to lust. The intense events of the story wrap around historic turning points with two revelations that await the reader.Johanna Laitila tells how she left behind an academic career in Scotland when she returned to Finland to pursue a writing career, and how her years in the academic world reflect on her writing. She also shares her thoughts on the significance of language in her works, what was the inspiring seed to the storyline and the process of re-writing the English version of the story. The author also sheds light on her upcoming third novel. The new format “Quick Five” wraps up the episode, but what does musician Nick Cave have to do with it?Listen to find out!

In this episode, author and illustrator Lena Frölander-Ulf talks about her first children’s novel Nelson Tigerpaw (Nelson Tigertass) together with agent Leenastiina Kakko. This episode was recorded back in 2019 upon the release of the novel. The novel Nelson Tigerpaw (Nelson Tigertass) was published simultaneously in Swedish and Finnish. Since its release in 2019, the book has received much interest. It was nominated for several literary awards including the 2019 Finlandia Junior Prize and the 2020 Runeberg Junior Prize. The novel was awarded the Arvid Lydecken Prize in 2020, praised as “an impressive story that tells about prejudice, the power of friendship and courage, as well as the absurdities of the adult world.”Lena Frölander-Ulf tells what inspired her to write the novel and how the writing process began with just a couple of illustrations. She also highlights the main themes of the story that are classic and timely as well as contemporary, and that she wanted to write a timeless adventure story for the entire family. We also hear more about what the author is currently writing, one of the books is set to be published in 2021. Listen to find out more! 

In this episode Finnish-Romanian author, Cristina Sandu talks about her two novels THE WHALE OF GOLIATH and THE UNION OF SYNCHRONISED SWIMMERS together with her agent Leenastiina Kakko.Growing up between two worlds herself, the author reflects on personal experiences, combined with comprehensive background study and a collection of real-life stories and myths that she compiled when visiting Romania. Both novels navigate the history and culture of Romania as main characters try to find their place in the world and balance between different cultures. What is Cristina Sandu currently writing? Listen to find out! 

In this episode, author Tua Harno explores the secret world of spies, the cold war era, and shady business trades as she talks about her latest novel Cold War Affairs together with her agent Leenastiina Kakko.Cold War Affairs (in Finnish Kylmän sodan tytär) is an intriguing and pacy thriller about cold war politics, shady affairs, and espionage. Partly set in Helsinki during the 1980s, narrated by a CIA agent Edward who lives a double life in Finland as an American businessman and family father. The other parts of the novel take place three decades later in 2017, narrated by both the spy’s daughter Mari who discovers the truth about her father, and by Edward himself who is still working for the CIA in the United States.Cold War Affairs is a plot-driven story that both nods to cold war thrillers and regenerates the genre. This contemporary and imaginative take on the bold schemes behind the Cold War politics and their life-changing effects on individuals and family’s, questions Finland’s role as an always so silent and neutral player between two giants. Tua Harno shares the background of the book that started from the idea of a movie script, the twist in the plot, and how she delicately combines fact and fiction. She reveals why she decided to write a spy story that has a focus on the individuals instead of a traditional action-packed thriller, and which Finnish clichés are portrayed in the spy story set in 1980s Finland? 

In this episode, together with his agent Leenastiina Kakko celebrated Finnish author Olli Jalonen talks about his novels The Celestial Sphere (in Finnish ‘Taivaanpallo’) and The Art of Living Underwater (in Finnish ‘Merenpeitto’) that form the fascinating story of the young apprentice Angus.Set in the 1680s, The Celestial Sphere tells about rays of the Enlightenment when science collided with religion and beliefs. It follows the fate of a young boy Angus who leaves behind his humble origins at the faraway island of Saint Helena, to travel the seas to the great unknown towards an adventurous life-changing journey. He ends up as an apprentice for the famous astronomer and scientist Edmond Halley and plays a role in the history of science. This world-class literature transports a reader to another world and it’s no surprise that the first part, The Celestial Sphere was showered with awards, including the much appreciated Finlandia Prize in 2018. The story of the trusted apprentice continues in the sequel The Art of Living Underwater.Olli Jalonen sheds light on the background of the storyline and how he came upon it during his voyage to the island of Saint Helena back in 1989. He also reveals why it took him almost three decades to complete the books, how he crafted the story and its characters, and delicately intertwined fact and fiction. 

In this episode Petra Rautiainen talks about her debut novel LAND OF SNOW AND ASHES (in Finnish “Tuhkaan piirretty maa”) together with agent Leenastiina Kakko.In this stunning debut novel the barren beauty of the Arctic nature in Lapland contrasts with the brutal actions conducted both at a secret Nazi prison camp during WWII and against the indigenous Sami people post-war. The web of competing nationalistic and ethnic motivations is depicted for the first time in Finnish literature as this powerful debut reveals one the darkest time periods in human history and the ugly secrets of the whitewashed Nordic history. Petra shares to us why she decided to write this story and tells more about the main characters and their backgrounds. She also reveals the topic of her second novel that she is currently writing.

In this episode journalist and debut author Riikka Suominen talks about her novel Monogamish with agent Leenastiina Kakko.Published conveniently on Valentine’s Day the bold and hilarious novel about open relationships by this fresh Scandinavian voice questions the common perception of a good intimate relationship and endorses sexual desire and the importance of sex. Riikka talks more about the novel and its main characters, and what inspired her to write this story. She also shares her thoughts on love, sex and relationships.