The writers arrived on Tuesday, and stayed in a hotel in the village of Nellim, where they greeted by some our team, as well as Sámi; Parliamentarian Maria Sofia Aikio and Sámi filmmaker and activist Niillas Somby. Max, our Finnish campaigner, briefed the writers on the situation here, Niillas did a presentation on how Sámi music and culture has been dissolved and chipped away over the years throughout the Sápmi - the Sámi homeland, thanks to hrough questionable assimiliation projects and terrible lawmaking and other factors in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia Maria Sofia talked about difficult it is for an indigenous to fit into the European way of thinking - and about the problem of the interpretation of 'land use'. We also saw a movie made by Niillas, called Gádde Gandat (Beach Boys), about the "endangered indigenous Sámi river culture of the Deatnu river and the Sámi 's struggle to preserve their traditional ecological way of living". One of the most bizarre facts presented in the movie was the Norwegian law, which requires anyone who wants the right to fish the Deatnu to become farmers first and produce 2000kg of hay annually.

After dinner and lots of talking - some of it around the fire in a kota tent, some of the visitors retired to the sauna - and the bravers ones even went for a plunge in an ice hole in the nearby lake for a midnight cool-off!

- Dave

Photos of Niillas Somby and Maria Sofia Aikio: © Greenpeace Dave Walsh

Biographies of Authors Participating in Finland Author Trip:

LYDIA ROOD - DUTCH AUTHOR
Lydia Rood was born in Velp, the Netherlands in 1957. She is a trained journalist with several years of newspaper experience (Volkskrant) and is currently writing freelance for magazines, radio and television, however, her main profession is writing novels. Her debut was in 1982, a children’s book called "Een geheim pad naar gisteren /A Secret Path To Yesterday". She has received awards for her children’s books. Apart from children’s books, she writes novels, thrillers and (erotic) short stories. Important themes in her books are freedom, friendship and adventure. Lydia has always been very socially engaged and an activist against injustice, for example she took part in the demonstration in Tahiti against French nuclear testing in Mururoa in 1995. Lydia lives in Marken, the Netherlands, with her daughter.
Lydia's website (in Dutch) »





JAVIER MORO - SPANISH AUTHOR
JAVIER MORO (Madrid, 1955) is a writer, journalist, cinema producer and screenwriter. He is trailing the path defined by his uncle, Dominique Lapierre (author of City of Joy and the famous Freedom at Midnight). Javier has discovered different facets of Indian ethos and culture, while dwelling on India-relevant themes. His most recent book is Indian Passion, a historic novel set in India at the end of the British Raj, based on a true story. His other books all have a strong social or environmental angle and include: the story of Brazilian leader Chico Mendes, Freedom at Midnight, the story of a quadriplegic who conquered its disability El pie de jaipur, the true story of 2 Tibetan nuns who fled Lhasa in search for freedom in India The mountains of the Buddha and the story of the world's worst industrial disaster Five past midnight in Bhopal, to writte this book he stayed in Bhopal for six months. He criss-crossed the city, interviewing the laborers and others associated with the Union Carbide. He conducted 256 interviews all over the world, chasing the people who could provide him a wider perspective of events across three continents visiting countries like Greece, France, Holland etc. Moro is also a freelancer journalist with published articles in all major Spanish newspapers and magazines (El País or El Mundo). In addition, Moro has co-produced and wrote screenplays for the movies Valentina and Cronica del alba and has been involved in cinema and TV projects in the United States in collaboration with directors like Ridley Scott.




KEN FINN - U.K. AUTHOR
Ken Finn was a latecomer to elderly parents, a love child. A boy his mother called ‘ as deep as the ocean’. Growing up in a 60’s suburban Walton-on-Thames, and leaving school at 15 with no qualifications, he answered the call of the ‘cool’, joining London’s new wave of working class hero’s of fashion. As a successful hairdresser his material ambitions, sports cars and a country cottage came quickly but their shine was short lived. He was to soon realise the pointlessness of the consumer treadmill, instead he found the wonder of the natural world in his rural surroundings, the miracle of a seed or a night sky of infinite stars.He is deeply passionate about what’s happening to our world, its wildlife and wild places. More recently he has found a voice for his concern through his writing.

Ken lives in Brighton, he has two grown up sons, two grandchildren and is happily committed to his partner of six years.
Kenn Finn: My Journey With A Remarkable Tree »

NICCOLO AMMANITI - ITALIAN AUTHOR
Niccolò Ammaniti was born in Rome in 1966. He studied biology at university but left before completing the degree. To make a bit of cash he bred fish. University and fish breeding were the main themes of his debut in 1994 with the novel "Branchie", (Editrice Ediesse, subsequently Einaudi, 1997). In 1995 he published the essay "Nel nome del figlio", written together with his father Massimo. Further success came a year later with the publication of "Fango", (Mondadori). A collection of stories of varying styles (noir, horror, comedy) about the city of Rome. A film, starring Monica Bellucci and entitled 'L'ultimo capodanno dell'umanità', was made based on the first story. His short stories have appeared in the anthologies "Gioventù cannibale" (Einaudi, 1966) and "Tutti i denti del mostro sono perfetti" (Mondadori, 1997). The great rural novel "Ti prendo e ti porto via" (Mondadori) is from 1999. In 2001 he wrote a script for an American production 'Gone Bad'—a sentimental splatter comedy in digital animation, about a group of zombies in a Nevada Village.

In 2001 Einaudi published "I’m Not Scared" (Io Non Ho Paura). This book has been Ammaniti's biggest success so far. "I'm Not Scared" has been on the best-seller list in Italy since its release in April 2001 and has won many literary awards. In fact, at thirty four Niccolò Ammaniti is the youngest-ever author to win the prestigious Viareggio-Rèpaci prize. A film based on the novel "I'm Not Scared" has been made, directed by Gabriele Salvatores, the Academy-award winning director of Mediterraneo. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2003, and is alreadly a smash hit in Italy. His books have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Greek and Russian.

Robin VALTIALA - FINNISH AUTHOR

To be added



KAREL VERLEYEN - FLEMISH AUTHOR
Karel Verleyen (1938) is very well educated; after achieving his teacher’s degree he studied law and then went on to pursue several additional post-academic degrees. This set the stage for Karel leading a very diverse and colourful professional life in which education, journalism and writing was the most important components. For 12 years Karel was acting chief editor of TOP, a magazine for teenagers on subjects related to their life. He went on to be the chief editor for the newspaper Het Volk and chief editor of UIT-Magazine (tourism magazine) en Wintersport Magazine.

Since 1996 Karel has dedicated his time completely to writing books. He started his career writing historical adventurous stories but has expanded his repertoire to include stories influenced by his own travel-experiences and publications addressing environment problems, misuse of modern technology and so forth. He also actively translates books from French, German, English, Italian and Spanish into Dutch. Karel Verleyen has received many acclaims for his work in Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries as many of his books have been translated into different languages.

Verleyen’s strength as a writer is that he is able to write about very complex matters such as racism, globalisation and exploitation to a very young audience. He loves to communicate to children and teenagers about his books and listens to their opinion. Daily he receives a lot of e-mails, letters and even phone calls from his readers and engages in discussions with them about the themes in his work. He is startled when he is called a famous and successful Flemish writer. Because only one thing matters to him: that children and teenagers love to read and are inspired by his stories, books and poems.




AURÉLIE FILIPETTI - FRENCH AUTHOR
Aurélie Filippetti was born in 1973 in Lorraine in east of France and is of Italian decent. Her first novel "Les derniers jours de la classe Ouvrière" (the lasts days of the labor class) published by Stock in 2003 and has been subsquently translated in several languages. Also in 2003, Aurélie wrote the script for the theater production "Fragments d'humanité". Her second novel is due to be launched at the end of 2005.

Aurélie is also delegate of French Green party, for the Paris municipality and acted as the technical adviser for the Environemental Minister, Yves Cochet,
from 2001 to 2002.

All author photos: © Greenpeace/Matti Snellman