Jānis Klīdzējs (1914 – 2000) was a Latvian Latgalian writer. He gained popularity after publishing his novel Jaunieši [Youth] in 1942. He wrote in Latvian and Latgalian languages. In 1944 he emigrated to Germany and then in 1950 to the United States of America. He lived in Chicago and California. Klīdzējs was a renowned author of prose, the author of twenty-five books. In his works he mostly described lives, destiny and relationships of people from his native Sakstagals Parish, as well as life as a refugee. Films “Cilvēka bērns” [The Child of Man] and “Likteņdzirnas” [The Mills of Fate] were based on Klīdzējs’ literary work.
Prose
Bārenis [Orphan] (1995)
Gribējās saullēkta [Wanted Sunrise] (1995)
Eņģelīši nav miruši [Angels aren't Dead] (1993)
Seši kalni [Six Mountains] (1991)
Neraudi, ja nepārnākšu [Don't Cry If I'm Not Coming Back] (1990)
Satikšanās Rīgā [Meeting in Riga] (1989)
Dāvātās dvēseles [Gifted Souls] (1986)
Laidiet! Laidiet! Laidiet! [Let me, Let me, Let me] (1984)
Otrais mūsos [The Second in Us] (1983)
Dzīvīte, dzīvīte, šūpojas tevī [Life, Life, Swings in You] (1979)
Tās balsis, tās balsis [Those Voices, Those Voices] (1973)
Debešu puse [Cardinal point] (1968)
Dzīvīte, dzīvīte [Life, Life] (1967)
Sniegi [Snows] (1963)
Zilie kalni [Blue Mountains] (1960)
Cilvēka bērns [The Child of Man] (1956)
Dženitors [Janitor] (1955)
Viņas un viņi [They] (1954)
Grēks uz pusēm [Sin in Halves] (1951)
Cilvēki uz tilta [People on the Bridge] (1948)
Pajumte [Shelter] (1948)
Mīlētāji un nīdēji [Lovers and Haters] (1946)
Upe plyust [River Flows] (1945)
Gōjputnu dzīsme [Bird Song] (1944)
Jaunieši [Youth] (1942)
Miscellaneous
Ievainotā dzīve [Injured Life] (1976)
Prezidents un Latvijas paaudze [The President and Generation of Latvia] (1975)
Books to fall for
About the theatrical adaptation of Snows // Diena.lv, 2019 [LV]
About Jānis Klīdzējs // Lakuga.lv, 2019 [LTG]
About Jānis Klīdzējs // Delf.lv, 2014 [LV]
About Jānis Klīdzējs // Rīgas Latviešu biedrība, 2014 [EN]
About film "The Child of Man" // Bestbaltic.eu, 2009 [EN]
Jānis Andrups, Labo spēku pulcināšana, review of The Second in Us // Jaunā Gaita, Nr.151, 1985 [LV]
Gunārs Irbe, Ačgārnais svešums, review of Those Voices, Those Voices // Jaunā Gaita, Nr.101, 1974
1995, Order of the Three Stars
1990, the Culture Fund Award for Meeting in Riga
1986, Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš Prose Prize for Gifted Souls
1985, World Federation of Free Latvians Krišjānis Barons Award
1983, World Federation of Free Latvians Krišjānis Barons Award for The Second in Us
1980, World Federation of Free Latvians Krišjānis Barons Award for Life, Life, Swings in You
1963, the Culture Fund Award for Snows
1940, the Culture Fund Award
1937, the Culture Fund Award
