MacLehose Press buys bestselling Norwegian thriller series by Nore

MacLehose Press has acquired literary thriller The Sea Cemetery and a second novel in a series by Norwegian writer Aslak Nore.

Publisher Katharina Bielenberg bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to the two novels from Gina Winje at the Winje Agency, who has secured 18 translation deals. UK publication of The Sea Cemetery will be in March 2024, in a translation by Deborah Dawkin. North American and film rights are handled by Markus Hoffmann at Regal, Hoffmann & Associates.

The Sea Cemetery tells the story of a Norwegian dynasty, the Falck family, and the dark family secrets that lie hidden beneath layers of wealth and power. Partly based on real events, and with a broad historical canvas, it’s set between the Second World War and 2015. It is already a bestseller in Norway, France and Iceland, with publications planned across Europe this year.

Nore said: “I’m overwhelmed by the international interest in The Sea Cemetery. My aim was to write a story that was universal in its depictions of family and inheritance, and yet distinctly Nordic in its content, combining the mechanics of a suspense novel with the sprawling, and colourful storytelling of the 19th century. The landscapes I draw are very close to my heart.”

Bielenberg commented: “There’s a wonderful confidence in Aslak Nore’s writing that draws the reader into his expansive and cleverly plotted family saga. He asks real and pertinent questions about truth and power, and challenges our perception of Norway. The setting and context are fascinating, and we’re very much looking forward to introducing him and the Falck family to English-language readers.”