As a compiler of the volume, Researcher at the Literature Studies Section of the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History KarRC RAS Natalya Chikina has remarked, the primary task for the edition was to demonstrate all the richness and diversity of the literature in ethnic languages. Materials for the volume were selected by an editorial board made up of specialists in language and literature. One of the key selection criteria was that the work was to be written in one of the ethnic languages and be of artistic value.

The compilers made sure that the contents would be diverse both thematically and in genres. There are poetry, prose, and literature for children. The list of authors includes not only well-known Karelian writers (Jaakko Rugoev, Armas Mishin, Alexander Volkov, Nikolai Abramov) but also beginners (Anisa Kettunen, Ilona Veikkolainen, Natalya Antonova, Valentina Saburova, Galina Baburova). Employees of KarRC RAS are also among the authors, for instance, Leading Researcher of the Linguistics Section ILLH KarRC RAS and a specialist in the Veps language well known in the republic Nina Zaitseva.

The Anthology is made up of four sections. The first three open with articles about literatures in the Finnish, Karelian and Veps languages. The translations of the works into Russian, offered in the fourth section, provide a wide readership the possibility to familiarize themselves with the best works by contemporary authors from Karelia.

‒ Size limitations prevented us from including all authors in the volume, so we had to choose only five representatives for each of the literatures – says Natalya Chikina, – an attentive reader would notice that in the Veps literature, e.g., the same authors represent several genres.

An incentive for making this anthology has been the Federal Programme for support to ethnic literatures of the Russian Federation implemented in 2016-2017. Two anthologies were published within the framework of this programme in Moscow in 2017: “Contemporary Literature of the Peoples of Russia. Poetry” and “Contemporary Literature of the Peoples of Russia. Children’s Literature”. Both editions contain works by Karelian authors. Through the entire history of literature of Karelia, four anthologies have been published in the republic, in 1963, 2003 and two in 2009, but none of them incorporated works by representatives of all the four ethnic literatures of the republic, like this Anthology does.

“The Anthology of Contemporary Ethnic Literature of Karelia”, published with support from the Republic of Karelia Ministry of Ethnic and Regional Policy under the Republic of Karelia state programme “Development of Civil Society Institutions and Local Self-governance, Protection of Human and Civil Rights and Freedoms” 2014-2020, is in a way a continuation of this series.