Inga Ravna Eira (born 30 May 1948) is a Northern Sami language poet, children's writer, translator and schoolteacher from Norway.

Career

Eira was born in

Karasjok Municipality ( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka. Th ...

(), in

Finnmark Finnmark (; se, Finnmárku ; fkv, Finmarku; fi, Ruija ; russian: Финнмарк) was a county in the northern part of Norway, and it is scheduled to become a county again in 2024. On 1 January 2020, Finnmark was merged with the neighbouri ...

, Norway. A schoolteacher, her first children's book, ''Sámi girječálliid searvi'' from 1979 was written as a collaboration with her pupils. Her first published poetry was included in the anthology ''Savdnjiluvvon nagir'' (1989), jointly with Kaia Nilsen and

Ellen Marie Vars Ellen Marie Vars (born 12 August 1957) is a Norwegian Sami writer. She was born in Láhpoluoppal, Kautokeino Kautokeino ( no, Kautokeino; se, Guovdageaidnu ; fkv, Koutokeino; fi, Koutokeino) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, ...

. Her second children's book, ' from 1992, was illustrated by

Iver Jåks Iver Jåks (25 October 1932 – 17 March 2007) was a Norwegian Sami artist, sculptor and illustrator. Iver Iversen Jåks was born in Karasjok in Troms og Finnmark, Norway. He was awarded a place at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Ar ...

. Her first poetry collection was ''Lieđážan'' from 1997, with illustrations by Maj-Lis Skaltje. In 2009 she published the poetry collection was ''eadni ganjaldii mu fuolppuid''. Her poetry collection ''Ii dát leat dat eana'' from 2018 has illustrations by , and was nominated to the

Nordic Council Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth ...

from the Sami language area in 2019 for her poetry collection entitled ''Gáhttára Iđit''. Eira has been leader of , the Sami writers' union.

References

1948 births Living people People from Karasjok Sámi schoolteachers Sámi-language poets Sámi poets 20th-century Norwegian poets 21st-century Norwegian poets Norwegian women poets {{Norway-writer-stub