Critics Seminar: Beyond the Horizon – Criticism of Sami Contemporary Literature

What is happening in contemporary Sami Literature, and does it receive the critical attention that it deserves?

From the beginning of the 17th century, Sami literature is seen within the context of important Sami, national and international political movements of the time. Historically, the Sami have a rich oral literary tradition, a tradition that is still going strong. However, it was not until the 20th century that a Sami fiction writing tradition emerged. Before that time, the known Sami fictional texts were written down as the traditional musical Joik lyrics or stories with origins in the oral culture.
What does today's literary public know about what is happening in contemporary Sami literature? What literary trends are emerging, and what is the critical reception like? Does the criticism of Sami literature provide enough feedback to support the growth of the literature? If the criticism is inadequate, what does it take to create a competent conversation about Sami-language literature? How is Sami-language literature received in the Nordic region - and are there differences between the various Nordic countries’ reception of Nordic literature? What insight and knowledge would be required to do justice and provide positive feedback to Sami-language literature?

With: Harald Gaski (professor of Sami literature and culture), Malin Nord (Swedish author and dramatist, sits on the Council for Sami Literature in the Swedish Writers' Union and is one of the editors of the anthology Voices from Sápmi. Stories from a Stolen Land, Sigbjørn Skåden (Sami author and previously nominated for the Nordic Council’s literary award for the poetry collection, Skuovvadeddjiid gonaga (The King of the Cobblers), Saia Marilena Stueng (Sami author and research fellow at the Sami University College in Kautokeino, where she is writing a dissertation on criticism of Sami literature), Carina Beddari (literary critic at the newspaper Morgenbladet), and Erlend Liisberg (critic at the Bergens Tidende)