There will be talk about land exploitation, reconciliation, and joik in AI times at the Book Fair in Gothenburg.
At the same time, the Sami languages are threatened, according to Johan Sandberg McGuinne, author and chairman of Tjállegoahte, the Writers' Centre Sápmi.
We are facing a language collapse, he says.
The Sami Language Centre and the Nordic language cooperation Sámi Giellagáldu lost their extra grants when the government presented its budget proposal last week.
Total, it can be a loss of up to ten million kronor, according to Anita Kitok, the Sami Parliament's language chief.
It's a very unfortunate situation, a blow to us, she says.
We have been commissioned to establish an operation, but suddenly they just take away the financing.
"Extremely important"
According to Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand, the budget proposal, however, simultaneously contains allocated funds for language centres for minority languages Finnish, Yiddish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib, and Sami.
We have shown in the budget that we want to invest in language centres, which are an operation to promote languages among our minorities, she says.
We see that it is extremely important for minorities' right to their language.
But both the Sami Language Centre and the Nordic cooperation say they risk layoffs or closure due to the disappearance of extra grants?
We are allocating funds in the budget to be able to strengthen and show that language centres are something we cherish. Then we will come back in the appropriation letter with how the total budget for this will look, says Parisa Liljestrand.
"Part of democracy"
Besides the Sami theme, this year's fair also has space as a theme. Among others, the Swedish astronauts Marcus Wandt and Christer Fuglesang are participating.
Parisa Liljestrand sees the Book Fair as a good opportunity to advocate for increased reading in society.
The state is doing its part now, for example, by the government submitting various proposals to strengthen school libraries and targeted state grants to public libraries, she says.
But we must also see that the business community, the Academy, the entire civil society needs to activate itself in this. Reading is part of a functioning democracy.
Ongoing until Sunday, September 29.
This year's fair is the 40th in order and has Sápmi and Space as this year's two themes.
Among this year's authors on site are Joyce Carol Oates, who will receive the fair's newly established prize Sjöjungfrun.
Also among others, Ingemar Stenmark, Marcus & Martinus, and the astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Marcus Wandt are participating.
In one of this year's news in the seminar program, "Music Track", participants include Miriam Bryant and Maxida Märak.
