New independent Akoya Publishing has acquired North of the Winter Sun: What I Heard in the Waves by Veronica Skotnes, a Norwegian who from the age of 17 has been sailing solo in the North Sea.

London-based literary press Akoya was launched in autumn 2024 to publish across fiction, non-fiction and poetry titles that "celebrate courageous, visionary and innovative writing".

Founder Camilla Hagen acquired world English rights to Skotnes’ title from the Cappelen Damm Agency; the book will be released in autumn 2026, translated by Diane Oatley.

Skotnes had been drawn to solo sailing since a teen, and her memoir will "immerse the reader into life on the sea, intertwining her daily routine with Norwegian and Sámi folklore, environmental concerns, and exquisite nature writing, capturing the Northern Lights, the snow, the bobbing of waves, and a young woman chasing her freedom".

Skotnes, who has documented her journey on Instagram and garnered 150,000 followers, said: "I am grateful that Akoya wishes to sail with the depictions of Finnmark out into the international market. I am convinced that the dark, cold and unpredictable Arctic Ocean has a universal appeal."

Hagen added: "I am thrilled to announce the English publication of Skotnes’ breathtaking debut. Reading it in its original Norwegian, I was deeply moved by her ability to weave history, nature and human endurance into a narrative as vast and untamed as the coastline it portrays. With vivid, evocative prose, Veronica brings to life the raw beauty of Norway’s seascape – the Northern Lights, the relentless waves, the silent echoes of war – while illuminating the resilience of those who have called it home."

Article as appears written in The Bookseller on 11/03/2025.