Ellen Marie Vars

Ellen Marie Vars (born 12 August 1957 in Láhpoluoppal, Kautokeino Municipality, Norway) is a Norwegian Sámi writer best known for her young adult novel *Kátjá* (1986), which became one of the most widely read Sámi books in Norway. She made her literary debut with that work, and later earned the Saami Council Literature Prize in 2005 for her novel *Čábbámus iđitguovssu* (translated into English as *The Most Beautiful Dawn*), which was illustrated by Trygve Lund Guttormsen. Beyond her novels, Vars served as the first chief editor of the Sámi-language newspaper *Áššu* from its founding in 1993. In the comics realm, she is credited as a writer on 33 issues, active from 1987 to 1988, most notably on the series *Vulle Vuojaš*. Her work often centers Sámi culture and youth experience, and her contributions have been recognized with the Saami Council Literature Prize. Vars remains a significant figure in Sámi literature and media.