Emmi Itäranta’s first novel Memory of Water has been listed as the one of the best science fiction novels of 2014 in a Guardian Review. The first chapter of the novel was written whilst she was studying for an MA in Creative Writing in 2008. Following the completion of her MA she was offered a two book deal with Harper Collins. The School of English hosted a book launch for Emmi earlier this year.
Memory of Water is set in a future world and is described as a coming-of-age tale. The main character, seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio, is given responsibility for guarding one of the last known freshwater springs. As Emmi is originally from Finland the book was written concurrently in English and Finnish. The novel has now been translated into 14 languages. Writing in the Guardian Adam Roberts commented that this is a ‘poetic and melancholy debut’ from the Finnish author.