Johan Sandberg McGuinne

Johan Sandberg McGuinne was born in Ubmeje, Sweden, in 1987. He is a Sámi poet, writer, translator and teacher. He grew up in a multi-lingual family in which Swedish and English as well as the minority languages South Sámi and Scots Gaelic were spoken. He studied Literature, Linguistics and Education at the University of Göteborg, at the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg and at the University of Stirling and has worked as a teacher in Lïkssjuo, Sweden, since 2014. Since 2018 he has been the president of Bágo, the Sámi Writers’ Association of Sweden. In 2020 he worked with the art project A Year of Poetry, for which he translated or made versions every day of a new poem into either Swedish, English or South Sámi.

Publications (selection):
Bikkan-Ovllá in Nansén: A Poetic Response, Wardlaw Museum St. Andrews, 2021.
Tuinn-fhuaime / Soundwaves, Lïksjuon Sámien Siäbrrie, 2020.
Från Falträsk with Love in Återskall /Again Bark, Beast Studios, 2020.
Sápmi 2.0 – Subaltern Elsa i Saajvoe-Kungens Rike, SR Barnradion, 2017.
No More, Lïksjuon Sámien Siäbrrie, 2015.

Recognition (selection):
2018: Fellowship with the Sjungaregården, Granö, Sweden
2016: Swedish Saami Youth Organisation’s Young Writers’ Award