Dr. Francis Joy originally from the United Kingdom, is a post-doctoral researcher with the Arctic Anthropology research team based at the University of Lapland Arctic Centre, Rovaniemi, Finland. Since 2005, Francis has undertaken extensive research into Sámi pre-Christian religion and related beliefs and practices, including rock art research which was published in his master’s degree in 2007 from the University of Helsinki, and in 2018 in his Doctoral dissertation from the University of Lapland Faculty of Art and Design. More recently, the study focus has included the practice of contemporary drum making, offering practices and noaidivuohta (shamanism) among the Sámi, as well as a current project exploring different kinds of forest sentience which is a research project (2024-2026) funded by Kone Foundation ‘For the Woods’ program. In addition, Francis has published four books of poetry and magical thinking.