Urpu Strellman Departs HLA, Will Helm Art House

Finnish literary agent Urpu Strellman will depart the Helsinki Literary Agency (HLA) to run the publishing company Art House, which she acquired from founder and publisher Heikki Haavikko, who launched the house in 1987. Strellman has been with HLA since its founding in 2017, first as CEO and then, starting in 2023, as agent-at-large. She began her publishing career in 2005 as an editor at Art House, where she worked until 2016.

“The seven-and-a-half years I have spent at HLA have been an exciting and inspiring time, during which we have built an ambitious, wide, and internationally appealing list of Finnish literature," said Strellman in a statement. "Successes seem to have become regular, but there is still the same feeling of excitement and moving forward in the agency. Our authors will be in the safe hands of my brilliant colleagues."

In light of Strellman's departure, Urtė Liepuoniūtė will return to HLA in August in the new role of senior literary agent. Liepuoniūtė previously worked in the agency from 2019 to 2023, after which she left to focus on her career as a literary translator.

HLA is jointly owned by the publishing houses Gummerus, Schildts & Söderströms, and Siltala, and represents more than 120 authors.