Rights & Brands appointed worldwide agent for Alfie Atkins
Bok-Makaren AB has appointed the leading licensing agency Rights & Brands to represent Alfie Atkins (Alfons Åberg) as master agent worldwide for merchandising. With knowledge and experience of building literature driven Scandinavian brands, Rights & Brands will develop a global licensing program for Alfie Atkins.
Alfie Atkins is an ordinary boy who lives with his dad in a suburb – somewhere in the world. He’s not big. He’s not strong. But he’s braver than you might think! The Alfie Atkins books, or Alfons Åberg as he’s known in the original Swedish titles, are written and illustrated by Gunilla Bergström. Gunilla Bergström (1942-2021) was a pioneer in many ways, thematically as well as artistically. She was the first to introduce the collage technique as a storytelling method in picture books and the first to write about divorce for children. Very early on in the world of children’s literature she used a father instead of a mother as the primary parent in her stories. Gunilla Bergström’s stories are psychological mini dramas set in everyday life, often with magical elements.
The first Alfie Atkins book was published in 1972. Since then, more than 25 stories have been published and about 10 million books have been sold and translated to over 40 languages, with new editions being released continuously. Alfie also features in animated TV-series, feature films, audio books, theatre shows and musicals. In Scandinavia, Alfie Atkins is established as a classic among children, parents, and grandparents.
“We are incredibly happy and proud to represent Alfie Atkins as master agent” says Kristin Tjulander, Nordic Commercial Director at Rights & Brands. ”With our vision to bring Scandinavian brands based on literature, art and design to a global arena, it feels natural to have Alfie Atkins as a part of Rights & Brands. Bok-Makaren is doing a fantastic job of developing high-quality content that we will build on when finding new partners and continue to develop existing ones.”
Elisabet Granlund, COO at Bok-Makaren AB, continues: “We have been curiously following Rights & Brands and have been impressed by their development and product launches of other Scandinavian cultural classics. During a time when we are growing with new content such as film and theater, we look forward to developing the merchandising side with those who know it best.”
Rights & Brands will represent Alfie Atkins for merchandising rights worldwide.
