The Poet

Nils-Aslak Valkeapää received his foremost recognition as an outstanding poet when he was awarded Nordic Council’s (Nordisk Råd’s) prize in 1991 for the book The Sun, My Father. His poetry has been translated into a number of languages. It is described as close to nature and genuine, and his poetry is often referred to as an expression of indigenous people’s thinking and worldview. Valkeapää published all of his poetry books in Sámi. Several of them have not yet been translated into other languages. Besides The Sun, My Father two other central works are Pathways of the Wind and The Earth, My Mother.

(Harald Gaski 2014)