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Last year, seven works of Latvian literature were published in Estonia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Spain and Croatia

2017, March 6

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Seven more works were published by foreign publishing houses last year – books by Inga Ābele, Zigmunds Skujiņš, Eva Mārtuža, Leons Briedis, and two poetry collections by the Orbita collective are now available to a wider audience.

The well-received “Wicker Monk” (“Klūgu mūks”, published by Dienas grāmata, 2014) by Inga Ābele was translated into Lithuanian by Edmundas Untulis and published as “Žilvičių smūteklis” by Eglė publishing house. Inga Ābele's novel has earned her the Latvian Literature Award (2015) and The Diena Annual Award in Culture (2014).

Macedonian Antolog has published Ābele's widely renowned novel “High Tide” (“Paisums”,  Dienas grāmata, 2008), translated by Elizabeta Bozinoska with the title “Плима”. “High Tide” was published also in Swedish by Ariel in 2009, and in English by Open Letter (U.S.) in 2013, translated by Kaija Straumanis. “High Tide” has been awarded the 2008 Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature and the 2008 Annual Latvian Literature Award. 

Zigmunds Skujiņš' novel “Flesh-Coloured Dominos” (“Miesaskrāsas domino”) has been translated by Marija Trajkoska and published as “Домина со боја на месо” by the Macedonian publisher Prozart. “Flesh-Coloured Dominos” was also translated by Kaija Strautmanis and published in English by Arcadia Books (U.S.) in 2015. The same year saw it published in Swedish as “Levande Dominobrickor”, translated by Juris Kronbergs and printed by Tranan publishing house. More than seven million copies of Skujiņš’s works have been published in various languages. Zigmunds Skujiņš work and contribution to Latvian literature is highly valued and recognized with numerous awards, including the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers Prize for lifetime achievement (2007), the  Annual Latvian Literature Award for “Magic and Ink” (2004), and many others.

Eva Mārtuža's novel “Pētera zvērests” (“Peter's Oath”, Lauku avīze) has been published by the Lithuanian Writers' Union Publishers as “Petro priesaika”, translated by Jurgis Algimantas Banevičius. Mārtuža's “Peter's Oath” was first published in 2008 and is considered to be the first Latvian work of crypto fiction. Revised by the author, the second edition came out in 2016. Eva Mārtuža is the author of several books of poetry and novels.

The Spanish Trifaldi producciones has published Leons Briedis' collection of poems “El mensajero tardio”, translated by Raquel Garcia Barobs. Leons Briedis' poetry has also been included in the ”Kaip visuomet” anthology, published in 2012 by the Lithuanian Writers' Union, translated by Erika Drungytė. Leons Briedis has received many awards for his achievements – in 2016, his book of poems for children “The Ungruelling Gruel” (“Saputrotā putra”, published by Liels un mazs) got nominated for the Annual Latvian Literature Award, and the prestigious Jānis Baltvilks Prize. In 2015, he received the Annual Latvian Literature Award for lifetime contribution.

Four Latvian poets – Artur Punte, Semjon Khanin, Vladimir Svetlov, Sergej Timofeev – collectively known as the “Orbita” text group had their book published in Italy by Stilo Editrice with the title “Deviando solletico dalla rotta”,  translated by Massimo Maurizio,  and in Croatia as “Grupa Orbita. Sto najboljih pjesama svih vremena i naroda” by  SKUD Ivan Goran Kovačić, translated by Ivana Peruško and Marko Pogačar. In their most recent tour of several American cities, “Orbita” were promoting their bilingual collection of poems “Hit Parade”, published by Ugly Duckling Presse in 2015. 

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