Бажанов, А. Стихи и поэмы о саамском крае = Verses & poems on the Saami land / Аскольд Бажанов ; English translation by Naomi Caffee ; with an essay by Johanna Domokos. - Berlin : Nordeuropa-Institut der Humboldt-Universitat, 2009.

186 Modern Saami literature, created by about one hundred authors in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russian Federation and even in North America, has been written in different Saami languages and dialects as well as in Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Russian and English. This literature has its roots in the oral and written traditions of Sapmi (Saamiland) as well as the oral and written traditions of the superimposing cultures. Some notable names in contemporary Saami literature are as follows: Kati-Claudia Fofonoff (b. 1947 in Ivalo, Finland), a Skolt Saami author who writes in both Skolt Saami and Finnish; Stig Riemmbe Gaelok (b. 1961 in Oslo, Norway), who writes poetry in Lule Sami; Kirsti Paltto (b. 1943 in Utsjoki, Finland), an internationally acclaimed author who writes in North Saami and Finnish; Petter Jori Andaras Morottaja (b. 1982 in Inari, Finland), who writes his books in Inari Saami; Faith Fjeld (b. 1935 in Kjal- ispell, USA) who writes in English, and Askold Bazhanov (b. 1934 in Notozero, Russia), a Skolt Saami author who writes in Russian. With many more examples we could demonstrate this diversity and multi-contextuality of Saami literature that provides literary works for a very wide range of readers both inside and outside o f Saami culture. Bazhanov’spoeticaljourneyasatypical exampleforanEastSaamiauthor We can define at least three main traditions in the history o f Saami literature: the South or Swedish Saami tradition that flourished be fore the nineteenth century, the Norwegian or the Lule and North Saami tradition that was most productive in the last two centuries, and the Russian or East Saami literary tradition, which is still active today. Askold Bazhanov’s life circumstances (his childhood, his edu cation, the loss of his native language and homeland, his experiences during the Second World War, and the loss o f his father) combine with his poetical themes, forming a core component of the East or Kola Saami literature. These themes unite his works together with the works of other Saami authors from Russia such as Oktyabrina Voronova, Sofia Yakimovich, Iraida Vinogradova, and Aleksandra Antonova. Although other Saami writers employ somewhat simi