Fifty Words for Snow

Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer and artist. Her travels in the Arctic between 2010 and 2017 have resulted in several projects responding to the environment, most recently The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate (S&S), which was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019. Her previous book on the polar environment, Disko Bay, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2016. An illustrated alphabet book, How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Greenlandic, received the Birgit Skiöld award in 2013. She has been a Marie Claire ‘Wonder Woman’, a Hawthornden Fellow and Artist in Residence at Oxford University. She is currently a Literature Fellow at Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Bamberg, Germany.

'A sparkling prism to reveal what snow means to different cultures... [an] exploration of the language that describes myriad snowscapes, from mountain peaks and ancient glaciers to boreal cities and Baltic landscapes.' National Geographic  'A miraculous snow bank of niveous names and knowledge as delicate and multifaceted as the flakes it celebrates. A glittering cloud of Inupiaq, Icelandic, compound Maori, Finnish, Scots, Thai, Hebrew, American Sign Language.' Dan Richards, author of Outpost: A Wild Journey to the Ends of the Earth'This is a book of now... It shows us how we are connected and united across languages and across borders, through our environment, climate, stories and Nature. Fifty Words for Snow is both gorgeous and important to hunker down with, whatever the weather outside.' Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine 'A delightful compendium that brings together language, culture and adventure through frozen landscapes as it shares the meanings behind 50 words for snow, gathered from around the globe.' The Herald, Christmas Books 2020‘Absolutely exquisite. This little book is a work of art. It is impossible to imagine the reader who will not love it.’ Horatio Clare, author of The Light in the Dark ‘This stunning book made me want to pack all my woolies, candles, ample firewood and enough books for a year – and head to as northerly a location as I could find.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Caught By the River ‘Sparkles and dazzles with new meanings and old magic. You’ll never see snow in the same way again.’ Matt Gaw, author of Under the Stars

• Contents; Prologue xv; 1. Seanas, Sami ..................... 1; 2. Yuki-onna, Japanese .................. 5; 3. Immiaq, Greenlandic ................ 11; 4. Smoor, Scots .................... 15; 5. H ima, Thai ..................... 21; 6. Kunstschnee, German ................ 23; 7. Onaabani Giizis / Popogami Giizis, Ojibwemowin .. 27; 8. Sheleg, Hebrew ................... 31; 9. Sastrugi, Russian .................. 35; 10. Hundslappadrifa, Icelandic ............. 39; 11. Sheen, Kashmiri ................... 43; 12. Cheotnun, Korean .................. 47; 13. Penitentes, Spanish ................. 49; 14. Cirulputenis, Latvian ................ 53; 15. Unatsi, Cherokee .................. 55; 16. Theluji, Swahili ................... 59; 17. Avalanche, French .................. 63; 18. Tykky, Finnish ................... 67; 19. Barfani chita, Urdu ................. 71; 20. Snemand, Danish .................. 75; 21. Mavro chioni, Greek ................. 81; 22. Neviera, Italian ................... 85; 23. Xue qiu, Chinese .................. 89; 24. Snoeangel, Swedish .................. 93; 25. Gangs, Tibetan ................... 97; 26. Calog shneachta, Irish ................101; 27. Huka-rere, Maori ..................105; 28. Snowboarding, American Sign Language .......111; 29. Kava, Faroese ....................115; 30. Kardelen, Turkish ..................119; 31. Omuzira, Luganda ..................123; 32. Fokksno, Norwegian .................131; 33. Sniegas, Lithuanian .................135; 34. Sira, Tundra Nenets .................139; 35. Taccuqt, Tamazight .................143; 36. Hima, Sanskrit ...................147; 37. Qasa, Quechua ...................151; 38. Barado, Amharic ..................155; 39. Ttutqiksribvik, Inupiaq ...............159; 40. Ais i pundaun olsem kapok, Tok Pisin ........165; 41. Hagelslag, Dutch ..................169; 42. Eira, Welsh .....................173; 43. Itztlacoliuhqui, Nahuatl ...............177; 44. Pana, Inuktitut ...................181; 45. Jaatee, Estonian ...................187; 46. Sparrow batch, Newfoundland English ........191; 47. Hau kea, Hawaiian .................195; 48. Virgen de las Nieves, Spanish ............199; 49. Zud, Mongolian ...................203; 50. Suncups, English ..................207; Acknowledgements 209 References 211