AN ENCHANTED ARCHIPELAGO: SWEDISH-LANGUAGE FINNISH LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

The article reviews the situation in Swedish-language Finnish literature, its trends and prospects of development. Starting from the Bakhtin’s complex of ideas, and from us vs. them and center vs. periphery concepts the article analyses the connections of the national minority literature with Finnish literature, and with neighboring Swedish literature that is kindred by language. Further, considering trends of Swedish-language Finnish literature development in the 20th century it infers that the Swedish-language cultural legacy reduced its influence on the Finnish society and literature, in particular, and diminished roles of contemporary writers in the all-Finnish literature process, thereby predetermining their peripheral position. In the conclusion the article discusses the prospects of Swedish-language Finnish literature development that directly depend on preservation of the official status of Swedish language in Finland.